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Our work has been evaluated in a number of independent research studies by the Universities of Oxford, Queen's Belfast and Warwick. These show that Peep:

• helps children develop strong foundations for language, literacy, and self-esteem - improving outcomes for all, but with the greatest impact for the most disadvantaged,
• successfully reaches families and engages them in their children’s learning,
• helps parents become more aware of their children’s development and how to foster it,
• contributes to parents’ and children’s confidence in themselves as learners, and to parents’ employability,
• enables practitioners from a wide range of professions to develop new skills and fresh approaches to share ideas and unlock parents’ potential.

A Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) study of the Learning Together Programme was carried out by Queen's University Belfast, funded by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF). The report was published in 2020; you can watch a short video or read an overview of what the study involves, and how it helps narrow the gap in educational attainment:

• Learning Together Study  
• 90-second video: Narrowing the attainment gap with the Peep LTP – findings from a Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT)

Four formal research studies on the Peep Learning Together programme have been carried out by the University of Oxford:

• Birth to School Study
• Enabling Parents Study
• Foundation Peep Study
• Room to Play Study

Five of the families who were part of the Birth to School Study took part in a small Tracer study twelve years after they attended Peep, involving a semi-structured interview.

The University of Warwick has carried out the following research studies:

• Early Explorers: Integrating partner professionals to support parents with their children’s development from birth in child health clinics
• Reflective Parenting - Peep Antenatal Programme. This is a pilot report with interim findings.

Case studies from organisations using Peep programmes, around the UK and beyond, demonstrate some of the outcomes from using Peep in a wide variety of contexts and settings.

• This includes a report by the Learning and Work Institute into 'Increasing the employability of parents/carers', which includes a focus on family learning in Derby Peep. 

The Peep Learning Together Programme can be used within pre-schools, school or nursery classes and childcare settings. Sometimes this is for new families, when a Transition Peep course is offered to families, but the programme is also used during regular sessions.

In Fife, practitioners have been Peep-trained in all their nursery settings, so that Peep sessions can be offered to nursery children and parents -
>  follow this link to watch Fife's video clip about Peep nursery staff and families
It's about five minutes, and gives a flavour of the way that the Peep practitioners value and build on what parents are already doing at home, so they can support the young children's learning together.

Using the Programme in these ways provides a range of activities and opportunities for discussion, which encourage adults’ involvement in their children’s learning. Research shows that when parents are welcomed into schools and pre-schools, it benefits children, parents and teachers. The Peep programme, with its information and activities for professionals and parents/carers, can support teachers to engage with parents in their setting, and help enhance what families are already doing at home.

>  Transition into pre-school, nursery or school - overview - how it enhances school readiness and parental engagement

>  Transition into school reception class in Hampshire

>  Transition from nursery into school in Edinburgh

> Preparing and sharing mealtimes in nursery and home in Highland

>  Peep in high schools in Moray - health and home school link workers, families and pupils (developing the young workforce)

>  Childcare students - one-off secondary school session in Lancashire

>  Multi-agency Peep in Dundee - nursery settings, adult learning etc

Reflections from Jan, a Peep practitioner, on a 9-week Healthy Peep course in Midlothian, with pre-school age children.

‘The topics were chosen by parents/carers, in an informal chat as to which they felt were most important. They included healthy eating, hygiene, exercise, co-ordination and friendships. Health-related activities, like child massage (with a visiting specialist) and cooking were added, and the songs and stories linked to the topic.

We provided play packs that families could borrow, including drawing and threading activities for motor development, healthy eating games, and story books, some of which dealt with sensitive issues, such as death and divorce.

Each week we told parents and carers what next week’s topic would be, so that they had the opportunity to bring along any questions or input for talk time.

Evaluation - main themes:

• Parents reported their children to have an increased awareness of the connection between food/exercise and being healthy. Parents were now more aware of giving their children choices, and that their children were consciously making healthy choices.
• Families really valued the time to socialise with other families, and the social support provided by Peep.
• Parents also valued the opportunity to discuss topics with other parents, and share knowledge and experiences. Seeking support from other parents is a strong factor in parents being able to make positive changes.
• All families who came along to healthy Peep stayed for the entire duration, with dads/grandparents coming in place of mothers if they couldn’t make a week. As one dad said, ‘It’s not something that I would usually do but there was no way we could miss a week, we’re all learning so much.’
• Parents appreciated the quality one-to-one time with their child.
• Most parents/carers reported that the songs and stories were an activity that their children really enjoyed. Singing was the most common activity that parents reported now doing at home.’

