Peep Exploring Together (STEM) Programme

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.

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I think it helped him a lot. The nursery were saying that he’s changed so much, speaking more, coming in with ideas…”

Peep Exploring Together Parent

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

Young boy watering his cress seeds (STEM)

Dad and daughter playing with gloop (STEM)

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.

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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.”

Peep Exploring Together Parent

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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.”

Peep Exploring Together Parent

Impact of the Early Explorers 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.

Feedback from Peep Exploring Together 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.

We hope that STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) 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.

Peep Progression Pathway families with Certificates

Mercers - The Charity of Sir Richard Whittington