Why this project matters
The Thriving Through Childhood and Beyond project (2023-2026) expanded the SCiP Alliance's Thriving Lives approach across the learner journey and led to the development of a new Thriving Lives Toolkit for Early Years. Through research, sector engagement and framework development, the foundations for the toolkit have now been established.
The Early Years Pioneer Programme is the next stage of this work. Working alongside Early Years settings and sector partners across the UK, we are supporting implementation of the toolkit while developing the resources, guidance and support needed for wider rollout. This collaborative approach ensures the toolkit is practical, sustainable and grounded in the realities of Early Years provision.
Timeline: 2026/2027
What we’re aiming to achieve
- Ensure the Thriving Lives Toolkit for Early Years is practical, relevant and effective, enabling confident adoption across a diverse range of Early Years providers.
- Refine the toolkit and its supporting resources through implementation and feedback from Pioneer settings.
- Develop guidance, training and practical resources that support meaningful engagement and continuous improvement.
- Establish a sustainable model for wider rollout, underpinned by an evidence base of effective practice.
What we’re doing
- Working with a Pioneer Group of Early Years settings from across the UK to implement the toolkit in practice.
- Facilitating quality assurance activities and gathering feedback from practitioners and sector experts.
- Enhancing toolkit content and developing supporting guidance, training and implementation resources.
- Creating opportunities for collaboration, peer learning and the sharing of effective practice and case studies.
The difference this project will make
- A stronger evidence base of effective approaches to supporting children from Armed Forces families in Early Years settings.
- Increased confidence and capability among Early Years practitioners to support children from Armed Forces families.
- More consistent and inclusive approaches to identifying and responding to the unique experiences of Service children.
- Better experiences and outcomes for children from Armed Forces families during their early years education and development.
How this supports our strategy
Supports the SCiP Alliance 2026-2030 Strategy, Priority 2: Complete the Thriving Lives Toolkit Suite - the framework for continuous improvement.
The Early Years Pioneer Programme contributes to all Priority 2 objectives by supporting the implementation, enhancement and future rollout of the Early Years Thriving Lives Toolkit, alongside the development of resources, training and evidence-informed practice that enable continuous improvement.
Pioneer Settings
The Early Years Pioneer Programme brings together a diverse group of Early Years providers from across the UK who are helping to implement, evaluate and strengthen the toolkit through their participation.
We are grateful to all participating settings and practitioners for contributing their expertise, experiences and insights to help shape the future of the Thriving Lives Toolkit for Early Years.