Class Schedule

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Teatime and Holiday Clubs Teatime Club The Lloyd Park Centre offers inclusive Teatime Club until 5.50pm Monday to Friday for primary school aged children. The Lloyd Park Centre collects children from Winns Primary School Apply Here Fees Holiday Club The Lloyd Park and HIgham Hill Centres both offer inclusive holiday clubs for primary school aged children, from 8-5.50pm Monday to Friday during school holidays. See Dates for your Diary page to find out when our holiday schemes run. Bookings for October 2026 Holiday Club open from: 9am, Tuesday 22nd September Apply Here Fees Activities Your child will enjoy a range of activities including arts and crafts, sport, imaginative play, risk taking play and more. Children work together to explore their interests such as creating and performing in talent shows, fundraisers and sports events. There are opportunities to use our Grow Wild adventure play space, and for sporty and messy play, so please dress appropriately. Food Our dedicated catering team prepare our food on-site using fresh ingredients, creating tasty and nutritious meals with an emphasis on providing a wide range of plant-based foods. Meal times are always a sociable and enjoyable part of our day. Our Food

Newsletter Role play Edition 59. Autumn 2026 Our termly magazine full of interesting local stories, events and campaigns, plus our activities timetable. Please Read: Important notice relating to activity timings Read Locations Map Subscribe Role play Archive Find past editions here Browse Please Note: All activity dates and times appearing on the printed and PDF versions of Roleplay are correct at the time of printing and we endeavour to adhere to these. However, occasionally these may change due to circumstances outside of our control. Please always check the Calendar and the 'Live Service Updates' section on our 'What's On' page for up to date listings before travelling. Follow us on Facebook and/or Instagram to receive announcements related to our activities.

The Lloyd Park Centre Inspiring Surroundings Nestled in a leafy corner of Lloyd park, our centre is a vibrant, purpose built, childcare and activity centre. We enjoy free-flow play both indoor and outdoor, with open-plan rooms and magical outside adventure spaces, designed to engage and inspire young minds. Nature and risk-taking play The Lloyd Park Centre is a fantastic place to learn about our natural environment, take managed risks and have fun too. This connection with nature can foster a sense of respect and care for the environment . The range of sensory experiences help children gain greater physical control of their bodies, and builds resilience, confidence and independence. Our Community The Lloyd Park Centre was developed by local families over 40 years ago and we're proud to be rooted in our community. The centre offers a range of additional services for children and families including a BSL interpretor for deaf children, a community living room, community events and parent SEND support sessions. Community Services Childcare Services Monday - Friday Childcare: 6 months - 4 years, 8am-5.50pm (full and part-time available) Sessional Provision: 3 - 4 years and eligible 2 year olds, 9am-12pm - Term-time only Teatime Club: P rimary age childre n, 8am-5.50pm, pick-up from Wi nns Primary School - Term-time only Holiday Club: P rimary age children, 8am-5.50pm, during school holidays Apply Now Meet the Team Find us Lloyd Park Centre Winns Ave Entrance, Lloyd Park, Walthamstow, E17 5JW 020 8531 9522 lpc@tlpcc.org.uk Open 8am – 5.50pm Monday-Friday Ofsted Ofsted rating - Good We have been rated Good by Ofsted on our last inspection (16th September 2022 ). Read the report here .

See available post from across our charity. We regularlty recruit to positions in childcare, early years learning and developement, family support, and a variety of support roles. Current Vacancies We employ a range of positions across all of our teams including early years, family support, data and administration, catering, finance and site services. Safer Recruitment Please Read Applying online Please Read Need more help? To find out more about a role please email: recruitment@tlpcc.org.uk Latest Roles PLEASE NOTE: We receive a high number of speculative applications weekly. Unfortunately, we do not have the resources to respond to these applications. W e can only respond to applications for positions advertised below. Early Years Educator - Level 2 Early Years Educator - Level 3 Casual Play Assistant Read More Read More Read More

