Ready to Learn, Ready to Grow Pilot Report Published 

The evaluation of our Ready to Learn, Ready to Grow project in Gwent has been published. Between November 2025 and March 2026, our staff and volunteers supported 32 families and 36 children aged 18 months to 3 to get ready for school, with funding from the Welsh Government’s Child Poverty Innovation and Supporting Communities Grant. The evaluation found that many children showed measurable improvements in skills linked to school readiness. It also found that parents and practitioners think about school readiness in different ways, with families talking most about making friends and feeling happy, and practitioners focusing on speech, language and toileting.

Home-Start Cymru helping shape conversations on school readiness

Following publication of the Ready to Learn, Ready to Grow evaluation, Home-Start Cymru is working with partners across the early years sector to explore the next steps for practice development and policy change. The project identified opportunities to build greater agreement around what ‘school readiness’ means and whether this a representative term, strengthen support for children’s early development and tackle the barriers created by poverty. We continue to work with partners across health, local government and the voluntary sector to ensure the learning informs future practice.

Read the and the evaluation report below or you can also view the child friendly summary, which sets out seven promises to help every child have a great start at school.