Is the summer really drawing to an end already? It only seems like yesterday that the kids were coming home from school with names written all over their shirts and the faint smell of burnt text books in the air.

However, with the profusion of laptop deals aimed at getting your kids back into the classroom, it would seem that the days of getting up at noon, watching daytime TV and working out whose jumpers to use for goalposts are over.

With that in mind, What Laptop magazine has dug out some perfect laptops for school or homework. Here are their five recommended buys:

HP 6720s

The HP 6720s laptop is packed with features, such as the latest Intel Core2 Duo processor and 2GB of RAM. Take advantage of the 250GB hard drive, backed with hours of battery life and a 15.4" TFT display. This laptop will allow you to take your work with you wherever you go. The HP 6720s is now just £495 (inc VAT) at Misco [sponsored link].

Medion Akoya S5610

If you're looking for something a little more stylish, the Akoya is being sold through Sainsbury's stores at the moment and has a great 15.4-inch screen, but the slimline design means it's portable as well as practical. At £599 (inc. VAT), it's the most expensive machine here but it's the cheapest we've found packing in Intel's new Centrino 2 package.

You'll find the Intel Core2 Duo P7350 fitted as well as 3GB of memory and a whopping 320GB hard drive. When it comes to graphics it's no slouch, either, as you find the ATi Mobility Radeon HD 3470 comfortably taking care of things. Overall, this is a great powerhouse portable.

Dell Inspiron 1525 T2390

Dell has changed its business plan of late, so whereas once you could only buy a Dell laptop straight from the company, now you can pick one up with your weekly shopping. One of What Laptop's favourites is the Dell Inspiron 1525, which is a pretty amazing machine in its own right but at £339 (inc. VAT) from Tesco, this is one of the better Dell deals around.

Powered by an Intel Pentium Core Duo T2390, there is plenty of power for homework and leisure. You also get 2GB of memory and 120GB hard drive, which is more than enough for school files.

Packard Bell EasyNote BG45-U-300

The winner of the world's longest laptop name goes to the Packard Bell EasyNote BG45-U-300, which is reviewed in the latest issue of What Laptop, which found it to be an exceptional machine for the asking price of just £399 (inc. VAT). It's for sale at PC World stores across the country and online.

With a 12.1-inch screen and running Windows Vista this is a great machine for carrying to school and back. It's not the most powerful of laptops but the Intel Pentium Dual Core T2390 processor, 1GB of memory and 80GB hard drive is good value for money.

Asus Eee PC 701

It's easy to forget that what made the Eee PC so great in the first place were its small child-like size and the amazing price. Now that most people have moved on the larger 901, there are some great deals to be had on the original model. Toys'R'Us has the high-end 4GB model for just £199 (inc. VAT), which makes it the best-priced netbook on the market. For that price you get 4GB of Flash storage, a Celeron M processor and 512MB of memory. It runs a version of Linux that comes with its own word processor and a whole host of tools for school so you won't need to buy anything else for your child.