Practitioners around the country have delivered their own versions of Water Peep. In Oxford, practitioners developed a 7-session Water Peep course focusing on movement and communication. Several children with physical disabilities attended, as well as parents who, in their own words, ‘don’t do groups’.

Here are some reflections from Alison in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, who set up a Water Peep group a few years ago:

“We simply transferred the elements of a Peep session into the pool, with babies from about four months up to school age. So, we sing the hello song, use songs and rhymes, use bath books and water toys. There are loads of ideas for activities in the water once you start to look around and think about it, and we found lovely flannel finger puppets, massage balls, child mirrors, etc. We also take along a spare towel and swim nappies. Some Muslim mums have attended and worn t-shirts and leggings in the pool.

We co-deliver our sessions with a Water Confidence instructor, who continues to build in other elements. We manage the talk time over refreshments in the coffee bar after the families are all dried and dressed. Interesting spin-offs for us have been that the session has attracted more dads than we would normally get to our Peep groups, and all the children recently got a ‘duckling’ badge.”

"Our Baby Peep group meets in our Edinburgh Community Centre at the same time as an Over 50s group meet in a different room. Recently, the over 50s asked if they could join a Peep session, especially for the singing. Our Baby group families agreed, and the following week they joined us at singing time.

We started our session with Peep songs, which led to some of the over 50s suggesting nursery rhymes that they knew. These were more traditional, and lots of parents remembered these from their childhood. One of the over 50s who has additional needs appeared to especially enjoy 'Twinkle twinkle little star', and she gave us a solo rendition. Everyone joined in with the actions to the songs. We asked our visitors if they would like to stay for our story as well, which they did.

As Peep practitioners, we felt quite emotional watching the interaction between the two groups, especially as our visitors were largely in their seventies and eighties. We feel that both groups got a lot from this session, and everyone said how much they’d enjoyed it. We are now planning to do this once a term, with refreshments in the café area afterwards to promote more social interaction."

Feedback from Linda and Eileen, Peep Practitioners in Gilmerton, Edinburgh

> read more about the benefits of singing across the generations.

‘I went to observe a fantastic session of our Peep Little Rangers programme which is run in our local park in Aberdeen. This is an early nature/outdoor programme which is delivered by Peep-trained park rangers.

The session focused on Mud Glorious Mud! The activities included songs about mud, and a story about getting stuck in the mud, which really set up the outdoor activity.

Before going outside the children were able to investigate the mud utensils, which were a collection of large spoons, tattie mashers, fish slices, flower pots, etc. These had been put into a treasure box, which created a sense of excitement when the children had to open it to find out what was inside, and it then started a discussion with parents on using everyday utensils.

The outdoor mud play was really fun, with big holes ready to fill with water from watering cans and spray bottles to make a big muddy puddle, which all the children and adults eventually went into and then made mud footprint pictures. A variety of mud pies were also made, with children adding bark chippings, sticks, stones and a special ingredient of sparkly water! Truly great fun had by all!’

Jill Mennie, retired Peep Co-ordinator and Trainer, Aberdeen

Transition Peep is a great way for schools, nurseries and pre-schools to enhance school-readiness and engage parents, by:

• welcoming and preparing parents and children for the transition from home to the setting - introducing them to the activities and routines of your setting (linked to relevant early years frameworks, such as the EYFS - Early Years Foundation Stage)
• sharing ideas from the Peep Learning Together programme, about how parents can support their child's play and learning at home
• improving parents’ confidence and ability to support and value their child’s learning and development - valuing and building on what parents already do
   
• enabling parents, children and staff to get to know each other:
  • helping children to settle in more quickly
  • providing the opportunity for families to raise and discuss common concerns, reducing anxiety
  • providing opportunities for staff to identify, and informally discuss with parents, any additional needs or potential referrals to other services
  • improving two-way support between parents and staff
  • helping families get to know each other, and develop local peer support networks.
     
