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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.

10 of the best children's books for summer 2013

The Royal Nappy by Nicholas Allan
Mysteries, thrillers, supernatural tales and chick lit – we all want to pack a good book to read on holiday, whether we’re 4 or 104! From historical fiction to the new laugh-out-loud classic from Jeremy Strong, this super selection of books for KS2 readers means the whole family can have a fiction-packed break.

​The best-friend story

The Chocolate Box Girls: Coco Caramel by Cathy Cassidy

(Puffin, £12.99)

A new book in the Chocolate Box Girls series from bestselling girls' author, Cathy Cassidy. Coco Caramel is all about Coco – crazy about riding and Caramel, her favourite pony at the stables.

Now Caramel needs help and there’s no-one to ask – but will a new friend come to Coco’s rescue?

​The supernatural epic

Welcome to Weirdsville: Happyland by I. M. Strange

(Little Brown, £4.99)

Aimed at children aged 8+, Happyland is a genuinely spooky series in the vein of the classic Goosebumps books. On Toby’s eleventh birthday he receives a mysterious invitation to an abandoned funfair. Of course, even though the place is incredibly eerie, he and his friends can’t resist taking a look – and soon find that getting out of Happyland will be very hard indeed…

​The laugh-out-loud comic adventure

My Brother’s Famous Bottom Gets Crowned! by Jeremy Strong

(Puffin, £5.99)

Silliness and slapstick abound in the latest madcap adventure from Jeremy Strong. Nicholas's neighbours are in a royal frenzy! They're celebrating the Queen's coronation (whatever that means!) and everyone's gone BONKERS! It's going to be the biggest street party they've ever had, until a letter from the Prince and Princess announcing the arrival of THEIR very own twins adds an extra-special surprise!

​The action-packed page-turner

Mysterium: The Black Dragon by Julian Sedgewick

(Hodder, £6.99)

Twelve-year-old Danny Woo is half-Chinese, half-British. His parents are performers in the Mysterium, a circus with dark and thrilling secrets at its heart. Following their death in a mysterious fire, Danny is sent to live with his aunt, an investigative journalist. When she disappears, Danny is plunged into a dangerous quest to find her – and uncover the secrets buried in his past.

​The junior chick lit read

Rainbow Magic: Carly the Schoolfriend Fairy by Daisy Meadows
(Hachette, £5.99)

Rachel and Kirsty are very excited about taking part in a school competition, but Jack Frost and his goblins soon arrive. Can the girls help Carly the Schoolfriend Fairy keep the competition safe and fun? The latest book in the best-selling girls’ series in the UK, perfect for new readers.

​The new friends’ gang classi

The Abominators… and the Forces of Evil by J.L. SMITH
(Little Brown, £4.99 )

Move over Horrid Henry and wimpy kids everywhere – the Abominators are the terrors of Grimely East Primary School. Filling the toilet with strawberry jelly, blocking the school water fountain with worms, stink-bombing parents’ evening and hiding a gerbil in the school piano… the gang is unstoppable. But then the Forces of Evil turn up in the shape of two VERY mean teachers – and they’re planning a fate worse than detention for the Abominators…

​The historical novel

Spy for the Queen of Scots by Theresa Breslin
(Corgi, £6.99)

As lady-in-waiting to Mary, Queen of Scots, Jenny is the young queen's closest childhood friend. Growing up in the elegant but ruthless French court, surrounded by enemies and traitors, Jenny has always been fiercely loyal to her mistress. But when she overhears a mysterious whispered plot, closely followed by several unexplained deaths at court, she puts her own life in danger and turns spy for Mary…

​The Royal-themed picture story

The Royal Nappy by Nicholas Allan
(Red Fox, £5.99)

Meet the Royal Baby and of course, Nanny, who looks after the Royal Baby and the all-important Royal Nappy Cabinet! A funny, warm look at the royal nappy through history, from Henry VIII to the present day and a very special new arrival, from the author of the comic classic The Queen’s Knickers. A great memento of summer 2013!

​The do-it-yourself confessional

My Summer Holiday Journal, Jacqueline Wilson
(Random House, £6.99)

Sometimes the best stories are the ones we write for ourselves. Perfect for fans of Jacqueline Wilson, this summer scrapbook diary offers stickers, a quiz and lots of blank pages, all waiting to be filled with memories of a wonderful summer holiday.

​The time-travel adventure

The History Keepers Circus Maximus by Damian Dibben
(Corgi, £6.99)

Time travel, secret societies, double agents and lost parents (they could be anywhere in time) – Jake Djones’ adventures take him from nineteenth-century Paris to the Roman empire in AD27. The past is in danger… can the History Keepers’ Secret Service save the world as we know it?