Find out about our jobs in Childcare, Early Years Education, Child Development, Family Support, early years play, admin and various other support roles. Join our team Current Vacancies Click Here Why work with us? Volunteer with us Safer Recruitment E q u a l O p p o r t u n i t i e s

Work, training & further education Throughout our five decade history as a grassroots organisation we've always worked alongside and recruited members of our community, bringing their invaluable lived-experience to our work whilst they learn new skills themselves. Some of our longest serving managers started out that way! Creating much needed training and employment offers is incredibly important to us, so we strive to find ways to generate opportunities that both support our mission and give local people a chance. Can you support local people find their place? Whilst we continue to create opportunities flocallly, we are always looking for ways to support our community to find the skills and employment prospects that are right for them. Through our family-centred approach we build trusting relationships with parents meaning we are well placed to introduce them to trusted partners who can offer work experience, training and mentoring opportunties. If your organisation has social impact schemes centred on raising skills in the community we'd love to hear from you to explore possibilities! Email our team We can support your team or students gain experience We've developed a strong culture of continuous professional development, accredited training programmes and work experience opportunities making us experienced in creating opportunities to help people gain experieince and enhance their professional developement. Get in touch with us if you'd like to explore ways that we could support your team or your students to gain new experience, whether that be through direct training, work placements or research projects. Email our team

Donating items to our Baby Bank Help give vulnerable newborns and toddlers a better start in life by donating new or pre-loved essentials Items on our wishlist and this page's 'What's needed?' section are urgently needed by the families we are currently helping. Donating these items is a great way to support a child in immediate need. Essentials are requested by parents and carers in a number of ways: Using the Baby Bank section of our Help Request Form Asking a member of team for assistance Attending Baby Bank to choose what they need from our available stock 1. Donating new items online The quickest way to gift essentials to the most in-need babies and families is to donate items from our Amazon wishlist directly to us. 2. Donating items in person You can also help by donating new or high quality pre-loved items that you no longer need. Please note: We'd love accept all pre-loved donations but sadly can’t always due to limited storage. We can only accept high quality new or unmarked items in good condition. We cannot accept used matresses, car seats or jumble. Email us to find out current drop-off locations Email Us Donate now What's needed? New items Nappies and baby wipes Single or double buggies Books for under 5’s Moses baskets New mattresses Quality pre-loved Single or double buggies Books for under 5’s Moses baskets

Jobs in childcare, early years learning and development and family support. Now recruiting Back to 'Join our team' page Early Years Educator Apprentice Location: Walthamstow Salary: £21,416 Hours: Fulltime - 36 hours per week Closing date: Description You will study with Pen Green Research and receive support to learn on the job at one of our settings. Your role will involve working with the team to provide high-quality, creative learning opportunities for young children, stiving to ensure every child has the best start in life. As an Early Years Educator Apprentice, you will play a vital role in creating a safe, nurturing, and stimulating environment. Job Description Apply Now Early Years Practitioners - Level 2 Location: Walthamstow Salary: £22,127 Hours: Fulltime - 36 hours per week Closing date: Description You will be part of an amazing team who provide high quality trusted Early Years experiences and education to all children in our care. Your role will be to implement the delivery of the Early Years Curriculum to ensure that all children reach their full potential. As part of a family group you will build relationships with children and families to promote children’s learning and development and wellbeing. Job Description Apply Now Early Years Practitioners - Level 3 Location: Walthamstow Salary: £25,197 Hours: Fulltime - 36 hours per week (40 hours can also be considered) Closing date: Description You will be part of an amazing team who provide high quality trusted Early Years experiences and education to all children in our care. Your role will be to implement the delivery of the Early Years Curriculum to ensure that all children reach their full potential. As part of a family group you will build relationships with children and families to promote children’s learning, development and wellbeing. You will be responsible for supporting the Senior Early Years Practitioner and supervising and nurturing level 2 practitioners, apprentices and students. Job Description Apply Now Casual/Assistant Playworker Location: Walthamstow Salary: Hourly rates Under 18yrs - £8.00 Aged 18-20yrs - £11.05 Aged 21 and over - £11.44 Hours: Part-time - 15 hours per week, Monday - Friday, 3-6pm, Term Time only Closing date: Description You will be part of an amazing team who provide high quality trusted Early Years experiences and education to all children in our care. Your role will be to support with the Tea Time Cub provision at The Higham HIll Centre, collecting primary aged school children from Whittingham school and Hillyfield on the Hill, supervising the children; providing fun activities, & serving a nutritious tea. Job Description Apply Now Cleaner Location: Walthamstow Salary: £21,715.20 Hourly rate: £11.60 Hours: 10 hours per week, Monday - Friday, 6am - 8am Closing date: Description You will be part of an amazing team who provide high quality trusted Early Years experiences and education to all children in our care. To carry out a full range of duties providing high standards of cleanliness and general security. To include cleaning activities under the direction of the Site Service Manager and Centre Manager. Job Description Apply Now Applying online All candidates must complete our employee application form. Use the job definition as a guide to structure your application and help demostrate your relevant experience. It lists the skills, competencies, talents and behaviours we are looking for. If you are new to the role you are applying for, tell us what you know about the role. Please read our Privacy Notice for Job Applicants on our policy page for info. on how we handle your data If you would like to discuss any of our open roles or arrange a visit to one of our settings, please email recruitment@tlpcc.org.uk

