Fantastic 2s – Engaging Eligible Families in Early Education: London Borough of Wandsworth

Fantastic 2s began in late 2016 as a small pilot – and nine years on, it’s still going strong!  The programme was born out of a clear need: the uptake of free early education places was worryingly low.  After listening to families who chose not to take up their place, we realised many simply weren’t ready to make the leap into nursery life.  

That’s where Fantastic 2s stepped in – as a gentle, supportive bridge between home and early years settings. It was designed to help families take that all-important first step, easing anxieties and building trust.  Along the way it also became a vital tool for identifying children who may need additional support early on – ensuring no child slips through the net.

Boosting take up with Fantastic 2s. Video created by Greater London Authority https://youtu.be/gspmyKaHuj4

We noticed that the take-up of free early education places for two-year-olds was surprisingly low, so we set out to understand why.  We spoke directly with families and listened to their concerns.  Many families told us that they simply didn’t feel ready to send their little ones to nursery.  They were unsure what to expect - would their 2-yr old be expected to sit at desks learning letters and numbers? What if their little one needed help but couldn’t yet express it? These worries were real and heartfelt. Some parents were anxious about letting go, while others just wanted to enjoy a bit more time with their child before school life began.  What we heard loud and clear was that families needed reassurance, support and a gentle introduction to early years settings.

That’s when Fantastic 2s was born – a name chosen to flip the script on the idea of the “terrible twos”!  Our goal was simple but powerful: to create a programme that would gently guide families into early years education. We wanted to build confidence, ease anxieties and show parents what nursery could really look like – warm, playful and supportive

Our core objectives were:

• To engage children eligible for a 2-year-old early education place
• To prepare children and families for the transition to nursery and to help children be ready
• To identify children who may need additional support early on
• To ensure all children make good rates of progress

Our aims and rationale:

• Increasing uptake of 2-year-old places
• School readiness
• Closing the gap between disadvantaged and the rest
• Supporting the most vulnerable

We carried out a pilot of Fantastic 2s in November 2016 and have developed it into what is it today.

Fantastic 2s is a welcoming, play-based programme designed to gently introduce families to early years education. It runs in six-week rolling blocks, with one ninety minute session each week. Children attend alongside their parent or carer, learning and exploring through play.  Families are invited to attend at least one block

From the moment families arrive, the experience is personal and inviting.  Children find their photo and name card to self-register, greeted warmly by practitioners who know them by name.  The room is thoughtfully set up based on children’s interests and schemas, offering a rich environment of continuous provision where children can make their own choices

Each session follows a simple structure:

Free play takes centre stage with optional adult-supported activities, like making playdough – always a hit!  Parents often take the recipe home, continuing the learning beyond the session. Much of what we do during the session can be replicated at home and parents tell us that they pick up lots of ideas from the sessions, further embedding the children’s learning. 

Snack time becomes a learning experience too. Children wash hands, sit together and enjoy healthy snacks.  It’s a chance to try new foods, make choices, and practice social and self-care skills, like peeling and cutting fruit or pouring water – while parents learn when to step back and let their child take the lead.  It’s lovely to see parents notice their child developing some independent self-care skills and realise that letting them have a go is so important, even if it gets a little messy at times!

Circle time wraps up the session with songs and a story using props like puppets, song bags, parachutes and bubbles.  Participation is encouraged but never forced. Over time, even the shyest children join in. Practitioners modelling reading books in an engaging way has encouraged parents to give it a go at home.  Parents share with us that they have become more confident in reading books with their children since attending Fantastic 2s. 

Children also receive a book bag and can borrow a new book each week – supporting the powerful impact of daily shared reading.
Parents are invited to contribute to their child’s learning journey with photos, comments and artwork, creating a keepsake they can share with nurseries when the time comes.

Each six week block of Fantastic 2s is thoughtfully designed to offer a rich, varied experience for both children and their families.  Here’s a glimpse into what makes it so special:
Outdoor Learning Week
One week is dedicated to Outdoor Learning, where families explore a nearby green space together. Many of our families live in high rise accommodation without access to gardens so it’s been beneficial to introduce them to natural green spaces nearby they may not have known about.  Parents have shared how these sessions inspired weekend visits to the same spaces, repeating the fun activities we introduced. They’ve also noticed their children seem calmer and more talkative when outside – a beautiful reminder of nature’s impact.

Physical Focus Week
Another week centres on movement and physical development.  We use a larger space to encourage gross motor play – running, climbing, balancing, jumping, rolling. These activities aren’t just fun – they’re essential for building the core strength and coordination children need for future skills like sitting at a table and writing.

