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Important update from TheSchoolRun
For the past 13 years, TheSchoolRun has been run by a small team of mums working from home, dedicated to providing quality educational resources to primary school parents. Unfortunately, rising supplier costs and falling revenue have made it impossible for us to continue operating, and we’ve had to make the difficult decision to close. The good news: We’ve arranged for another educational provider to take over many of our resources. These will be hosted on a new portal, where the content will be updated and expanded to support your child’s learning.
What this means for subscribers:
- Your subscription is still active, and for now, you can keep using the website as normal — just log in with your usual details to access all our articles and resources*.
- In a few months, all resources will move to the new portal. You’ll continue to have access there until your subscription ends. We’ll send you full details nearer the time.
- As a thank you for your support, we’ll also be sending you 16 primary school eBooks (worth £108.84) to download and keep.
A few changes to be aware of:
- The Learning Journey weekly email has ended, but your child’s plan will still be updated on your dashboard each Monday. Just log in to see the recommended worksheets.
- The 11+ weekly emails have now ended. We sent you all the remaining emails in the series at the end of March — please check your inbox (and spam folder) if you haven’t seen them. You can also follow the full programme here: 11+ Learning Journey.
If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected]. Thank you for being part of our journey it’s been a privilege to support your family’s learning.
*If you need to reset your password, it will still work as usual. Please check your spam folder if the reset email doesn’t appear in your inbox.
Year 4 articles
No-sew costumes for World Book Day
As the children get excited over book week, it can leave us parents feeling more than a little stressed! Time-poor and not at all sewing-savvy Phoebe Doyle has some simple suggestions for effective World Book Day costumes that won’t break the bank.
What your child can learn from doing a self portrait
Children often draw pictures of themselves, along with friends and family. Self portraits are actually a key part of learning and personal development, so provide the paper, pencils and opportunity for your child to have a go.
4 ideas for homemade playdough
Help your child develop the motor skills needed for handwriting with these no-skills-needed ideas and recipes for playdough and similar slimy substances – ideal for sensory play and scientific investigations!
The parents’ guide to school trips
It feels like five minutes ago that you were peeling a tearful child off your leg at the school gates; now it’s your turn to weep at the thought of them going on a residential trip! We answer your questions – and ease your worries – about residential visits. By Lucy Dimbylow
How to keep your child safe online
With technology advancing faster and faster, parents are finding it more and more difficult to stay on top of how their children are using the internet. We spoke to mum and internet-safety guru Pamela Whitby about what you can do to protect your child online.
Times tables: 10 things every parent needs to know
If you're a KS2 parent, chances are you'll spend more time than you ever thought possible looking for ways to help your child learn their times tables. Here are the ten things you should know before you get started.
How to make your garden bird-friendly
Birdwatching is a brilliant learning activity to do at home that can also encourage your child to take an interest in the outdoors. We speak to the RSPB about how you can make your garden or balcony more appealing for birds, leading to better birdwatching!
11 things parents need to know about the National Curriculum
It’s the basis for what your child learns every day, but what exactly is the National Curriculum and what does it teach? Education writer and primary teacher Phoebe Doyle offers some clarity.
Teachers’ tips to make tricky spellings easy
Does making your child prepare for the weekly spelling test make your heart sink? Forget mindless drilling – primary teacher and preparing-for-spelling-tests veteran Phoebe Doyle has found ways to take some of the stress out of learning tricky words.
How to create a reading-friendly home
Switch off the screens and help make reading a fun, relaxing and engaging pastime for your child by implementing these expert tips from primary school teacher and parent Phoebe Doyle.
Education, health and care plans (EHCP): expert tips to help parents
SEND experts Antonia Chitty and Tania Tirraoro explain how EHCPs work and share their tips on the application process.
Penpals: an engaging and lifelong learning activity
Revive the fading practice of letter-writing for your child through one of the penpal schemes available for students – not only can they practice penmanship, but they may make a friend for life!
Raising bilingual children
Like many skills, it’s best to start learning two languages as young as possible, but it’s not uncommon for parents to run into a few difficulties when raising bilingual children. TheSchoolRun offers advice and tips from parents who have first-hand experience to share.
How to plan a great year: achieving ideas for every month
Help your child be their best every month of the year! Follow these top goal-achieving tips from child development expert and bestselling author, Bernadette Tynan.
What your child learns in Year 4 maths, English and science
Help your child prepare for the concepts and topics covered in Year 4 by knowing ahead of time what they’ll be learning in class.
Illusions and mind tricks: are your eyes fooling you?
