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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.

How to find good childcare

Nanny reading book to children
Thinking about which type of childcare will suit your family best? Pacey (previously the National Childminding Association) shares advice for choosing a childminder or nanny.

Around 300,000 children are cared for by registered childminders and nannies, making home-based childcare the second most popular choice of formal childcare in England and Wales.

Registered childminders work in their own homes, providing childcare for up to six children from different families at any one time, aged from birth until secondary school years. Nannies usually only work for one family from that family's home and some may live-in.

Deciding on a registered childminder or nanny means your child is looked after in a safe, family setting. Both nannies and childminders are part of the local community and this means your child will be able to enjoy learning from life experiences, such as visits to the local shops or library. 

Registered childminders are usually self-employed and as a parent you can have peace of mind of knowing that childminders are inspected by Ofsted (in England) or the Care and Social Services Inspectorate (in Wales). They have a paediatric first-aid certificate, hold public liability insurance and have to undergo professional training. They are also Criminal Records Bureau checked. In England all registered childminders caring for under fives deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage, just the same as nurseries. 

 

Nannies work in the home of the child and can register on the Voluntary Ofsted Childcare Register.

Many registered childminders and nannies care for siblings together and your childminder or nanny may also be able to take and pick up your children from school.

If your childminder or nanny is a member of Pacey (Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years) you know they will be committed to offering high-quality learning and care.

Questions to ask a childminder or nanny

About them

  • How long have you been a childminder/nanny and why did you choose this career?
  • What do you enjoy most about the job?
  • Are you a member of Pacey?
  • Do you have any relevant qualifications? What training have you done?
  • Do you belong to a childminding group or network?
  • Are you taking part in a quality assurance scheme?

About the setting

  • How many other children do you look after, how old are they and how long have you been looking after them?
  • Do you have any children of your own, and if so, how old are they?
  • Can you describe a typical childminding day or week?
  • What arrangements do you have for meals and snacks?
  • What arrangements do you have if you become ill?
  • What do you consider unacceptable behaviour, and how do you deal with it?
  • What would you do in an emergency involving yourself or one of the children?
  • Do you ever take the children out in the car, and if so, do you have suitable insurance cover, seat belts and car seats for this?
  • Do you and the children regularly go on outings during the week?
  • Do you ever go on special trips out?
  • Do you have pets or a garden?
  • What do you do about holidays – both ours and yours?

About their paperwork

  • Please show me your registration, insurance and first aid certificates.
  • Please show me your Ofsted or CSSIW inspection report
  • Can I see any references from parents?