My DDs school uses Activate books for science in the class. So we bought this book to use it at home too. The teacher also supplements that book with some additional printouts from some other books which I do not know the names of. And those additional printouts get glued in their workbook. She brings her workbook home before the end of subject tests to revise all the things they covered in the class so i have an idea what they've been learning and at what depth. And the good thing is, her school is following the Activate scheme exactly as it appears in the book in the same order so i know that if we cover the subjects in the Activate book, we are covered.
When it is the termly science test time, I can test her knowledge and her understanding and gauge what she is lacking which needs a different in depth tutorial, and we try to top it with other sources like questions from CPG books and Youtube tutorials. In other words I feel we have some degree of control about her science lessons. I have a science degree which helps. However I cannot say the same thing about any other subjects she's been learning ie no text books (except French which I'm clueless about) and no idea about the curriculum in English or geography or PD etc etc.
Oh we have maths online subsciption too which brilliant (vle Mathswatch). But the rest of the subjects are without any text books. I specifically ask DD if they ever use any books for any other subjects such as geography for instance where she's been learning about Coral Reefs lately... and she says nope, they have worksheets etc but no book is being brought in the class. Frustrating.
I am old fashioned educated, older mum who is in favour of text books from primary school onwards and I hate the photocopied worksheets and homework with a passion. Primary school years were wasted in my opinion without proper text books and unstructured wishy-washy curriculum but that's another matter.