Nursery articles
Art and sculpture projects for children
Help your child develop their artistic skills with three hands-on sculpture projects in our extract from Wonder Art Workshop by Sally Haughey.
Why play matters to primary school children
In school and out, play is an important part of every child’s life. We asked child psychotherapists and play experts to explain how imaginative and structured play helps your child learn, develop and grow and offer tips to help support playful learning at home.
Night-time family learning activities
Rethink bedtime and reclaim your evenings as family fun time with light-and-shadows art, lantern-making and star (or satellite) gazing. From dusk until dawn, there's a wealth of learning opportunities to be found in the darkness – and lots of family fun to be had.
Supporting summer-born children at school
Your child’s birthdate could make a big difference to how they manage at primary school. We asked the experts about the potential impact, and how you can help your child thrive.
What is a school nursery?
Nursery classes are a stepping stone between pre-school and Reception. We take a look at what happens in school nurseries, and the pros and cons of applying for a place.
The safety rules every child must know
Help your child stay safe at home and out and about by teaching them these important water safety, fire safety, road safety, home safety, animal safety and stranger danger basics.
Moving house for school places: what the law says
Considering moving house or renting a property to secure a place at your first choice of school? We have the facts you need to know.
6 fab recipes for homemade slime
Get hands-on with slippery, slimy science with these recipes for making slime safely at home.
Best books to read with five year olds
Reading time is time to laugh, share and explore stories with your child. Choose books that have a strong rhythm to them and are full of humour, rhyme and attractive illustrations. We've picked ten of our favourites to read with five year olds.
Best picture books for five year olds
Picture books are a fantastic way to develop children’s speaking and listening skills. They also provide a brilliant starting point for children to hypothesise and draw inferences about characters’ thoughts, feelings and actions. Allow time for your child to pore over the illustrations in these beautiful books, make predictions and discuss the story with you.
What is Circle Time?
Circle Time is used in many primary schools, but what actually happens in these sessions? We've got the parents' guide.
7 ways to mark your child's first day at school
Your child's very first day at school is one to remember, so we've rounded up the best ways to mark the occasion.
19 questions to ask at the Reception starters’ meeting
The Reception starters' meeting is your chance to ask your burning questions about what happens when your child starts school. Our ideas will help you find out everything you need to know.
School waiting lists explained
Missed out on a place at the school of your choice? Joining the waiting list could keep the door open for your child.
How a school nurse could help your child
School nurses play a vital role in linking the two important areas of education and health. We explain what their role involves and when you might need to see one.
35 thoughts you have when your ‘baby’ starts school
Your child’s first day at school is a big milestone for both of you. No wonder you’re an emotional wreck...
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.
'Help! My child hasn't been offered a school place!'
Every year, a number of parents face the nightmare of not being offered a Reception place for their child in any local school. We explain what to do if the worst happens.
Learning about plants in primary school
From the parts of a plant to the seed cycle, water transportation and photosynthesis, children learn lots about the living things around us in primary school. Find out what is taught when in the primary classroom in our parents' guide.
What is an all-through school?
More and more schools are opening up that provide education for all children from age three to 19. We look at the pros and cons of this new model of schooling.
School starting age and deferred entry explained for parents
When does your child legally have to start their education, and what happens if you don't think they’re ready? We explain the rules around your child’s first day at primary school in England.
Beat your first day of school nerves
You've prepared your child for their first day at school, but how will YOU hold it together at the school gates? We've rounded up the best advice on how to cope with this emotional milestone.
Starting school: what Year 6 parents think you should know
What tips would experienced Year 6 parents pass on to families whose children are just about to start Reception? Lucy Dimbylow asked seasoned mums for their pearls of wisdom on surviving – and enjoying! – the primary-school journey.
What are school entry health checks?
Soon after starting school your child’s weight, height, vision and hearing will be tested, but what do these checks actually involve?
Early maths skills: how your child learns about number
Counting may seem as easy as one-two-three to us, but it’s a tricky skill for your child to learn. We explain the stages of getting to grips with number in Reception and Year 1.
Phonics phases explained
How does your child master phonics, from learning letter sounds to reading fluently? We explain the phases they may follow in the primary-school classroom.
Your starting school action plan
From finding out about your local schools to making your application and beyond, we talk you through the process of signing your child up for primary school.
Video: Tripod grasp quick trick
Make sure your child holds their pencil correctly every time they pick it up with this quick trick, as outlined in our video by National Handwriting Association Occupational Paediatric Therapist Catherine Elsey.
Video: Pre-writing activities to support handwriting
Support your child's pre-handwriting development in nursery and Reception with fun activities and play, all designed to help build essential motor skills and hand muscles. Our video features experts from the National Handwriting Association, sharing practical ideas you can try at home.
Video: correct handwriting grip and positioning for new writers
Help your child establish great handwriting habits from Reception and KS1 with our expert advice video for the parents of new writers. From the correct pencil grip to paper positioning and posture, the National Handwriting Association's Catherine Elsey explains what to look out for and how to make immediate improvements to help your child.
Video: Pencil grasp development
From eighteen months to five years, TheSchoolRun's handwriting video explains how children's pencil grasp changes over time, how to establish good handwriting habits early on and what to expect in every stage.
Primary school appeals: a step-by-step guide
Finding out your child hasn’t got a place at your preferred primary school can be devastating. We explain how to appeal the decision with our step-by-step guide to what to do when.
Reception baseline assessment tests explained for parents
The Reception Baseline Assessment was introduced in September 2021. We explain what the assessment looks like and how the results are used in our parents' guide.
Best reading scheme books for early readers
Does your heart sink at the thought of another reading practice session after school? Don't lose heart, says primary school teacher, mum and Reading Chest founder Liz Walker. Today's reading scheme books offer exciting stories, non-fiction facts and loads more. Here's how to make the most of early readers, whether your child has just started to blend sounds or is ready to graduate to 'real' books.
How to prepare your child for primary school
What do tiny four- and five-year-olds really need to know before they start Reception? We asked experts, teachers and mums what you can do at home to prepare them – and what is best left to the professionals!
100 of the best educational toys: EYFS
Learning toys that are packed with play value, too, our 100 best educational toy picks will help your child identify numbers and letters, learn their high frequency words, understand rhyming and even get to grips with primary-school programming and physics. Get great gift ideas with our recommendations for nursery and Reception children!
What is blending?
As they learn to read, children are taught individual sounds and then how to link them together to form words. By the end of Reception your child will be able to blend sounds together; find out how your child will be taught blending in school and how you can support learning at home.
What is a letter sound?
By the end of EYFS your child should know the sound each letter makes. Find out how your child will be taught letter sounds in school and how you can support learning at home.
What is phonics?
Sort your phonemes from your graphemes, decoding from encoding and digraphs from trigraphs with our parents' guide to phonics teaching. Our step-by-step explanation takes you through the different stages of phonics learning, what your child will be expected to learn and the vocabulary you need to know.
Starting school: keeping up the momentum in Reception year
So they’ve flown the nest... well, until the school run that is! Primary-school teacher (and parent of a Reception child) Phoebe Doyle offers some advice on keeping motivation maxed and avoiding tears during this most crucial of school years.