Family Support What is Family Support? Our Grow Well family support services offer 1:1 or group support to help you organise your thoughts, make plans and take action to improve life for you and your child. Request Help or Refer Who is it for? For families with children under 5yrs old. Enabling you to access a range of support in the community: Every family faces challenges from time to time. We're here to help you every step of the way! Some examples might include: child development parenting support sleep feeding parent/infant relationships making friends overcoming low mood How is it delivered? You will be signposted to our service or request help yourself One of our team will contact you for an initial assessment You decide on some goals that you'd like to achieve We'll help you achieve these through group sessions, phone check-ins and helping you to access community services (home visits available where appropriate) When you feel as though you've achieved your goals we'll review your progress with you Request Help or Refer

Fees and Funding Holiday Club FEEE Funding Teatime Club Sibling Discount Our Fees Other info. Additional Charges SEND + Pupil Premium Holiday Club Holiday club is offered at The Lloyd Park and Higham Hill Centres for primary aged children. £48.30 per day More info Teatime Clubs More info School Collections Lloyd Park Centre children: collections from Winns Primary School Higham Hill Centre children: collections from Hillyfields on the Hill and Whittingham Primary Schools Charges £20.06 per da y Registration fee £24.08 for both clubs Childcare Fees Whole-year contracts Under 3yrs 8am-5:50pm 1 Day - £91.96 8am-1:30pm 1 Day - £58.42 3 Days - £275.88 3 Days - £175.26 4 Days - £367.84 5 Days - £459.78 Monthly full-time - £1915.76 4 Days - £233.68 5 Days - £292.10 Monthly full-time - £1217.08 3-5yrs 8am-5:50pm 1 Day - £85.29 3 Days - £255.87 4 Days - £341.16 5 Days - £426.45 Monthly full-time - £1776.88 8am-1:30pm 1 Day - £55.99 3 Days - £167.97 4 Days - £223.96 5 Days - £279.95 Monthly full-time - £1166.46 Important notes Prices are based upon a minimum attendance of 3 days per week to include a Monday or Friday. Fees are not charged for 2wk Christmas Closure, Team Training Days & Bank Holidays. All Fees are payable irrespective of non-attendance due to child holiday or sickness. Under 3's move into the '3-5yrs' charge band the term after their 3rd birthday. For extra hours purchased in addition to that of your child's contracted hours the hourly rates of £10.61 for under 3's and £10.18 for 3-5yrs will apply. Fees are quoted before deduction of the Free Early Education Entitlement (FEEE) Additional Charges Additional service charge We apply an additional daily service charge for items such as hot food, snacks and drinks on those days where the FEEE is applied. 30hr Sessional Daycare Breakfast AM £10.64 £10.64 £2.91 £9.74 No discount is applied to this charge We do not charge the Additional Service Charge to those children attend Monday to Friday 9am to 12pm Sessional Contracts. No additional service charge applies to those sessions where the FEEE hrs are used in full over 38wks (Term-time Contract): 9am to 12pm (3hrs per day) 9am to 3pm (6hrs per day) Monday to Friday The 'Average Monthly Fee' is based upon the weekly fee multiplied by 50wks divided by 12 equal monthly instalments. Registration Fee We charge a registration fee of £24.08 for Day Care and tea time club contracts. Late collection Fee Our late collection charges are displayed in our settings. Administration Fees (after end of contract) £11.20 fee for each overpayment made via standing order 20% fee where a 'Tax Free Childcare' payment/voucher is received at the end of your contract. Free Working Families Childcare Support & Free Early Education Entitlement (FEEE) Please read our guide to funding which covers the following childcare topics. 