Sandwell is in love…… with Making it REAL: Sandwell Local Authority

This inspirational programme is an award-winning research-based family literacy programme developed by the Early Childhood Unit (ECU) at the National Children’s Bureau in partnership with the University of Sheffield. 

Through home visits and literacy events, families explore the key strands of literacy – books, early writing, environmental print and oral language. Through the ORIM framework families can support their children’s learning by offering opportunities for children’s learning, recognising children’s progress and achievements, interacting and talking with their children and modelling or showing children what to do. 

The ORIM framework allows practitioners to explore the four ways that parents can help their children learn by offering ideas, suggestions, resources on how they can support their children’s early literacy development – through outdoor and indoor opportunities. 

Giving the clear message that Making it REAL can happen anytime, anyplace, anywhere!

Making it REAL has a powerful impact on children and on family literacy practice. 

Practitioners improve their skills in working with families, parents develop confidence, and children make real gains in early literacy and involvement levels.

In Sandwell that has meant that all Schools and Early Years PVI Settings are offered the programme as part of the Early Language and Home Learning Environment funding from Family Hubs.

So far, we have trained 82 practitioners from 25 Early Years PVI Settings and 21 Schools to deliver Making it REAL to over 500 families. 

• The programme is aimed for families with children aged 3 – 4 year olds.
• 2 practitioners from Sandwell PVI Early Years Settings and Schools receive 2 days training.
• They receive funding and support to deliver the programme over 6 months.
• Pre and Post Data is submitted for analysis.
• Sandwell Data Intelligence, from 2026 will collate and analyse WellComm Screening Data for all targeted children.
• Home learning visits are offered to a group of targeted children who need additional support to meet their learning needs. (2 Home Learning Visits per child).
• 3 Literacy events are planned for all children and their families in the cohort.
• One literacy event is organised with the local library service.
• We encourage partnership working with the National Literacy Trust to attend or book gift for one of the literacy events.
• All practitioners attend 2 Network meetings to share practice, good news stories and discuss next steps of their delivery.
• All settings and schools receive a certificate for being Making it REAL Ambassadors for Sandwell. 

Sandwell has also offered the Making it REAL training to the Community Nursery Nurses and to colleagues from the Museums Service. 

We look forward to future exciting literacy events with our Museums Service offering Early Years Take Over Days so that Sandwell families can fully explore the joys of early literacy through their local Museum.

Based on pre and post data submitted for the programme during September 2024 to March 2025. Sandwell practitioners worked with 107 targeted children who received home visits. 582 families participated in 3 literacy events including the families who needed the additional focused support. 

All children progressed in all strands of literacy:

Based on targeted children at exceeding stage which relates to the range of skills that children have improved in their literacy development

Parental Confidence:

Parents confidence increased through the programme.

Parents were asked the following questions:

• How confident did you feel talking about early literacy before Making it REAL?
• How confident do you feel talking about early literacy at the end of Making it REAL?

To capture the impact of Making it REAL 2 PVI Early Years Settings helped to develop 2 Case Study examples of good practice of school readiness. 

Special thanks to the amazing families and wonderful practitioners from the Workplace Day Nursery and 5 Star Day Nursery. 

Here are the links to hear the impact of REAL from both parents and practitioner in Sandwell:

Making it REAL Parent (Clare) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvZQwtQcfOg

Clare is a parent who attended the Workplace Day Nursery, and she talks about how much she learnt about the REAL programme and how   Hear about how they brought stories to life at home and made a pirate ship! Clare tells us how her child really blossomed through the programme and this helped him when he started school.

Making it REAL Practitioner (Tina)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrrbhQHDM6U 

Tina is a practitioner from the Workplace Day Nursery. She talks about the difference the Making it REAL programme has made for the Nursery. Watch how all the children and families join in ‘We’re going on a Bear Hunt!” storytelling outside in the garden! Tina shares with us all the activities to bring the 4 strands of literacy to life – Oral Language, Environmental Print, Sharing Books and Early Writing.

Making it REAL Parent (Nicola) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xzmz_fytMe4

Nicola is a parent who attended 5 Star Day Nursery. REAL for Nicola was exciting, especially bringing literacy to life in the Nursery and at home. REAL boosted her confidence and she saw her child grow in confidence too. Nicola talks about the joys of being outdoors and noticing more about Environmental Print! As a family they loved going to the library with their Nursery friends too!

Practitioner Network Meetings have captured magical moments from Making it REAL:

2 Network meetings are held throughout the 6 months of the programme:

In terms of school readiness feedback, this has been positive, innovative and emotional for both parents and practitioners:

• Increased parental involvement and relationships between families and schools. Schools and PVI Early Years Settings have increased working in partnership with their local Family Hub.
• The REAL programme takes account of the differences of the children’s experiences at home and the home visits and allows practitioners to respond sensitively to support the home learning environment.
• Families have become more confident in having conversations with schools and settings and additional family support is offered where needed.
• Parents/carers and practitioners have both gained confidence in working with each other.
• Families have been involved in co-constructing ORIMs to help plan REAL Home Learning in both literacy events and at home.
• Parents have a greater understanding of child development through the 4 literacy strands.
• Parents have been continuing to model the strategies and examples shared at literacy events and home visits and both settings and schools can see how children are making progress.
• 100% all settings and schools have ensured that one of their literacy events has been planned in partnership with their local library. All families have joined the library.
• National Literacy Trust colleagues have attended some literacy events and book gifted for families. 

Meet the Making it REAL Trainers from Sandwell:

We would recommend colleagues from local authorities to contact the Early Childhood Unit at the National Children’s Bureau in order to receive the Train the Trainers model of Making it REAL which helps sustainability and consistency of delivering the programme in line with the training programme. 

If you want further information, please contact:

Saeeda Butt, Parents as Partners in Early Learning Manager

Email: [email protected] 

Works Mobile: 07769 283 285

Jo Rudge, Early Years Teaching and Learning Advisor

Email: [email protected] 

Works Mobile: 07350 393 528

Lorraine Matthew, Early Years Advisory Teacher 

Email: [email protected]   

Works Mobile: 07500 088 776