In the UK around 600,000 five-year-olds start school for the first time each September, yet a recent study estimated that almost half will not be ready for education. This has worsened since the pandemic when so many young children missed out on vital pre-school time.
The result is that teachers are spending increasing amounts of time and resources helping children who do not have basic skills such as being able to hold a pencil, recognising their name when it’s written down, or being toilet trained.
At Home-Start Wessex we are trained to deliver the Big Hopes Big Future programme to families living in Dorset. Our staff and specially trained volunteers use original, specially produced materials for working directly with the young children in the families they are supporting on a 1:1 basis and at our family groups. They help develop reading, writing, numeracy, and understanding of the routines of the school day.
The project specifically targets the most disadvantaged families including those who did not readily engage with their children’s early learning because they lacked confidence or felt alienated from the education system. Families also lacked the books and toys needed to support their children’s learning. Many had chaotic lifestyles and were struggling to cope.