9-23 month old funding Open Guide 2yr olds FEEE Funding FEEE for 3-4yr olds 30hr extended entitlement for working families Please obtain your 11-digit code from the government website. This proves that you are eligible for free childcare. (We need this code in order to offer places) Check eligibility and apply for your code on the government's website here: Check Eligibility More childcare information Local Authority on the local authority's website here: Please be aware that the links above will connect you to external websites. Our charity cannot be responsible for the content of these sites including any downloadable files. Please read our policy on links to external web pages here Sibling Discount Our sibling discount is applied to the older siblings account. It is only applied to childcare hours purchased and not to other items such as the 'Additional Service Charge' for those children in receipt of the 'Free Early Education Entitlement'. Under 3's 3 to 5's Mixed Ages 10% 5% 5% Other Information Prices are based upon a minimum attendance of 3 days per week which must include a Monday and/or Friday. The fees are quoted before deduction of the Free Early Education Entitlement (FEEE). If you would like to purchase extra sessions we charge the following hourly rates: Under 3's 3 to 5's £10.61 £10.18 You will be charged/invoiced for any hours or services that you wish to purchase that are above the free entitlement SEND and Pupil Premium Pupil Premium The Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) is additional funding for early years settings aimed at improving the education we provide for disadvantaged 3 and 4yr olds We can get up to £388 per year to spend directly on supporting your child’s education which makes a big difference! Please speak to staff at your setting to find out whether you are eligible Check eligibility SEND Early Years settings can access additional funding to support children with learning and developmental delay and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) This includes Disability Access Fund (DAF), SEND Inclusion Fund (SENIF) and Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP) More info Links to an external webpage Please be aware that these links will connect you to external websites. Our charity cannot be responsible for the content of these sites including any downloadable files. Please read our policy on links to external web pages here

About Us Our Mission and Values Our Story Our Evidence and Learning Join Our Team Policies Contact Us

Find out why the Lloyd Park Chidlren's Charity is a great place to work. See our benefits packages and our ethos surrounding recruiting a diverse and reprensentative workforce. Why work for us? Make a real difference to the lives of local children! What we do Lloyd Park Children's Charity was founded over 40yrs ago to support equity and justice for children and families in Waltham Forest and beyond. We strive to understand childrens' individuality, working with their parents to help them reach their full potential. Benefits package Up to 30 days holiday Excellent pension scheme Benenden Health Care membership 24/7 GP advice and psychological wellbeing helplines Diagnostic services, treatment and surgery Access to rewards and voucher schemes 50% discount on childcare - for eligbile staff, subject to availability Outstanding training & development opportunities Subsidised hot lunch I n c l u s i v e H i r i n g We were founded by local people who wanted to make a real difference, so we greatly value the diverse perspectives and living experience that local people can bring to our teams. We actively encourage candidates to apply for positions who reflect our local community's diverse range of cultures, backgrounds and demographics. Our Values Our values guide us as we support social change and justice for children, informing how we communicate within communities and with each other. Each value is a challenge that we seek to live and work to every day. Read More A fair, healthy and rewarding workplace Our colleagues are valued for being themselves and are treated as equals A culture of collaboration and respect is the norm You'll always be listened to in a safe and nurturing space Professional and personal development will help you to flourish and do your best work Share our values? Want to make a difference? Apply Now ! View Jobs

