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Sex and relationships education: parents' questions answered
Relationships and sex education: your FAQs answered
How is Relationships and Sex Education changing and why is it so controversial? We did a little digging and spoke to experts to help us debunk some of the myths surrounding RSE in primary school.
Best geography games for children
Best geography games for children
There's no need to pack – travel the length and breadth of our world with these brilliant geography board games and card games, great for explorers and geographers of all ages.
Best activity books for kids
Best activity books for children
Whether you're on the move or at home, a great activity book offers hours of screen-free learning and fun. Crosswords, maths challenges, mystery solving and code writing are all covered in our best activity books for kids picks. We can't guarantee you won't want to help out with the puzzling, though!
Best tennis books for children
Best children's books about tennis
Is your child a tennis ace? We've rounded up the best books for Wimbledon fortnight and beyond, so they can read their way into the world of volleys, rallies and Grand Slams.
Best children's books about the Celts
Best children's books about the Celts
The Celts, best known for living in tribes, being rebellious and their warrior queen Boudicca, were one of the most powerful and advanced groups in Iron Age society. Have your sword, spear and shield ready because you're in for a bruising battle with this collection of texts chosen by Scott Evans, primary school teacher and children's book reviewer.
Best children's books about the Normans
Best children's books about the Normans
The Normans ruled England after the Anglo Saxons and are famous for battles and conquests, kings and knights and for building some of our most well-known castles, such as Windsor Castle and the Tower of London! Chosen by primary teacher Scott Evans, these tales, some based on true events and some mythological, travel back to a time of towers and tapestries...
Best children's books about the Suffragettes
Best children's books about the Suffragettes
On 6 February 1918 the Representation of the People Act gave the vote to (some) women in Britain for the first time. Help your child understand the history of the women's suffrage movement with teacher Ashley Booth's pick of the best kids' books about the Suffragettes.
Children using a tablet computer
Online safety rules every parent should follow
Do you worry that you're not doing enough to keep your child safe online? Are you overwhelmed by all the apps, games and websites they want to visit and despair of keeping on top of it all? Alicia Coad, founder of family messaging app ChatFOSS, offers her top online safety tips for busy parents.
Children learning sign language
Sign language and Makaton in primary schools
Signing can give children an educational boost, regardless of whether they have special needs. We take a look at its growth in schools.
Child listening to music
6 ways to introduce your child to classical music
Open up a world of amazing music for your child by introducing them to classical music composers and performances. With loads of resources available for free online, there's no better time to dive in and start listening.
Best history books for children
Best history books for children
Travel back in time to visit a Roman bath-house, explore the Persian empire, find your way through an Elizabethan maze and witness the fall of the Berlin Wall – the whole of human history is brought to life for children in our pick of the best kids' books about world and British history.
Children and robotics
How to future-proof your child's learning
Is your primary-school child getting the education they'll need to thrive in the 21st century? Jill Hodges, CEO and Founder of Fire Tech technology classes and camps for kids, describes the five skills young people will need, at work and in life, to make the most of our technological society's opportunities.
Historical dressing up
Kids' historical costumes to buy
Planning ahead for Victorian day at school? Looking for an easy evacuee costume or a Roman centurion outfit? Need to find a dressing-up solution for your eager Viking warrior, Anglo-Saxon scholar or Georgian lady? From Stone Age to suffragettes and Sixties fashion, we've picked a selection of the best historical costumes to buy for kids.
What is decomposition?
What is decomposition?
Decomposition in computer programming explained by TheSchoolRun's Billy Rebecchi, with details of how children are taught to decompose programs in the KS1 and KS2 classroom.
Primary children in the classroom
What your child learns in KS2 RE
From learning about religious festivals to exploring their own beliefs and values, here's what your child will cover in KS2 Religious Education.
Best books about geography for kids
Best geography books for children
From natural landscapes to human habitats and cultures, each of these books about our world introduces kids to the diversity, complexity and beauty of the Earth. Inspire future travellers and explorers with our pick of the best kids' books about geography.
What is a programming language?
What is a programming language?
Children are introduced to simple programming languages as early as KS1. Understand how your child will start to use drag-and-drop programming like Scratch with our guide to programming languages in the primary-school classroom. By Billy Rebecchi
What are procedures and functions?
What are procedures and functions?
Brilliant primary-school programmers are introduced to procedures and functions in Year 5 and Year 6. TheSchoolRun's Billy Rebecchi explains what your child might learn about these advanced building blocks of code in our parents' guide.