Are you seeing what's really there, or is your mind tricking you? Professor Bruce Hood has three amazing illusions experiments to try, and explains more about how the brain works in his Royal Institution Christmas lecture.
Best educational TV for KS2 children
No need to turn off the TV and do something less boring instead if these are the programmes your children are watching! From news updates to historical dramas there’s plenty to keep 7 to 11 year olds interested – and learning new things – whenever they’re tuning into their favourites.
6 outdoor activities for wintry weather
Just because it’s cold doesn’t mean you need to stay indoors! Bundle up and get everyone outside to enjoy these fun learning activities, perfect for chilly temperatures and snowy weather.
8 great handwriting activities
Put the fun into handwriting practice! From everyday shopping lists to rainy day bookmaking, there’s something to inspire children of all ages and interests to pick up a pencil, says teacher and mum-of-two Phoebe Doyle.
Phonics and sounds explained
Wondering what those noises that your child has been chanting to you are? They're probably practising their phonics sounds – we explain what the sounds of phonics are, and how you can help your child learn them in Reception and beyond.
Handwriting dos and don’ts
Practising handwriting at home doesn’t have to be about copying out rows of letters and reaching writing targets. Make writing fun with these helpful tips from primary school teacher Phoebe Doyle.
Teachers’ tricks for learning times tables
Do you dread times table practice as much as your child does? Primary school teacher Alice Hart uses these effective learning strategies in her classroom – give them a try to liven up today's homework time.
‘My teacher hates me!’
There are some things you never want to hear your child say, and when it comes to his education, “Mummy, my teacher doesn’t like me!” tops the list. So what can you do if your child insists the teacher thinks they’re bottom of the class? Sarah Ebner offers some advice.
Handwriting practice: writing to Santa
It’s the handwriting activity your child will be clamouring to start: writing to Father Christmas! Gather your child’s paper and pencils and settle down to compile the list, then organise a response from the big man himself, as well as a personalised Christmas message.
8 no-sew Nativity costumes
If your little angel is honoured with the role of Mary, or your shining star is to be a sheep, here are some sewing-free, stress-free ways of getting simple, yet effective, handmade Nativity costumes recommended by non-crafty mum and teacher, Phoebe Doyle.
Sports Day cringe stories
It’s supposed to be one of the highlights of the school calendar, but in reality sports day is ripe with opportunities for humiliation. From finishing line tantrums to trackside arguments, six mums share their shame with TheSchoolRun.
9 fun writing projects to boost literacy skills
Stories aren’t just for reading – teachers regularly use a story as a starting point to engage children in many writing activities that cover a wide range of objectives. Here, education writer Phoebe Doyle gives you a few suggestions for doing the same at home.
10 questions parents of ADHD children should ask their schools
Whether you’ve just found out your child has ADHD, or are checking new schools for your ADHD child, use our list of key questions to get all the information you need.
5 unusual ways to help with spelling
Help your children improve their spelling skills with games and activities that build word-savviness in fun and interesting ways.
9 homework help tips from real parents
Does your child struggle to settle down during homework time? Parents share their favourite tips on motivating their children through it and helping them concentrate on tricky concepts.
What are key stages?
One of the terms you’ll hear most often during your child’s education is ‘key stage’, but what does it mean? We explain what you need to know.
All about dysgraphia
Could your child’s difficulty with writing be dysgraphia? Find out what the signs are, and what to do about it.
What are adverbs?
Use our quick guide to adverbs to help your child understand this descriptive part of speech.
Halloween face painting: a step-by-step guide
You don't have to be an artist to face paint! Make your child's Halloween costume stand out by following these easy steps.
Teaching time the 21st century way
Are you struggling to teach your child to tell the time? Elena Dalrymple reviews a new story-based learning method.
Simple science activities to try today
Science doesn't have to mean complicated experiments with chemicals and Bunsen burners. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage can get involved in science with these fun, fast-results experiments. Sarah Cruickshank reports.
Primary science: what you need to know
Not sure what your child is learning in science? Swot up with our two-minute parents' guide to primary-school science.
The beginner's guide to parent-teacher meetings
There’s a lot you can do to make sure you get the most out of meeting with your child’s teacher. Here’s TheSchoolRun’s guide to handling your first parents’ evening.
Develop your child's literacy skills in the early years
Supporting kids’ literacy skills at home is a key factor in helping them to become accomplished readers with broad vocabularies. Get started today!
Writing practice: how to help your struggling child
Is your child’s handwriting a cause for concern? Help them to improve it with these simple activities.