See available post from across our charity. We regularlty recruit to positions in childcare, early years learning and developement, family support, and a variety of support roles. Casual Play Assistant Location: Walthamstow Salaries Aged 17 to 18yrs - £10 Aged 18 to 20yrs - £12.08 Aged 21 and over - £12.71 Closing date: 02/10/2026 Overview We are looking for friendly, enthusiastic, and reliable Play Assistants to join our Grow Wild and Holiday club teams on a casual basis, providing cover during weekends and school holidays. As a Play Assistant, you will support the delivery of engaging and enriching activities that encourage children to build confidence, resilience, creativity, and a connection with the natural world. Working as part of a dedicated team, you will help create a safe, welcoming, and stimulating environment where children can learn and develop. You will need to build positive relationships with children and their families while promoting children's wellbeing, This is an ideal opportunity for someone who is passionate about working with children and enjoys outdoor learning and play. This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and is therefore subject to an Enhanced DBS check and satisfactory safeguarding checks in line with safer recruitment requirements. Job Description Apply Now

Funded Projects Our Funding Partners We are delighted to be working with these major donors to deliver vital community work in East London Family Wellbeing and Support Project We were delighted to be awarded funding to run our early years social prescribing and co-production project by the 'City Bridge Foundation'. Working in partnership we are delivering a 5 year programme offering support to families with a focus on health and welbeing outcomes. The Community Wellbeing Support Worker helps families identify what matters to them and ways to achieve their goals. Families are supported to design and lead activities based on their 'living experiences'. This creates innovative and exciting resources for local children and families. Musical Climbers and Creators Memory Book Youth Music, funded this wonderful project via their Trialblazer programme. It provided unique music-based outdoor learning and sensory experiences in our ' Grow Wild' adventure play space. Activities focus on local children facing barriers in accessing mainstream music and outdoors provisions, particularly those children living with SEND. This fun and uplifiting session was co-produced with Soundcastle musical therapy charity, children, parents and our SEND team. Huge thanks to Youth Music for funding this wonderful SEND music-making project! Grow Active 'Grow Active' was delivered in partnership with the 'London Marathon Foundation'. Waltham Forest is home to a large number of marginalised children, many of whom have little or no outdoor space to explore. ‘Grow Active’ offered children a wide range of opportunities to improve physical fitness and self-esteem in our safe, inclusive Grow Wild outdoors adventure play space. Our aim was to inspire more children to take up physical activity in their early years, helping them to build the confidence to be more active in their future lives. Many Many thanks to 'London Marathon Foundation' for funding this amazing project for a whole year, between November 2023 and October 2024! Community Living Room & Kitchen “My child has been able to develop more social skills and interact with friends". "It’s a warming environment, everyone’s happy, they’re smiling, joking, that’s how it’s been since the beginning". "We’re all able to talk about the same problems”. Enjoy a hot meal, play and socialise Our Community Living Room & Kitchen is run in partnership with London Borough of Waltham Forest and has proved to be one of our most popular community resources over the last year. With our funding we have created a safe, invite only, welcoming space where families, with children ages 0-5yrs, can stay warm, socialise, play and enjoy a tasty hot meal. Our team are on hand during sessions to offer support and advice if needed. Contact us to see if you're eligible to attend using our 'Help Request' form button below. Request Help

