Theory of Change - Measurable Outcomes

The Parenting Circle focuses on three outcome areas:

1) school achievement

2) strengthened families

3) community cohesion

In particular we believe the parenting peer mentoring groups will:

• Improve childhood development among beneficiary families in the form of higher levels of school readiness at age 5 as reported by teachers.

• Improve school outcomes of beneficiary children but also of the whole year group.

• Reduce stress/work-load for teachers.

• Increase confidence among beneficiary parents as reported in parent surveys.

• Reduce loneliness among beneficiary parents as reported in parent surveys.

• Increase awareness among schools, nurseries and health visitors of how best to support parents in promoting their child[ren]’s early development.

• Foster reciprocal support between parents.

• Increase parental engagement with the school and with appropriate community services.

These short-term outcomes will contribute to three key long-term outcomes: improved well-being among children; improved attainment of children from disadvantaged backgrounds; improved life chances for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. In addition, our scheme will deliver cost-savings to Government and taxpayers: school exclusion, for example, costs the taxpayer £370K per child; if our scheme can prevent 10 school exclusions, that is a saving of over £3 million.