Fun School
| Company type | Educational software series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Software, Education |
| Predecessor | Database Educational Software |
| Founded | 1984 |
| Founder | Database Educational Software (label) |
| Fate | Continued development under Europress Software |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
Area served | United Kingdom, Germany (noted German version) |
Key people | William Cochrane, Peter Hickman (AMOS conversion programmers) |
| Products | Educational software titles for children aged 4–11 years, various editions from Fun School 1 to Fun School 7 and Fun School Specials |
| Owner | Europress Software |
Fun School is a series of educational software products developed and published in the UK by Europress Software, initially under the label Database Educational Software. The earliest editions were predominantly distributed via mail order, promoted through advertisements in magazines owned by Database Publications. To increase availability in retail outlets, the company rebranded the collection as Fun School 2, packaging the software for sale across computer stores nationwide. Each release offers three distinct versions designed for specific age ranges.
Fun School 1
Introduced in 1984 by Database Educational Software for the Acorn Electron and BBC Micro, Fun School 1 consisted of three educational games aimed at children under 6, between 6 and 8, and over 8 years old. Additionally, the package included five popular children's nursery rhymes. The software was tested within classroom environments and received official endorsement for educational use.
| Under 5 years | Ages 5–8 | 8-12 years |
|---|---|---|
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Fun School 2
Released in 1989 by Database Educational Software, Fun School 2 broadened its platform compatibility to include Acorn Electron, BBC Micro, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Amiga, MS-DOS, and RISC OS. This edition continued to cater to three age brackets: under 6, 6 to 8, and over 8 years.
The games were programmed using the STOS language alongside the STOS Compiler Engine. Garnering critical praise, Fun School 2 was acclaimed as "The number one choice for our school" by Shelley Gibson and achieved third place on the "Gallup full-price software chart." Additionally, Commodore Force ranked these titles among the top 50 Commodore 64 games of 1993.
While commercially successful and well-reviewed—earning scores of 89% from both Amstrad Action and Your Sinclair—the series attracted criticism from left-wing educational advocates due to its competitive gameplay aspects, a matter raised in the British Parliament by MP Kenneth Baker.
| Under 6 Years | Ages 6–8 | Over 8 Years |
|---|---|---|
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Fun School 3
Launched in 1990 by Database Educational Software, Fun School 3 is a collection of educational games designed for children under 5, between ages 5 and 7, and over 7 years. The software was made available on multiple platforms including ZX Spectrum, BBC Micro, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, Amstrad PCW, Atari ST, Amiga, Amiga CD32, MS-DOS, and RISC OS. The content closely followed the guidelines of the then-current National Curriculum.
The development utilized the STOS programming language with compilation via the STOS Compiler Engine. For the Amiga versions, conversion to AMOS was performed using the AMOS Compiler by William Cochrane and Peter Hickman. The Amiga release was showcased on the "Commodore 1990 Christmas" talk show alongside AMOS 3D.
The Amstrad PCW iteration received the European Computer Leisure Award for "Best Home Education Package" and earned the 8000 Plus Seal of Approval, underscoring its positive reception in the market.
| Under 5 Years | Ages 5–7 | Over 7 Years |
|---|---|---|
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Fun School 4
Fun School 4 represents the fourth entry in the educational game series, launched in 1991 by Europress Software (previously known as Database Educational Software) for multiple platforms including ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, Atari ST, Amiga, MS-DOS, and RISC OS. This edition was divided into three versions aimed at different age groups: children below 5 years, those aged 5 to 7, and children between 7 and 11 years old, each tailored to correspond with the National Curriculum standards of England and Wales. During its creation, ST Format organized a competition, the winning submissions of which were incorporated into the final product.
The Amiga editions were mainly programmed using the AMOS language and compiler, while time-sensitive games such as TimeTable and Exchange Rates were developed in assembler code to ensure smooth performance.
| Under 5 Years | Ages 5–7 | Ages 7–11 |
|---|---|---|
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The series garnered favorable critiques across various systems: Amstrad CPC versions achieved scores as high as 93% (Amstrad Action), ZX Spectrum editions generally received ratings around 85-86% (Crash, Sinclair User, Your Sinclair), and Commodore 64 releases were rated between 68% and 82%. These consistently positive evaluations highlight the franchise’s strong standing within the educational software sector.
Fun School Specials
Launched in 1993 by Europress Software, Fun School Specials is a collection of four educational titles concentrating on spelling, mathematics, creativity, and science. Each game was crafted to align with the National Curriculum, offering focused learning opportunities.