• increasing staff skills and understanding of the value of parental involvement, contributing to statutory requirements
• helping parents identify their own learning and development needs and potential pathways (e.g. signposting to relevant courses or services).

related case studies:

>  Transition into school reception class in Hampshire - case study

>  Transition from nursery into school in Edinburgh - case study

> Preparing and sharing mealtimes in nursery and home in Highland

If you're a Peep-LTP-trained practitioner -  in the log-in Members Area you can find session plans and resources for a Transition Peep course, which you're welcome to use or adapt.

> Early Years Pupil Premium funding can be used for Peep Training and/or delivery to help narrow the gap for 3-4 year olds - find out more

Peep groups are for mums, dads, carers and their children together, and aim to support families with their children's early learning in a simple and enjoyable way. The Learning Together Programme is intentionally flexible, enabling Peep-trained practitioners and/or families to choose the range of child development topics, and the number of sessions, that they want.  Groups can be for babies, toddlers, pre-schoolers or mixed age. They can be hold indoors, outside or virtually online. 

An important part of Peep groups are the relationships that develop. There are usually up to a dozen families in a group. The welcoming approach and group agreement developed by all the families creates a safe space, where a sense of trust and security can develop. Parents and carers become confident in sharing their own experiences, challenges and ideas that they have tried at home. Groups can be open to all families in an area, or targeted to meet particular needs or interests - see examples below.

Peep practitioners (if appropriately qualified) can offer parents and carers the opportunity to complete an SQA credit-rated unit as part of the Peep Progression Pathway, over at least a dozen sessions. This can contribute to parents' confidence as a learner, and to their employability.

what happens in a peep group?

The different elements of a Peep group provide opportunities to have fun together and to share the key ideas that support children's development. Peep sessions include:

• songs and rhymes
• joint play activities
• a talking time for adults (chatting about an aspect of children's development)
• story and book-sharing time 
• ideas for families to try at home.

Adults do not need to read or write during a Peep group. Everyone is invited (but not pressured!) to join in during singing and talk time.

targeted peep groups

Peep groups may be targeted to meet the needs or interests of families. Parents/ carers and their children can attend universal Peep groups (open to everyone), but sometimes prefer, initially at least, to attend a group with people that they have more in common with.

These have included groups for young parents, dads, foster carers or kinship carers, parents with post-natal depression or low mood, families whose children have additional needs or disabilities, children with speech and language delay, expectant parents with substance dependency issues, traveller families, families with English as an additional language, child-minders, parents/carers with low literacy levels, etc.

The menu on the left includes a few examples of how Peep programmes have been used around the UK and beyond.

Peep practitioners, working alongside health staff, began to provide an informal Peep session in two child health clinics in Oxford in 2009. These Peep drop-in sessions are known as Early Explorers. The Peep-trained practitioner spends time with families while they are attending the child health clinic or waiting to see a health visitor. They set up a play space on a quilt on the waiting area floor, with treasure baskets and picture books. The practitioner greets all families as they come in, and engages with as many as possible. This includes talking with families about parent-child interaction, child development and ideas to try at home, inviting and encouraging parents/carers to play with their baby or child, and sign-posting families to other local provision.

The Peep-trained practitioner could be someone who already works in the child health clinic such as a nursery nurse, or from elsewhere in the community, such as a children’s centre worker. A follow-on Early Explorers group can also be useful, inviting families who are hesitant or reluctant to access other services.

benefits of partnership work

A two-year research project on Early Explorers, led by Professor Jane Barlow and Chris Coe at the University of Warwick (2009-2011), identified various benefits from this joint working approach. The health and early education/family support elements complement each other. The joint working offers opportunities to get to know families who have not accessed other services. Families can be offered 1:1 support or a place at an Early Explorers group, or be signposted on to other services, as appropriate.

The development of such partnership working between health and the voluntary sector can contribute effectively to delivery of the Healthy Child Programme and similar programmes. It may also help to change public perspectives about the role of child health clinics, from an emphasis on physical well-being to a focus on the development of the ‘social baby’. It enhances the opportunity for early intervention, during the crucial first months of life, to foster parent-baby responsiveness and interaction, leading to positive attachment. For many families these clinics represent a real opportunity to get to know others in a similar situation in their own locality, to develop friendship and support, and thereby to increase social capital, factors that are not only important for healthy families but also for healthy communities.

feedback from parents

Parent attending the clinic drop-in session:

• ‘The first time when I walked in there, there were two other babies and [the Peep Practitioner] was showing them books, baby books and those bottles with shiny stuff in it with glitter and so on. And they were so like very… curious what’s there and so on. So I just went wow that’s really good. I wouldn’t think about that. Because she’s my first child and to be honest with you I didn’t know what to do with her. Like how to play with her and what to show her, how to develop her thinking.. you know...stimulate her brain. I do remember she was quite...crying... and [the Peep Practitioner] showed me the movement, how to calm her down, it was really good, I took a lot from the group and the approach of the staff.’