What is computational logic?
What is computational logic?
Thanks to computational logic, or computational thinking, we can work step-by-step to understand a problem and develop a solution. Children are first introduced to this skill in the KS2 classroom, as TheSchoolRun's Billy Rebecchi explains.
What is a variable?
What is a variable in computing?
Find out how variables are used in computing and how they are introduced in the KS2 classroom in our parents' guide to variables.
Positive screen time
9 screen time activities you don’t need to feel guilty about
Not all screen time is bad for your child. We’ve rounded up nine great activities that’ll help them make the most of their laptop, tablet or phone.
What are hardware, software and Operating Systems?
What are hardware, software and Operating Systems?
Hardware (the physical parts of a computer), software (the programs that can be run on a computer) and the Operating System that allows software and hardware to communicate: TheSchoolRun's Billy Rebecchi explains what your child learns in KS1 and KS2 computing and how you can develop their understanding at home.
What is abstraction?
What is abstraction in computing?
Abstraction is an important part of programming. Find out how children are introduced to this tricky concept in KS2 computing and how you can develop their understanding at home.
What are sequences?
What is a sequence in computing?
Understanding sequences is vital in computing. Our parents' guide explains how children learn about sequences in algorithms and programs in KS1 and KS2 computing. By Billy Rebecchi
What is debugging?
What is debugging?
The debugging cycle in computer programming explained by TheSchoolRun's Billy Rebecchi, with details of how children are taught to debug programs in the KS1 and KS2 classroom.
What is a program?
What is a program?
Programming in the primary-school classroom: TheSchoolRun's Billy Rebecchi explains how children learn about programs in KS1 and KS2 and how programmable floor robots are used in primary computing.
School children singing
Welsh language teaching in Wales
The Welsh language is an important part of the curriculum in Wales, but what do children learn and how is it balanced with their learning of English?
The Hutchinson family
'We wanted to give our children a faith-based education'
Parents Kirsty and Simon Hutchinson explain how they integrate their religious beliefs into their home education routine.
Child cooking
6 great things your child learns in the kitchen
Cooking with kids is about more than just licking the bowl. GBBO winner and cookbook author Nadiya Hussain shares some great reasons to involve your child in the kitchen.
Children in an art gallery
Best art books for children
Help your child discover the world's great works of art with our pick of the best introductions to painting, sculpture, art installations and more. Will they step into a painting in an art story book, create their own 3D art masterpiece or fall in love with an artistic style or artist?
What is forest school?
What is forest school?
Taking children out of the classroom and into the great outdoors, forest school is growing in popularity – but what does it actually involve?
Child holding the world
Talking to your child about politics
Every child is a future voter, so it's important that they learn about politics. Lucy Dimbylow takes a look at where to begin.
Children learning through singing
Best learning songs
Could songs and music help your child learn and remember English, maths and science facts? We pick our favourite learning songs, covering everything from adverbs and angles to onomatopoeia and photosynthesis.
Child using a dictionary
Best reference books for children
Reference books and dictionaries offer us information that's accurate, well researched and beautifully presented and are invaluable when you're working on a homework project. From atlases to dictionaries and encyclopedias, we recommend some of the best English, maths, science, history and geography reference books for primary-school children.
Child playing computer games
Positive screen time for children
Despairing of how much time your child spends glued to their laptop, tablet or phone? Here's how to help them get the most out of their screen time
BBC Micro:bit
What is the BBC micro:bit?
We explain what the BBC micro:bit computer coding device is all about – and put it to the test.
Charles Dickens Museum © Siobhan Doran
Museums reviewed by parents: Dickens Museum
A brilliant way to make KS2 learning about life in Victorian times come to life for your primary-school child, the London home where Charles Dickens lived for two years is no Bleak House, rather an Old Curiosity Shop of memorabilia that all the family will love.
Anatomy for kids
Learning about the body in primary school
At primary school children learn about the senses, the human skeleton, teeth and their function, the digestive system, puberty, the circulatory system and more. Find out what they'll be discussing in the classroom when and how you can support their learning at home.
African elephants in a savannah habitat
What is a habitat?
Children are introduced to all kinds of habitats in primary school, from arid deserts to lush rainforests and vast oceans. Find out what your child will learn in primary-school science and how you can support your child's learning at home.
Learning through LEGO
Learning through LEGO
Is your child obsessed with LEGO? Here’s how it could give their learning a boost.