Paint and Create
Available on Commodore 64, Amiga, and MS-DOS, Paint and Create offers six creative activities allowing children to design their own artwork. It received commendable reviews, including a score of 91% from Commodore Format and 94% from CU Amiga, along with receiving the Screenstar accolade from Amiga Reviews.
Spelling Fair
This title, released for Commodore 64, Amiga, and MS-DOS, emphasizes interactive gameplay aimed at improving spelling abilities.
Merlin's Maths
Designed for Amiga and MS-DOS platforms, Merlin's Maths includes six exercises covering topics such as counting, decimals, fractions, and volume measurements, focusing on fundamental math skills.
Young Scientist
Introduced in 1995 for Windows and Macintosh CD-ROMs, Young Scientist provides comprehensive science education through up to forty experiments featuring the character Ozzie S. Otter.
| Publication | Paint & Create | Spelling Fair | Merlin's Maths | Young Scientist |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commodore Format | 91% (C64) | 90% (C64) | ||
| CU Amiga | 94% (Amiga) | 84% (Amiga) | 79% (Amiga) | |
| Amiga Format | 87% (Amiga) | |||
| Amiga Joker | 18% (Amiga) |
| Paint & Create (Ages 5 to 11) |
Merlin's Maths (Ages 7 to 11) |
Spelling Fair (Ages 7 to 13) |
Young Scientist (Ages 5 to 9) |
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Fun School 5
Developed by Europress Software and launched in 1995 for Windows, Fun School 5 represents the fifth installment in the educational game series designed for children aged between 4 and 11 years. Although originally slated for a 1993 debut, its release was postponed due to the production of subject-focused Fun School Specials. Initial editions encountered compatibility problems with certain video drivers, necessitating a recall and subsequent updates. The trilogy of games is divided into age-specific segments: 4–7, 6–9, and 8–11 years, each presenting distinct themes and learning goals. This edition introduced the characters Suki, Rik, along with their pet dinosaur Gloopy, whom users guide through various problem-solving activities.
| Dreamland (Ages 4–7) | Space (Ages 6–9) | Time (Ages 8–11) |
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Fun School 6
Published by Europress Software in 1996 for Windows, Fun School 6 extended the educational series with three titles catering to age groups 4–7, 6–9, and 8–11. Each version encompassed five fundamental subjects—Mathematics, English, Science, Music, and Art—customized appropriately for the targeted age bracket. The character Gloopy remained a central figure, now portrayed as a pink dinosaur.
| Fairyland (Ages 4–7) | Magicland (Ages 6–9) | Futureland (Ages 8–11) |
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Fun School 7
The final chapter of the educational game franchise, Fun School 7, was released in 1998 by CBL Technology for Windows. This edition features three games aimed at children aged 4–7, 6–9, and 8–11 years old and incorporates three-dimensional graphics technology.
| Ages 4–7 | Ages 6–9 | Ages 8–11 |
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Commercial performance
Prior to 1989, the market for educational software was experiencing a downturn; however, the launch of Fun School 2 reversed this trend significantly. By February of that year, sales had exceeded 60,000 copies, which led to the development of a German-language version for the Amiga. Sales figures climbed beyond 100,000 by April and surpassed 150,000 units by August 1990—including approximately 30,000 copies on Amstrad CPC. By December, as work on Fun School 3 was underway, total sales reached around 250,000 copies.
Before the BBC Micro and PC versions were introduced, Fun School 3 had already sold about 45,000 units on other platforms. During the development of Fun School 4, Europress had achieved sales totaling roughly 300,000 copies; this number increased to approximately 400,000 by April 1991.
By the year 1992, cumulative sales of the Fun School series had surpassed half a million units; by the following year in 1993, total sales exceeded 650,000 packages. The release of Fun School 5 further boosted worldwide sales beyond the 800,000 mark. With Fun School 6, sales approached an estimated total of one and a half million copies. Upon launching Fun School 7, overall sales of the entire Fun School collection exceeded two million units.
External links
- Articles with short description
- Children's educational video games
- United Kingdom-exclusive video games
- Video game franchises
- Video games developed in the United Kingdom
- Video game franchises introduced in 1986
- Acorn Archimedes games
- Amiga games
- Amstrad CPC games
- Amstrad PCW games
- Atari ST games
- BBC Micro and Acorn Electron games
- Amiga CD32 games
- Commodore 64 games
- DOS games
- Windows games
- ZX Spectrum games