Professional Drop-Ins

Throughout the block we invite a range of professionals to join us on different weeks to support the Early Years professionals running the group:

• Speech and Language Therapist
• Educational Psychologist
• Health Team
• Locality Teacher
• Oral Health Practitioner
• Librarian or trip to the Library

These visits give parents a chance to ask questions and raise any concerns about their child’s development in a relaxed, familiar setting.  When needed, we can signpost families to additional services straight away. Sometimes, a few simple strategies shared during these sessions are all that’s needed to support a child’s progress, 

For some children with emerging needs, who find the larger group overwhelming, we offer a gentler alternative, Enhanced Stay Play and Learn, a smaller, more tailored group that provides extra support in a calmer and quieter environment

Following the successful pilot programme in November 2016, we were thrilled to receive funding by the GLA, Mayor of London.  This support allowed us to roll out comprehensive training for staff across all the twelve Children’s Centres in the borough.  Every practitioner received the tools, resources, and guidance needed to deliver Fantastic 2s with consistency and confidence. This borough-wide training ensured that no matter which centre a family attended, they would experience the same warm, high-quality approach, rooted in play, connection and early learning

Outreach: Reaching Families 

To connect with eligible families, we use the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) list and collaborate closely with key partners including Speech and Language Therapists, Health Visitors and Educational Psychologists. 

While our primary focus is on families eligible for the two year funding, we also welcome those who needed extra support – whether due to emerging needs, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) or other vulnerabilities.  Our aim with this inclusive approach is that no child is left behind. 

Working in a multi-agency way proves incredibly powerful. It allows us to reach families holistically, ensuring they receive not just an invitation to Fantastic 2s, but access to a wider network of care, support and opportunity. 

When families come to our Centres, they arrive with a rich tapestry of experiences and challenges. For many, this may be the first time they’ve accessed a parent-child group, and they bring with them the realities of everyday lives -   whether it’s concerns about their child’s development or wider issues such as housing, mental health, domestic difficulties or financial hardship. Our Centres offer a welcoming and safe space where families feel supported, listened to and empowered to share what’s on their minds

We believe in listening, learning and improving – so evaluation is a key part of Fantastic 2s. We gather feedback in several ways:

• Parent evaluations: Honest reflections from families each term help us understand what’s working and what we can improve on.
• Practitioner observation, evaluation and assessments: The teams track children’s progress in the prime areas of learning
• Pre and post questionnaires: These help us measure changes in children’s development, confidence, understanding and readiness.
• Learning journeys.

2 yr free Early Education Take up

Fantastic 2s has a powerful ripple effect.  By offering a gentle, supportive introduction to early education, we help families feel more confident about taking the next step.

Parents see their children thrive – even from just ninety minutes a week.  They notice improvements in communication and language, personal, social and emotional development and their physical skills. It eases their anxieties, and they can see how their child will be in a nursery, with nurturing staff and quality provision.   As a result, many families go on to take up their 2-yr funded place, supported by the team to ensure a smooth transition.

Others, who may not be ready for nursery just yet continue to attend other stay, play and learn sessions at the Children Centre.  For many, Fantastic 2s is their first experience of a parent-child group – and it opens the door to a wider world of support and opportunity. 

Data: Real Impact, Real Progress

Even for children who don’t go on to take up their 2 yr old funded place, Fantastic 2s is making a measurable difference.

In Wandsworth (2025):

• 60.7 percent of children who attended Fantastic 2s achieved a Good Level of Development Good Level of Development (GLD) at the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage.
• This compared to 56 percent GLD for disadvantaged children borough-wide
• At least 18 percent of those children who attended Fantastic 2s had identified SEND needs.

In the previous year, children who attended Fantastic 2s achieved 62.8 percent GLD, higher than their disadvantaged peers who didn’t attend the programme

These figures highlight the programme’s role in closing the gap and supporting school readiness – especially for our most vulnerable children.
 

Despite our success, increasing the uptake of 2 yr old funded places remains an ongoing challenge

To address this, we’ve introduced a new tracking system:

• Every new family on the DWP list receives an automated text and email informing them of their eligibility
• This is followed up by a personal phone call to offer support
• If families are ready, we help them find a nursery
• If not, they’re invited to join Fantastic 2s and other services at our Family Hubs

This personalised approach ensures no family is left behind – whether they’re ready to take the next step or just beginning their journey

Parents’ comments

Fantastic 2s has helped me discover that my son thrives with knowing a routine and he best responds to change with singing and forewarning”

My child’s development has progressed so much, and I love how we can record the progress made over the weeks in the Learning Journeys. I get a bit sentimental looking at it, in a good way. I’m just amazed at how much my child has grown and I’m appreciative that the staff have been here to support us along our journey. They are professionals with enormous hearts and endless creativity! I think my week wouldn’t be the same without Fantastic 2’s”.

 

Navigating the toddler phase is extremely challenging for parents who don’t have any other family support (which is common in cities) so the children’s centre is a fantastic space for parents & children to access playtime and advice with other adults, especially at Fantastic 2s”

It was a fantastic opportunity for my child who has been cared for at home, to get used to a nursery style setting and some of the expectations and format they would later experience. It was great as parents to be able to be a part of it and ease them into that process. The team who worked the sessions were so fantastic and supportive and I can’t thank them enough for all their help and hard work”.

The programme provided a warm, welcoming environment that helped my child feel comfortable and more confident about starting nursery. The balance of play, routine, and social interaction was very effective in easing the transition”.

Excellent staff. My child's social skills have improved considerably since he started attending the Fantastic 2s”.