Peep Progression Pathway
The Peep Progression Pathway offers qualification units at three levels for parents and carers as learners. At each of these levels, learners can follow a unit covering any of the following strands or stages of the Learning Together Programme:
- any of the five Peep learning strands – Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Communication and Language, Early Literacy, Early Maths, and Health and Physical Development, or
- any of the four developmental stages – Babies, Toddlers, Pre-schoolers or Early Childhood (mixed stage)
Join a free Pathway Information Session
for practitioners and managers
to discover more about using the Peep Progression Pathway
with your local families
Find out more:
Information for learners - parents and carers
Pathway Training for Peep practitioners
IQA Training dates
Information for organisations – delivering the Peep Progression Pathway
Peep Progression Pathway qualification units for parents are delivered and assessed by practitioners who have completed Peep Learning Together Programme (LTP) Training and Peep Progression Pathway Training, and are part of a local Delivery Centre (see below). Units are awarded by SCQF and are credit rated by SQA. Full guidance and procedures are provided in the training.
The units have been credit-rated by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) at SCQF levels 3, 4 and 5 – equivalent to entry level 3, level 1 and 2 equivalent in the rest of the UK.
Delivering the Pathway for parents and carers
You can deliver the Pathway units as part of your usual Peep groups sessions. For each assessment criterion there are several LTP topics that you (and families) can choose between, so that you can build a course which suits local interests and needs.
The units are assessed entirely by portfolio with each assessment criterion linking to a single portfolio page. Through this portfolio the parents reflect on their own child’s development and their role as first educator. This enables them to recognise their existing skills and knowledge and build on these through the session content and its application in everyday life.
The qualifications units are recognised by Ofqual (the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation in England) on the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF – which accredits qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland).
Pathway units are being successfully delivered with learners in a variety of settings across the UK, including:
- in Peep groups or one-to-one in the home – indoors or outdoors
- through social work with foster carers, kinship carers and volunteers
- in community centres, libraries, early years settings, schools and health centres
Parents and carers involved in an evaluation of the Peep Progression Pathway reported that they have:
- a greater understanding of their role in promoting their child’s development
- an increased confidence in supporting their child’s learning and development
- more knowledge and ideas for improving the home learning environment
- recognised improvements in their own personal learning and literacy skills
- enhanced aspirations – with many going on to further their own early years and child development study and work opportunities
You can read more about the benefits for parents in their own words below.
How to become a Delivery Centre for the Peep Progression Pathway
Organisations or individuals wishing to deliver the Peep Progression Pathway will work with Peeple. They will become a Delivery Centre and a member of staff will take the Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) role. Peeple will support the organisation to source an IQA officer where this is not possible. The practitioner will usually act as the assessor too.
A delivery centre is an organisation, local authority or constituted group that has the capacity to deliver the Peep Progression Pathway, carry out Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) and liaise with Peeple on External Quality Assurance (EQA).
Every Delivery Centre must have:
- identified at least one suitable Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) Officer
- identified at least one suitable Assessor
- the capacity and administration processes to collect and safely store learner information
- signed service level agreement and data sharing agreement
- organisational policies and procedures in place that support effective responses to learner needs, complaints or appeals.
Costs payable to Peeple:
- Set-up fee for the Delivery Centre (one-off cost per centre): £70 + vat
- Annual Delivery Centre fee (per centre – including access to database for Pathway learner records, website, support): £50 + vat
- Peep Progression Pathway Training – for each new Pathway practitioner/ assessor: £170 + vat pp
- Fee per learner (ie parent/ carer) including portfolio, quality assurance and SQA certification: £10 per unit per learner
Find out more
Contact us to get started or with any questions: [email protected]
The learner journey
Take a look at our flowchart, which shows the journey a learner may take on the Peep Progression Pathway.
I was very shy and didn’t want to come out. I had to get two buses to come to Peep. The qualification was a pull. It’s made me more confident, knowing what I am doing with my child’s development. I was nervous at first but really liked the two group leaders. It was not as hard as I had thought. I want to go back to college. I had a big gap in my CV so it enabled me to fill that and have something to speak about.”