Parents attending the Early Explorers group:

• During interviews with parents attending an Early Explorers group, nine of the ten said they would not previously have accessed any other group provision. They found the sessions supportive, confidence-building and enabling.

feedback from health visitors

The child health clinic offers a unique opportunity to meet and forge relationships with parents in a non-stigmatising, non-threatening environment, where families already choose to go. Using a universal approach where all families are welcome, vulnerable and unsupported parents can be identified and offered more targeted services.

• ‘More vulnerable families do come to clinic, they are not regular attenders to clinic but they do come, say for a vaccination and that’s when we can direct them to Peep ....and Peep is so approachable and non-threatening that we have actually engaged some of our more difficult and harder to reach families with Peep. So I really think that it’s a harmonious relationship that benefits the mother and child.’ (Health visitor)
   
• ‘Peep complement our service and I feel we complement Peep’s service. I find when I do clinic that some Mums come just to come to Peep which I think is wonderful and we have been able to introduce parents to the concept of Peep, something that they didn’t know about. Some Mums were unaware of the need to communicate with their baby, even thought they were not verbally communicating back so you know, it’s been a revelation to some Mums, just how important it is to stimulate your baby.’ (Health visitor)

Drop-in sessions, such as 'Stay and Play' or 'Parents and Toddlers', are a great way for families to meet each other and have a change of scene and activities. They are more flexible than a group - there is no expectation that parents/carers attend every week or get there for the start time. They can provide a relaxing way for mums, dads and carers to chat together, while their children play with other children and toys, as well as joining in some of the activities with their child, with practitioners and parents sharing information about how it helps children's development.

Drop-in sessions also offer a great opportunity to share ideas with parents and carers in bite-size chunks, about how they can support their children’s learning through everyday activities, singing, stories and play. Peep can be used in new or existing drop-ins, or run in places where families already go, such as a local shopping centre, library or child health clinic, as well as in Family Centres or Hubs, Children’s Centres or early years settings. They can also act as a stepping stone for families to go on to attend a Peep group.

Through attending Peep drop-in sessions, dads, mums and carers are supported to enhance their understanding about:

• how adults can use the ORIM framework (Opportunities, Recognition, Interaction, Modelling) to support babies’ and young children’s learning
• the importance of developing conversation, of talking and listening to babies and young children, and how adults can help
• how to provide play opportunities which help babies’ and young children’s learning
• how positive relationships help babies and young children feel good about themselves and want to learn
• using numbers in everyday situations with babies and young children
• how babies and young children make sense of their world through exploring and making choices
• how the whole family can help babies’ and young children’s developing reading and writing skills through play and everyday activity together
• how to share books, stories, rhymes and songs with babies and young children.

Stay and Play session example - early maths

activity on the floor: posting things into a box

Families are encouraged to post items (e.g. socks, toy cars, pegs) into a posting box (a cardboard box with holes cut in the top and sides) and find them again when the lid is lifted.

Sharing a key idea: The practitioner talks with the parents/carers about matching things into pairs and counting 1, 2, as they are posted in the box. Counting an object in each hand is helpful for very young children.

activity at the table: feeding porridge to the three bears 

Families are encouraged to feed the small, medium and large sized bears (made from shoe boxes), thinking about which size bowl and spoon (small, medium or large) each bear should have.

Sharing a key idea: Chat about how adults can help their children’s understanding of size, by talking about different sizes and pointing them out in everyday life.

sharing messages

As well as conversations, Peep practitioners also share these messages with parents through the use of short signs next to each activity, handouts, and cued modelling (explaining why and how they are doing something, as they are doing it). Peep Stay and Play sessions also have a singing and story time, so a relevant story (e.g. Goldilocks and the three bears) and songs (e.g. 5 little ducks went swimming one day) can link to the activities.