Tales Toolkit – pilot

Goldsmiths, University of London
Project info

Independent Evaluator

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The Institute for Employment Studies

A package of training and resources supporting children’s early language and social development through oral storytelling.

Pupils: 1500 Schools: 30 Grant: £41,251
Key Stage: EY Type of Trial: Pilot Study
Completed June 2026

Tales Toolkit is a training and resource package designed to support the early language and social development of 3 – 5‑year-old children through oral storytelling.

In Tales Toolkit sessions, educators guide children through an interactive story-creation process, using props or pictures that are relevant to the children’s experiences. Stories are structured around four key elements – character, setting, problem, and solution – each represented by simple symbols to support understanding and recall.

The package includes five 50-minute online training videos for all members of the early years team, along with a set of physical resources used to deliver the programme in practice.

EEF summary

Project type: Pilot StudyKey Stage: Early YearsSubject: Speech and language

As part of the Department for Education’s Early Years Recovery Programme, the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) partnered with Stronger Practice Hubs across England to fund early years settings’ access to evidence-informed programmes and evaluate their impact on practice and children’s outcomes. This initiative was designed to support education recovery following the pandemic, while also building understanding of what constitutes effective professional development in the early years. The EEF worked with the Thames Valley Early Years Stronger Practice Hub to fund access to Tales Toolkit and evaluate the programme through this pilot study.

The pilot found some promising evidence. Most educators who participated in surveys and interviews reported increased confidence, strong motivation to deliver the approach, and noticeable changes in their practice, particularly in how they support children’s language development, collaborative storytelling, and child-led play. Educators also reported perceived improvements in children’s communication and language, as well as personal, social, and emotional development. These included gains in creativity, vocabulary, and problem-solving skills. Benefits were also reported for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and those with English as an additional language (EAL).

Findings on feasibility of implementation were mixed. While educators described the training as high-quality and the programme as straightforward to deliver, completion rates varied. Ten of the thirty participating settings withdrew from the programme during the study. Most of those that withdrew were private, voluntary, and independent (PVI) settings, citing staffing and capacity challenges as barriers to continued engagement.

Providing additional support – such as monitoring training completion and offering targeted help for educators to progress through the training, apply their learning, and implement the programme – could improve take-up and impact. These adaptations could help strengthen implementation and support readiness for a future trial, while preserving the flexibility that educators value in Tales Toolkit.

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