Childcare Our Pedagogy Settings Teatime and Holiday Club Apply for a place Fees and Funding More Our inclusive early years settings support children to follow their interests and celebrate achievements Settings Our Higham Hill and Lloyd Park centres provide full-time and part-time childcare - from 6 months to 5 years, Please note that the Under 2s waiting list at Lloyd Park is currently closed. Applications are still welcome for 2–5 year places and sessional places. We also run teatime and holiday clubs for primary school aged children. Lloyd Park Higham Hill Apply for a place Our parents as partners Parents are childrens' most important educators, so we work closely with them to share childrens' experiences at home and in our settings. We encourage parent/carers to be involved with their child's time with us wherever possible. Our Pedagogy Our approach to teaching and learning (pedagogy) starts with our mission to build brighter futures for every child. Our pedagogy is inspired by research about how children learn and develop. We use 'Learning Stories' to celebrate and share children's experiences. Learn more SEND and our childcare Our welcoming and inclusive settings support children as unique individuals to follow their interests and celebrate achievements Learn more Our Food Our dedicated catering team prepares our meals on-site using fresh ingredients incorporating special dietary requirements and individual needs. Our menu is based on the Eat Well guidelines, with an emphasis on serving a wide range of plant-based foods. Sample Menu Fees and Funding We are a not-for-profit organsiation so all of our income is used to sustain our work. Our fees are reviewed by our trustees annually to ensure we are value for money and sustainable. The government provides support for childcare costs. The Childcare Choices website can help you determine the most beneficial options for your family. Learn more Please be aware that some of these links connect you to external websites. Our charity cannot be responsible for the content of these sites including any downloadable files. Please read our policy on links to external web pages here

Find The Grow Well Centre Centrally located between Queens Road overground station and the Bakers Arms junction on Hoe Street. Address: 7 Saxon Close Walthamstow London E17 8LF e-mail: babybank@tlpcc.org.uk Go Back Follow us on our socials for updates on scheduled activities and sessions

