An intranet is an internal, controlled environment which uses the same protocols as the Internet. It provides opportunities for teachers and learners to participate actively in the NGfL rather than passively browse content. An intranet also encourages contributions to the NGFL. by giving LEAs and schools the ability to create "local grids for learning".

Through the establishment of local intranets, the National Grid for Learning can effectively utilise the 'mosaic of interconnected networks' envisaged in the Connecting the Learning Society white paper. There is a strong community aspect to the content, as the intranet can, where necessary, be configured so that the only information available is local content.

The intranet also allows users to make contributions and share information, using the intranet as a forum. An intranet provides a seamless gateway to the Internet. Xemplar's Interchange, for instance, is a locally provided resource which offers a series of curriculum links to other intranet content or appropriate sites on the Internet. Because the Internet is a dynamic environment, the links need to be monitored regularly to ensure they are still available and offer suitable content. Interchange offers this secure managed service.

Another advantage of intranets, particularly for schools, is that much of the commonly used content can be stored locally. This means that pupils call access material using their browsers as though it were on the Internet but is in reality sourced from an internal server.The use of an intranet in this way also reduces the time spent searching for information on the World Wide Web.

Local storage has three great advantages:

1. All research tasks performed by pupils are conducted 'off-line', enabling the schools to save on telephone line charges. Because the information is delivered to pupils using the school network, the connection is also much quicker than the external Internet connection.

2. The content can be managed internally, either by an ICT co-ordinator or remotely us part of a managed service to ensure it contains appropriate resources.

3. Pupils use a browser to view or interact with the content. Most computer systems have browsers available Apple, Acorn, PC, Network Computers and even eMates - which will allow the user to view pages created by open standards like HTML. Pupils can therefore access the resource required for their work, whatever the system available to them at the time.

An intranet empowers schools by affording them some control over their environment. The intranet enables LEAs and/or schools to contribute to the content so that it is relevant to their needs. Centralised commercial offerings remove this level of participation and lock the user into a dependency for all information required.