Peep Families Connect Programme
Families Connect is an evidence-based programme with training that helps practitioners build strong partnerships with parents and support children’s learning and development at home and school, as children move into and through the early primary years.
Families Connect was developed and delivered by Save the Children for over ten years. We are delighted that they have entrusted Peeple with its future.
For: staff working with children and in partnership with their families, into and during the early school years
Age: approx 3 to 7
Delivery: groups of families in your school or setting; flexible number of sessions
Programme resources: 8 adaptable session plans with handouts and links, in Practitioner handbook and online
Training: 1-day, online or f2f, CPD-certified
Why parent partnership matters for schools
Strong home-school partnerships support children’s learning, and staff want more help to build them. Across the UK and internationally, education policy increasingly recognises the importance of schools working in partnership with parents to support children’s learning at home as well as at school.
Research consistently shows the benefit of involving parents in children’s learning. The Education Endowment Foundation estimates that parental engagement approaches have an average positive impact equivalent to +4 additional months’ progress, with practical support for learning at home a key part of effective approaches.
Recent Department for Education research found that half of primary school leaders said staff training would help their school strengthen parental engagement, while 72% wanted more guidance and resources for parents.
Families Connect gives schools a practical way to do both: developing staff skills and confidence in working in partnership with parents, while providing an evidence-based programme they can use with families.
How Families Connect helps
builds parents’ confidence to support learning at home
improves children’s social and emotional development, early learning and school readiness
strengthens home-school partnerships
parents and children learn together
practical, play-based ideas and activities using everyday resources
evidence-based
develops supportive relationships between families, and between families and staff
training and delivery support for practitioners
How Peep Families Connect supports parents with their young child’s learning
Families play a vital role in shaping their young children’s learning and development. And as a recent report* highlights, ’They are key in establishing aspirations, providing the basis on which children engage with learning at school.’
When schools, early years settings and families work together, everyone benefits – children make better progress, parents feel more confident about supporting learning, and schools build stronger relationships with their families. Families Connect offers an effective and engaging way to help make these partnerships practical and sustainable.
What families do in Families Connect sessions
Sessions combine discussion, demonstration and shared parent-child activities. Practitioners explain how everyday play supports learning and development, and introduce parents to a related play activity. The discussion includes opportunities for parents to share their parenting experiences with each other, to incorporate their child’s interests and capabilities, and to reflect on previous sessions.
Parents then put these ideas into practice, during fun, hands‑on activities with their children. Each session also includes story, song, and ‘things to try at home’ ideas, encourage sustained use of new learning strategies at home.
What the programme contains
- Eight structured Session Plans focusing on three key areas:
- social and emotional development
- literacy and language development
- numeracy and maths
- Programme Handbook for practitioners containing the planning and delivery resources – printed copy and login area with additional delivery support
- Parent handouts and resources, to print or share online
- Practical, low/no-cost activity ideas for during the session and at home
- Related training and support for practitioners
Flexible delivery
The Peep Families Connect Programme is delivered by Peep-trained practitioners working with groups of parents, carers, and their young children. It is most relevant to practitioners working in primary schools, early years settings, family centres/hubs and other settings that support families with young school-aged children. Sessions can be delivered solely by school or setting staff, or in collaboration with practitioners from the wider community. Courses can be universal or targeted, and the number of sessions can be adjusted, depending on local need.
Built on strong evidence
Families Connect draws on research showing that when parents regularly share stories, talk together, play number games and take part in everyday learning activities with their children, it strengthens relationships and developmental outcomes.
An independent Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) evaluation found that Families Connect increases parental engagement in their children’s learning, strengthens parents’ confidence and skills, and improves aspects of children’s social and emotional development. Secondary analysis found Families Connect had a greater immediate impact on the home learning environment for lower-income families and families eligible for free school meals.
Peep Families Connect Training and resources for practitioners
Our 1-day Peep Families Connect training is for any practitioners working with parents of young children, as they move into or through the early primary school years. This includes staff in schools, education and childcare settings, family hubs, community or children’s centres.
The training includes online access to all the programme resources – session plans, handouts and video clips – for the 8-week course for families.
Why has Families Connect moved from Save the Children to Peeple?
The Families Connect programme was designed and developed by Save the Children, and they have delivered it to thousands of families around the UK since 2014. Save the Children’s work became increasingly focused on advocacy and research, they wanted Families Connect to continue reaching families through an organisation with a similar ethos and expertise in parent-child learning.
Families Connect is a natural fit with the Peeple approach, and we are delighted that they entrusted Peeple with the on-going development and delivery of the programme. It is now part of our suite of programmes supporting parents with their young children’s development. This marks an exciting new chapter for Families Connect, ensuring its long-term future and continued impact on children and families across the UK and beyond – find out more