Feedback from a young mum
If possible, it’s good practice to encourage all parents to create a portfolio showing how they have reflected on Peep learning and put it into practice, even if they don’t want to submit it for formal recognition. Completed portfolios are like a ‘keepsake book’, and parents treasure them both as a reflection of their own learning and as a keepsake about their child. They may contribute evidence to show the impact of Peep sessions and can also be a useful resource for parents to share with professionals during development checks or transition meetings, for example.
The social practice model of learning offered by the Peep Progression Pathway supports parents to build ‘learner identity’. This makes further learning or vocational progression more likely, and has a range of other wellbeing benefits. There will be a number of progression options for learners to explore, including further studying, volunteering or seeking employment.
Family learning stories: Peep Progression Pathway
The Peep Progression Pathway – as its name suggests – often leads on to parents and carers taking further training or qualifications, or new career opportunities.
You can read more here:
- From Peep parents to Peep group leaders in Midlothian
- Family learning and employability in Derby
- Pathway with Home-Start in Edinburgh
- Pathway with foster carers in Oxfordshire
- Pathway with inmates (and their partners) in HM Prison Inverness
- Parent to classroom assistant in Dumfries & Galloway
IQA Training dates
(for your Delivery Centre’s Internal Quality Assurance Officer)
Price included in Delivery Centre fees above. Log in to the Pathway Area to get your link (or email us on [email protected])
Date……: 9.30 – noon
Find out more
Information for learners - parents and carers
Pathway Training for Peep practitioners
Benefits of the Pathway for parents and carers
The Peep Progression Pathway units formally recognise the learning which is already occurring within a Peep session. This includes playing, talking, sharing books and stories, and singing with young children, and using ORIM.
The credit-rated units are assessed entirely by portfolio. Through this portfolio learners recognise and build on everyday learning. They reflect on their child’s development and on their own role as their child’s first educator. Parents/carers have treasured them, both as a reflection of their own learning and as a keepsake about their child.
How parents (as learners) found the Pathway useful:
Furthering their understanding of child development:
“It’s good to really consider why you do things and how it benefits your child” (Parent)
Enhancing parent confidence and relationship with their baby or child:
“The course allowed me to grow in confidence in being able to understand babies’ needs and wants. The talk time and listening to others helps put your own experiences into perspective. I’m able to listen to my baby more now and decipher cries and wants – tired, bored, hungry, etc.” (Parent)
“I gained useful skills through the Peep programme and pathway that will help me day-to-day when I’ve been released from prison. It gave me a better understanding of parenting and what can help my child.” (Parent in Inverness Prison)
As a stepping stone into formal learning…
“We are finding that parents who don’t feel confident to register as a learner recognise that their portfolio work is just as good as their peers and often have a change of heart and submit their portfolios for assessment. It’s increasing access to parents who would never consider participating in accredited learning.” (Practitioner)
… and employability:
“At the end of our Peep group I had the opportunity to complete the Peep Progression Pathway course and to support the running of a Peep group. I then attended the Peep Learning Together Programme Training and this led to me applying for a post with Midlothian Council as a Peep Leader – I was successful! To have the confidence to make a complete change in career is a real achievement for me. The Peep Progression Pathway course and the Learning Together Programme helped me become a better parent by supporting my learning and understanding of what a child needs. I realised that I loved the learning and wanted to do more.” (Parent to Practitioner)
For personal development…
“I haven’t had to think critically for a while, so it’s been good to get back into it” (Parent)
“I was very shy and didn’t want to come out. I had to get two buses to come to Peep. The qualification was a pull. It’s made me more confident, knowing what I am doing with my child’s development. I was nervous at first but really liked the two group leaders. It was not as hard as I had thought. I want to go back to college. I had a big gap in my CV so it enabled me to fill that and have something to speak about.” (Parent)
… and enjoyment
“I’ve recommended it to all my friends. A very worthwhile and valuable experience” (Parent)
“Practitioners love that the Progression Pathway is sown throughout our existing Peep Learning Together Programme” (Practitioner)