Families Connect

Intervention description

Families Connect focuses on families with children aged 4-6, and is delivered in schools with a high proportion of disadvantaged children across the UK. The intervention uses play as a vehicle for learning and aims to increase the confidence and skills of parents and carers, and enhance the activities they do together with their children. It focuses on three key areas: social and emotional development; literacy and language development; and numeracy and mathematics.

The intervention is delivered through a series of two-hour sessions in school over eight weeks. The sessions provide parents and carers with a series of activities, techniques and games they can do with their children at home. Each activity encourages parents and children to spend quality time together by talking about specific topics and reflecting on what they already do to support their children’s learning.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT/TRAINING

Families Connect is delivered by trained Community Practitioners – professionals who work with families and children, and who are usually teachers, teaching assistants or family support workers from the school.

SCUK trains the Community Practitioners over two days to deliver the eight sessions independently in their school. The Community Practitioners are provided with support including coaching calls and site visits to ensure that they are confident and supported in their delivery.

Evidence Summary

The Nuffield Foundation and NFER are carrying out a randomised controlled trial of Families Connect. The trial is designed to measure 400 families from 25 schools.

The trial will look at pupils’ receptive vocabulary, maths attainment and social and emotional outcomes.

https://www.savethechildren.or...