Journal Club Overview This summary brings together learning from a collaborative Journal Club involving staff across Lloyd Park Children’s Charity. It draws on research from multiple disciplines alongside practitioner insight, creating a space to reflect critically on our work with families and strengthen how evidence informs practice. Rather than focusing on a single project, the Journal Club explored a wide body of academic literature in conversation with day-to-day experience. This allowed staff to question assumptions, test ideas, and think more deeply about what works. The overall aim was to review current evidence on early years, family support and wellbeing, while also identifying strengths in our existing work and areas where practice and services could be further developed. At its core, the process reflects our commitment to being a learning organisation, where practice continues to evolve in response to both evidence and lived experience. What Makes This Work Different A key strength of the Journal Club is the way it brings together different perspectives from across teams and services. By combining research evidence with practitioner experience, it creates a richer and more grounded understanding of practice. The focus is not simply on outcomes, but on reflection, learning and continuous improvement. Importantly, it also provides space to identify gaps in the evidence and consider where we can innovate or take a leading role. Throughout the process, a central question has guided discussion: What does the evidence tell us—and how can we do better for families? Key Themes from the Evidence A consistent message across the literature is that relationships are fundamental to change. Approaches that are relationship-based and strengths-focused, such as restorative practice and family partnership models, are shown to build trust, reduce stigma and support engagement. They enable families to take ownership of change, rather than feeling directed or judged. This strongly reflects an existing strength in our work: supporting families through respectful, collaborative relationships. The evidence also reinforces the importance of working with the whole family, not just the child. Children’s outcomes are shaped by parental wellbeing, family relationships and wider environmental factors. Ecological and systems-based models highlight that meaningful support must take account of both family dynamics and the broader community context. Poverty and inequality emerge as a major underlying influence across many studies. Disadvantage affects children’s health, development and long-term life chances, often in ways that accumulate over time. This highlights the importance of accessible and inclusive services that address the wider determinants of health, rather than focusing solely on immediate presenting issues. It also underscores the critical role of early intervention in reducing inequality. Another area of growing interest is social prescribing, particularly in relation to mental health and wellbeing. However, the evidence base for children and families is still developing, with limited established models and ongoing challenges around access and implementation. This presents an opportunity for the charity to strengthen and formalise its approach, while also contributing to wider learning and innovation in this field. The research also emphasises the importance of belonging and community connection. Feeling part of a community is closely linked to wellbeing, yet many families face barriers to participation, including low confidence, anxiety, stigma and practical constraints. Effective group work therefore depends on creating welcoming, flexible and non-judgemental environments, and on designing provision with families rather than for them. This points again to the importance of co-production and strong relationships. There is also growing evidence of the benefits of access to nature for children’s development. Natural environments can positively influence emotional wellbeing, behaviour, attention and cognitive development, supporting the continued development of outdoor and nature-based approaches, especially for families with limited access to green space. Finally, a clear message across the literature is the importance of listening, to both children and families. Services are most effective when they are shaped by lived experience, using participatory and creative approaches, and when they are genuinely responsive to what families say they need. Key Organisational Learning The Journal Club has highlighted important strengths in our current work. In particular, it reflects the consistency of our relationship-based, strengths-focused approach, our ability to work holistically with families, and our success in building trust with those who may not access more traditional services. At the same time, it has identified areas where further development would strengthen our impact. These include improving how we measure and evidence outcomes, especially for children, articulating our model of practice and theory of change more clearly, and developing tools and frameworks to support greater consistency across services. There is also an opportunity to expand our role in research and evidence generation, particularly in emerging areas such as social prescribing. Key Recommendations Taken together, the learning points to a clear set of priorities. These include developing clearer practice frameworks, strengthening data collection and evaluation, and increasing co-production with families so that services are shaped more directly by lived experience. There is also a need to continue expanding community-based approaches, including social prescribing, and to build stronger partnerships that address poverty and inequality more effectively. Underpinning all of this is the importance of maintaining a strong culture of reflection, learning and evidence use across the organisation. Summary The Journal Club has deepened our understanding of what works in supporting children and families, while also providing a valuable space for critical reflection. It confirms that effective services are grounded in relationships, take a whole-family perspective, and actively build connection, belonging and resilience. It also reinforces the importance of early action to prevent long-term disadvantage. Perhaps most importantly, it has strengthened our identity as a learning organisation, one that continues to reflect, adapt and improve in response to both evidence and the experiences of the families we support. Evidence Reviewed The Journal Club drew on a wide range of research across early years, family support and wellbeing, including work on social prescribing, restorative practice, poverty and health outcomes, nature and child development, barriers to participation, and the social determinants of child development. This included: Hayes et al. (2023) – Social prescribing for children and young people Lewing et al. (2020) – Early childhood services and family hubs Williams (2019) – Restorative approaches in family support Sammons et al. (2023) – Equity and Children’s Centres Schickedanz et al. (2015) – Childhood poverty and health outcomes Norwood et al. (2019) – Nature and child development Stuart et al. (2022) – Barriers to group participation Goldfeld et al. (2018) – Social determinants of child development Tabb et al. (2022) – Home visiting and parental mental health Gore et al. (2022) – Family support programmes and wellbeing

