01
Playbook 03 · 10 Slides · Opening Range Strategy

The School
Run

Tom Hougaard's School Run brackets the high and low of the first 30 minutes at RTH open. How price interacts with this bracket tells you what kind of day it is — before most traders have a clue. A complete day classification and execution system.

30 min
Opening Range
3
Day Types
RTH
Session Only
10
Slides
About This Playbook

The School Run is a day classification system based on the opening range. By tracking the high and low of the first 30 minutes of RTH, you can determine whether the market will trend or range — and apply the correct strategy. Each slide covers a component: the bracket mechanics, day types, the fishing technique, EMA and VWAP confluence, entry rules, stops, and the kill switch.

InstrumentsES · NQ · YM · RTY
SessionRTH 09:30 – 16:00 ET
Opening RangeFirst 30 min
SourceTom Hougaard
All 10 Slides
SR
SLIDE 01
The School Run Concept
What the School Run is, why it works, and how institutional activity at RTH open creates a reliable day classification framework. The foundation of the entire playbook.
📐
SLIDE 02
The 30-Min Bracket
Step-by-step mechanics of building the opening range bracket. Bar-by-bar example on a 5-min chart and what the bracket tells you about the day.
📊
SLIDE 03
Day Classification
The three day types — Trend Long, Trend Short, and Range. Decision flowchart for classifying the day and selecting the right strategy.
🎣
SLIDE 04
The Fishing Technique
Mean reversion entries at the bracket edges. Stop-run detection, liquidity grabs, and when to fish vs when to wait for a breakout.
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SLIDE 05
The 9/20 EMA Foundation
Using the 9/20 EMA pair for trend direction and directional bias. How EMAs interact with the School Run bracket for confluence.
📉
SLIDE 06
VWAP Context
Price vs VWAP as a volume-weighted directional filter. How VWAP, the bracket, and the fishing technique work together.
🎯
SLIDE 07
Entry Rules
Exact entry conditions for trend day and range day setups. The checklist before clicking — no feelings, only signals.
🛡️
SLIDE 08
Stop Loss & Profit Taking
Structure-based stop placement and three-layer profit harvesting. Risk management rules specific to bracket trading.
🛑
SLIDE 09
Kill Switch & Discipline
When to stop trading. The kill switch rules, emotional state checks, and the discipline framework for consistent execution.
SLIDE 10
Pre-Session Checklist
The complete School Run checklist — bracket setup, day classification, tool alignment, entry confirmation, and risk checks. Print and use daily.