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.
Best chemistry sets for children
Primary Science Lab Set
£28.98, Learning Resources
'Real' science tools sized perfectly for little hands and just the thing for younger siblings to play with when big brothers and sisters are getting hands-on with their own chemistry sets. Includes a (plastic) beaker, magnifying glass, funnel, pipette, flask, tweezers, goggles, different-sized test tubes with lids and stands and suggested activity cards. Suitable from age 3.
Kitchen Science
£10.20, 4M Kidz Labs
Six simple science activities to try in the kitchen, from a lemon-powered watch to a mini volcano eruption. Some common household items are required as extra 'ingredients', so make sure you have them in stock before your scientist starts experimenting.
Chemistry Lab
£26.95, Buki
A brilliantly-priced first chemistry set. The equipment for 150 safety-tested experiments is in the box, including a flask, test tubes and protective goggles; what to do is explained in a full-colour instruction sheet with photos and diagrams. You will need household and kitchen items to complete some of the activities, so check the list before your mini-scientist gets to work!
Glowing Chemistry
£30, Thames & Kosmos
Explore chemiluminescence (the chemical reactions that produce light) with this chemistry set with a (very bright) difference. You'll make coins and radishes glow, discover the lumimous natural world, use an ultraviolet light, learn about the electromagnetic spectrum and build a glow-in-the-dark puppet theatre. Step-by-step instructions for 22 light chemistry experiments are included.
MEL Chemistry
£29.90 for the monthly subscription sets
A chemistry set for the twenty-first century, MEL Chemistry uses videos as well as text to help children understand what is actually happening inside each experiment and reaction; the accompanying app shows the molecules and crystal structures used in the experiments in 3D and in virtual reality. Most innovative is the delivery: you purchase a subscription to receive a starter set and then 38 experiment sets through the post, ensuring a regular supply of new materials to keep young chemists engaged. Best for ages 11+.
Chemistry Set
£32.38, John Adams
A comprehensive basic chemistry set with 100 experiments to try to support National Curriculum learning about gases, metals, acids, alkali, salts, electrolytes, indicators, precipitates and crystals. A 24-page detailed instruction booklet is included, but it's worth stocking up on the extras you'll need to conduct the experiments (methylated spirit, vinegar, cotton balls).
