Best Start in Life - Delivery plan Stoke-on-Trent

The percent children achieving GLD at the end of Reception has increased slightly over recent years. Stoke-on-Trent’s figures are in line with our statistical neighbours yet below regional and national averages.

For Boys, 58% achieved a GLD compared to 62% nationally, for Girls, 72% achieved a GLD compared to 75% nationally.  For those on FSM, 58% achieved a GLD compared to 51% nationally.  The global majority (those non-white British) as a whole achieved a lower proportion of GLD over the last three years (62%) compared to White British pupils (68% crude figures), with Indian (59%) and Pakistani groups (61%) among the lowest achieving, whilst Black African groups were slightly higher (65%).  The lowest performing groups were those from Gypsy/Roma communities as well as travellers of Irish heritage which both achieved 38% (albeit small numbers).

Across the five component areas of GLD, the areas where there is least achievement is like the national picture (reading, writing and numeracy). 

Link to Nesta Data Profile Data Profile - Stoke On Trent

Ward and school level analysis

Table showing ward level achievement of a GLD by year and combined.

Wards level analysis of mean GLD achievement between 2023-25 and deprivation by ward.

As with ward level analysis, there is significant variation with a GLD acheivement between schools, which does not fully correlate with ward level acheivement.  This may be due to catchment areas of the schools and difference between school postcode and child postcode anlysis.

The environment in which a child is brought up and the resources in which parents have to support their child (financially and socially) have a large impact on the likelihood of the child achieving a GLD.  Examples of drivers to a low GLD are show in the table below.

Table showing environmental and social drivers to a GLD.

The number of children taking up their early education entitlements in the wards above:

To accelerate progress towards the local ambition for 72% of children to achieve a Good Level of Development (GLD) by 2028, the Best Start in Life plan proposes a graduated support model for schools, aligned to need and performance. Schools are categorised using a Green (Universal), Amber (Targeted) and Red (Targeted Plus) framework (see map above), ensuring that support is proportionate, data-informed and focused on improving outcomes across the five GLD domains: communication and language, personal, social and emotional development, physical development, literacy and mathematics. Below is a strategic overview of the offer.

Universal Offer

Purpose - To provide a strong city-wide foundation of early years support and opportunities to learn through play that strengthen child development and school readiness for all children and families.

Key Elements

• Access to universal Family Hub provision including stay-and-play, Babbling Babies, Read, Chat, Play, Mini-Movers and Sensory Stars sessions.
• School readiness campaigns promoting school readiness and early education.
• Five to Thrive workforce training to equip practitioners to support early attachment, communication and development.
• Access to family learning programmes, literacy campaigns and library partnerships.
• Access to integrated health and development support including oral health, immunisation and nutrition support.

Impact on GLD

• Strengthens early speech, language and social interaction, which underpin later learning.
• Improves the home learning environment through parental engagement.
• Promotes early identification of developmental needs and timely support.
• Builds a strong foundation for children entering Reception ready to learn.

Targeted Offer

Purpose - To provide enhanced support for schools and communities where GLD outcomes are below the city ambition or where specific developmental gaps are identified.

Key Elements

• Increased access to targeted parenting programmes and workshops focused on communication, emotional regulation and the home learning environment.
• Delivery of evidence-based interventions and targeted speech and language support.
• Strengthened School/Family Hub collaboration to support transition into Reception.
• Targeted literacy and family learning initiatives delivered through schools, libraries and community settings.
• Collaboration between schools to share best practice and strengthen early years provision.

Impact on GLD

• Directly addresses priority areas of underachievement, particularly communication, literacy and numeracy.
• Improves parental confidence to support learning at home.
• Accelerates progress for children in schools performing within reach of GLD targets.

Targeted Plus Offer

Purpose - To deliver intensive, multi-agency support for schools and communities with the lowest GLD outcomes, ensuring children most at risk receive early and coordinated intervention.

Key Elements

• Individualised family support plans delivered through Early Help and wider family support services.
• Specialist interventions such as Video Interaction Guidance, Keeping Your Child in Mind and targeted speech and language programmes.
• Place-based outreach and community delivery of Family Hub services in areas with the lowest GLD outcomes.
• Increased access to universal play, learning and socialisation opportunities to identify need earlier.
• Data-driven targeting of priority groups including boys, children eligible for free school meals and children living in poverty.

Impact on GLD

• Provides intensive early intervention to address developmental delays.
• Strengthens parent-child relationships, communication and emotional regulation, which are critical for learning.
• Reduces inequalities by focusing resources on children least likely to achieve GLD.

This graduated model ensures that universal prevention, targeted support and intensive intervention operate as a coherent system, enabling services to respond proportionately to need. By strengthening early development, improving parental engagement and targeting support where it will have the greatest impact, the programme will:

• Increase the proportion of children achieving GLD by 2028.
• Narrow attainment gaps for disadvantaged groups.
• Improve children’s readiness for school and long-term educational outcomes.

In addition to the targeted offer described above, support will be individually tailored to children who are being supported by an existing Early Help, Child in Need or Child Protection Plan irrespective of where they live. Through those plans, tailored, age-appropriate early support will also be provided to younger siblings to strengthen attainment against the GLD indicators and mitigate any intergenerational pattern of low educational attainment.

Using analysis of GLD scores, support willbe tailored to specific needs across all domains. For example, where scores are lowest in PSED the focus will be on increased delivery of evidence-based interventions that support parents to establish consistent routines, support emotional regulation (naming feelings, calming strategies etc), secure positive parent infant relationships, understand key developmental milestones and identify early, any social, emotional and behavioural needs.

Where scores are lowest in communication and language, the priority will be increased delivery of universal groups including Babbling Babes and Read, Chat, Play, increased interventions from the National Literacy Trust and libraries, increased SMILE sessions, Five to Thrive training and delivery of Early Talk Boost.

Where scores are lowest in physical development, increased focus will be on universally accessible play provision to develop fine and gross motor skills, targeted advice to parents about feeding, nutrition, oral health, exercise, Well Baby clinics and public health resources delivered 121 to parents through trusted practitioners and peer support.

Where scores are lowest across the literacy and mathematics, increased access to after school resource will be made available for parents and children in family hubs including free reading books, library registration and reading themes activities. There will be an increased emphasis on family learning including practical sessions using everyday maths including budgeting, cooking, routines etc.

All of the above will be tailored to meet the needs of individual children and families as part of existing family plans. Universally accessible provision will be targeted where appropriate for families with emerging needs.

Use of the PASCAL tool helps identify which interventions will have the most impact, and also the cohorts of children most in need of additional support including for example, boys, summer born babies (in particular boys), children entitled to free school meals and children living in relative or absolute poverty. Continued use of analytical tools and new birth data will ensure the localised offer remains relevant and flexible to adapt to changing needs.

Ward-level data based on children’s home addresses will be used to identify communities with the lowest GLD outcomes and highest levels of unmet need. In these areas, partners will increase access to universal pre-school provision, including stay-and-play sessions, to support children’s socialisation, strengthen social capital and enable earlier identification of need. Working through an asset-based community development approach, services will partner with VCFS organisations and local anchor institutions, including schools, nurseries and health settings, to strengthen the Family Hub network and build community resilience. This will be the case in typically under-served communities and those where GLD scores among resident children are the lowest in the city.

In areas with the highest proportion of children from ethnically diverse backgrounds, interventions will be accessible in different languages and will be culturally sensitive.