menu

You are here

Peep Exploring Together: supporting early Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) learning

We're piloting in Autumn 2026 (London boroughs only) 
Register your interest here  or  read more below

Children’s early STEM learning grows from their natural curiosity and engagement in real-world experiences and play. These are enhanced through interaction with adults who share the child’s interest, and can be extended with relevant knowledge, vocabulary, and ideas.

Peep Exploring Together is a programme which aims to improve practitioners’ and parents’ confidence, knowledge and skills in supporting early STEM learning. The intervention has two elements: Exploring Together Training for practitioners, and the Exploring Together Programme for parents.

“I think it helped him a lot. The nursery were saying that he's changed so much, speaking more, coming in with ideas...”
Exploring Together Parent

The programme and training are being developed and piloted over two phases:

 

Phase 1 (2021-24): Development, piloting and independent evaluation

  • Peeple developed and piloted the programme, in partnership with Sheringham Nursery School and Children’s Centre and the University of Oxford. The project was funded by the Charity of Sir Richard Whittington, for which the Mercers’ Company is corporate trustee, as part of their Early Years Special Initiative.
  • We developed training and resources, which could be delivered and access online, to enable practitioners in early years settings to use the programme with families.
  • The Institute of Employment Studies (IES) and the University of Oxford evaluated Exploring Together in six early years settings in the London boroughs of Newham and Redbridge. The IES Evaluation report ‘Peep Exploring Together: Supporting the foundations of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM)’ was published in November 2024. With promising outcomes from this independent evaluation (see below), we secured four years’ additional funding to develop the programme further and extend its evidence base.

 

Phase 2 (2024-27): Refining and scaling the programme and training

We are delighted that a continuation of the project is being funded by the Early Years Special Initiative Phase Two.  During this time, we are:

  • refining content and materials for the Peep Exploring Together programme and training for practitioners
  • exploiting the benefits of digital platforms to share the Programme with families and to support their interactions with settings (e.g. using established home/ school platforms)
  • scaling the delivery of the Programme across London, including 90 nursery settings and Family Hubs, 50 childminders and 1,000 families
  • extending the evidence base, including the Programme’s impact on parents’ interactions with their children and their Home Learning Environment, and on children’s outcomes relating to language, numeracy, confidence and curiosity.

 

Impact of the Exploring Together STEM programme on parents and their young children

The evaluation found that parents:

  • reported undertaking both maths and science-based activities with their children at home at a significantly higher frequency immediately post-Programme compared to pre-Programme
  • were overwhelmingly positive about the impact of the Exploring Together Programme on their child, reporting developments in their confidence (including self-belief and confidence in STEM), curiosity, and a greater interest in STEM concepts or topics such as space, or the natural world
  • reported maths skills improvements around counting and simple sums such as addition/ subtraction, as well an improved knowledge of shapes and weights
  • reported improvements in children’s language and communication skills including more verbal communication, increased vocabulary, and improvements in listening
  • noted the benefits of increased parent-child time
  • felt more confident in their ability to support their child with improving their STEM skills at home through play and in daily activities such as cooking, and said that the Programme had made STEM more relatable.

Practitioners universally reported enjoying and learning from the Programme. They often felt that the Programme changed their perspectives on their own practice as early years professionals and helped them to feel more confident in their interactions with parents. You can see more parent and practitioner comments below.

We hope that STEM will become something that more practitioners and parents are excited rather than anxious about. Together we will help very young children from all walks of life embrace their inborn curiosity and fulfil their potential to become the scientists, engineers, mathematicians, programmers and inventors of the future.

With thanks to our Peep Exploring Together funders, partners and the families that took part.

 

Early Years STEM Pilot (London): open for expressions of interest

Peeple is seeking early years settings, groups, childminders and Family Hubs in London boroughs to take part in the Peep Exploring Together STEM pilot, from Autumn 2026.

This pilot offers a structured, evidence-informed approach to early STEM learning that strengthens home engagement. 

Barriers to engagement for both staff and families were at the heart of the design process when we were developing both the training for practitioners and  the programme for families.  

Why get involved:

  • Enhances parental engagement and strengthens home-setting partnerships
  • Low time-commitment, free training (approx. 5 hours, flexibly delivered over 3 - 5 weeks) and implementation support
  • A clear focus on quality interactions (using the ShREC approach) in everyday practice
  • Delivery designed to integrate with your existing provision - 8 sessions available online (via Padlet or existing school-home platform) or face-to-face
  • Direct support for learning at home, through free weekly resource packs for families

>  Register your interest here 

Parent and Practitioner comments about Exploring Together

accordion image

Feedback from parents:

"We are enjoying exploring outside, seeing water in the puddles, counting the buses, looking at the planes, trees around him. He will tell me what he can see and hear, and he definitely enjoyed being outside, because we live in a small flat so it's not that big.… My other son he was getting involved as well, so we were all doing it together and enjoyed it as a family.” 

"She knows so many new words and can understand so much. She has a different method of thinking... she understands to a much higher level”

"We hadn’t thought about it before.  Before we never noticed that everything is around us but now we know."

Feedback from practitioners:

“Knowing that [STEM] is a simple part of everyday life and routines will help me to spot it when we are teaching”

“I thought the training was good as it kind of helped me and my perspectives because I used to hold certain views about engineering and technology, and realising, you know that we use it every day, we use it as part of our everyday lives, meant I could embrace it and use it more."

“I'm definitely more aware of the language I'm using and the way I feel about science and maths and making sure I'm not reflecting that or portraying that on to the children… it’s definitely helped boost my confidence as well for me to do it in a positive way for them, in a fun way for them, where I know they're getting the most from me.”

“It's really helped me engage with parents; I feel like I've kind of got a mission to talk about. I'm quite shy and quiet and find it hard sometimes to talk to parents but it's really nice having this thing that we do every week to talk to them about.”

programmes

Logo - The Charity of Sir Richard Whittington