Supporting families in
Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent
Since 2021
Working in partnership with Stoke-on-Trent City Council
4 local areas
7 partner primaries
Getting started
When we first started, and again when we expanded our work, we carried out a discovery phase to understand the local area and its needs.
We listened to local parents and carers, alongside public and voluntary organisations, to understand the factors affecting child development and identify opportunities for change.
We then worked with parents, carers and local partners to co-design support for hundreds of families, including pregnant parents. Alongside this, we’re working to strengthen the practice of professionals supporting those families.
What we found
In the seven schools in Abbey Hulton and Bentilee, half of all children were arriving in reception not ready to start learning and progressing through school.
More than half of parents and carers had concerns about their mental health.
What’s happening in Stoke-on-Trent
Our work responds to local priorities and what families and partners tell us. Explore some of the programmes and activity currently supporting children and families across Stoke-on-Trent.
Having access to these resources was invaluable to me. It gave me structure, support, friendship, advice. My second motherhood journey felt seamless in comparison due to knowing that these groups were in place.”
Nicole,
mum of three
Progress and learning in Stoke-on-Trent
We use data, evaluation and local insight to understand what is changing, where progress is being made and what we still need to learn.
51%
reduction in the proportion of children starting reception with severe speech and language delay following the introduction of Talking Time.
97%
of children taking part in NELI improved their communication skills.
5x
increase in parent, baby and toddler groups, creating enough weekly session spaces for more than half of parents of children aged 0–2.
Partnerships in Stoke-on-Trent
At Thrive at Five, partnership is at the heart of everything we do, working alongside families, schools, early years settings, communities and local organisations across Abbey Hulton and Bentilee to make sure support for young children is joined-up, accessible and rooted in everyday family life.
Our work is shaped through close partnerships with Stoke-on-Trent City Council, health partners, seven local primary schools, private, voluntary and independent early years settings, and the communities and families we serve. These relationships help us support children’s routines, confidence, communication and wellbeing ahead of their first day at school.
Alongside these core partnerships, we work as part of a wider network of local and national organisations that share our commitment to giving every child the best possible start. Together, this collective effort strengthens our reach, deepens learning and helps build a more connected early years system for families.
Thrive at Five embedded really well into the community; to get to know stakeholders, residents and local people to grow trust - the interventions were grown on fertile ground. We can see through Thrive at Five the schools in the most deprived areas are performing – particularly with children on free school meals – and they are outperforming comparative areas.”
Jon Rouse CBE,
Chief Executive, Stoke-on-Trent City Council
