375 schools and nurseries across the north of England are being recruited to test four projects that support parents to improve their children’s early language and literacy skills before they start school, the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) announced today.
The four projects are being funded through a partnership between the EEF, the Department for Education and Leeds-based education charity SHINE, announced by the Education Secretary Damian Hinds at the end of last year and designed to give parents the tools and advice they need to support their child’s learning at home
Data shows many children arrive at school struggling with language and social skills, putting them at a disadvantage when they begin their formal education and making it harder for them to master the fundamentals of reading that other children take for granted.
105 schools in the North East will take part in the trial of Tips by Text, a project developed by the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT). Over nine months, parents of four and five year olds will be sent three texts each week to help embed activities that promote literacy, numeracy and socioemotional skill development at home. A typical message might read “Counting is one of the first maths skills that children learn. As you put the dishes away, count the plates 1‑by‑1 with your child. Try again with the bowls”.
The other three projects announced today are:
- The REAL Programme, delivered by the National Children’s Bureau, trains early years practitioners to deliver home visits and literacy events to families in order to improve early literacy. 120 early years settings in Greater Manchester and Yorkshire will take part.
- Level 4 Group Triple P (Positive Parenting Program), supports early years practitioners to deliver targeted sessions to parents that aim to improve children’s language, behaviour and social and emotional development. 1,800 three – four year olds in 150 early years settings will take part.
- ParentChild+, delivered by Family Lives, is an intensive home visiting programme focused on improving disadvantaged 2‑year olds’ language and social and emotional development. 320 families in Doncaster, Rotherham, Sheffield and Barnsley will take part.
Nurseries and schools across Yorkshire, the North East and the North West will be able to register their interest to take part in the projects from today. All four trials will be independently evaluated.
Sir Kevan Collins Chief Executive of the EEF, said:
Fiona Spellman, CEO of SHINE, added:
For further information, please contact Hilary Cornwell at the EEF on 020 7802 1676 / 07917462164
Notes to editors
- The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) is a grant-making charity set up in 2011 by the Sutton Trust as lead foundation in partnership with Impetus Trust (now part of Impetus – The Private Equity Foundation), with a £125m founding grant from the Department for Education. The EEF is dedicated to breaking the link between family income and educational achievement.
- Early years settings in specific regions of England can apply to take part in the trials. More information can be found on the EEF’s website.
- SHINE was first established in 1999 by a group of committed philanthropists who wanted to improve the attainment of children from low income homes. Since then, the charity has invested over £27 million in projects benefiting almost a million children from 15,000 schools. SHINE’s vision is for all children across the Northern Powerhouse to achieve the best possible qualifications so they can leave school with real choices for their future lives.