Musical Climbers & Creators A year of exploring music with some wonderful SEND children In 2023/24 we were delighted to bring this wonderful project to life in our Grow Wild adventure play space with the support of Youth Music. This fun and uplifiting session was co-produced by the Lloyd Park Children's Charity's SEND and outdoors play practitioners, parent/carers, children and the amazing music-making charity, Soundcastle. The project delivered unique music-based outdoor learning and sensory experiences for children living with SEND who are often excluded from music-making and outdoors adventure play. Sounds from the Forest Stomp in the Forest 00:00 / 09:06 These beautiful tracks were composed by Soundcastle using vocals, sounds, beats and music made by the children, recorded as they explored the space and made music together. Meditation in the Green Space 00:00 / 09:22 Magical Memories Outdoors music-making in our inspiring 'Grow Wild' adventure playspace Real musical instruments to play led by musicians Freedom for children to play and join in at their own pace Music-making combined with creative play Inclusive music-making for SEND children and their siblings Breakthroughs for SEND children in socialising and personal confidence Building more confidence to jump and tumble with drum beats Children discovered a passion for music-making Parents saw leaps in their children's development Feedback from parents and carers I cannot enthuse about this playgroup/adventure playground and staff more. It is SUCH a supportive environment for not only my son but my daughter too aswell as myself. Staff have gone above and beyond for both my children as they often run in opposite directions and I physically can't keep an eye on both of them! The staff are unfaltering in their care for both the children, this is so important to me as often siblings can sometimes not be so welcomed in my experience which is very difficult for me. The musical element to the session is genuinely magical. At first the musicians would play musical instruments as my children played and slowly but surely my children have actively taken part in playing the musical instruments themselves which they both adore. I feel like my children get so much out of this sen session, they both have gained so much confidence in the setting since coming and both get so excited when they realise we are going to Grow Wild I myself, as their parent, really enjoy coming too! I can never usually relax in other settings as my son can be unpredictable with his behaviour at times, but here I can just breathe and let my children have fun with staff who are always enthusiastic to see them. Thank you so much! We have truly enjoyed our sessions on a Tuesday. My son loves to be outside and to be able to enjoy all the instruments in this free way has been so enriching for him. The musicians are wonderful with the little ones completely working at their pace and direction! Tirelessly playing “train” and offering different instruments and sounds occasionally so he gets a varied experience. All done in a respectful way so he hasn’t felt overwhelmed or too directed. If I had to think of something I’m tempted to say it would be nice to have some more performance group playing from the musicians with flute etc but perhaps that’s more my wanting as the simpler instruments have been generously shared and given access to and the children lead the way!! Thank you all and hope you can keep going …. We will keep coming!! Since we started attending in May my son has made huge progress in his speech, language and communication and these sessions have been a huge part of that. He finds communication challenging and this usually prevents him from interacting with other people. He became very comfortable very quickly at Grow Wild and very quickly started to interact with the musicians and it has been an absolute joy to see. He then repeatedly talks about Grow Wild at home throughout the week so not only is the session beneficial when he's there, but he loves it so much that he wants to talk about it all week, so it's been fantastic for his development at home as well. My daughter has also just started to come out of her shell. She usually only speaks to me but this week she spoke to three different adults at the session too and was much more confident and independent. I also love how safe these sessions are. Being able to run around outside in a safe space with other children and parents who understand his differences is priceless. These sessions are by far the best SEND sessions I have been to in Waltham Forest as they tick so many boxes. A safe outdoor space, access to a wide range of activities like climbing, water play, painting etc. all alongside the musical elements and an energetic, kind and enthusiastic team of adults running the sessions. ....So many of my son's sensory needs are met in one session which helps him to feel calm and regulated throughout the rest of the day. There is something available and beneficial for every child and it's fabulous to see every child enjoying themselves week after week. So thank you so much for everything. I hope that you can secure funding for September as it'll be a huge loss to the SEND community if these sessions were to stop. Both my children have both asked me if they can go to Grow Wild three times today already and this will happen every day until next week 😅 We have a home education journal and at the end of every day, we write down what we've done and my son often likes looking back at the photos of him at Grow Wild and asks for his own musical instruments. Just wanted to say how fantastic the musical element to the play has been and how much both my 19month old and I have enjoyed coming to those special sessions. It has given my son great exposure to music and to different and unique instruments we would not normally come across in our own play. The musicians are all so very talented, professional yet friendly and have a natural ability to connect with the young ones. I feel very fortunate to have attended the sessions we have with you, which have really enhanced my son's learning through song, tune and creativity. This group has been a lifeline to us from the start until now. We attend whatever the weather and my ASD child has thrived and grown from being in such an accepting and accomodating environment. He has gone from a child who was extremely uncomfortable around people, particularly adults, to somebody who seeks out interactions from the Grow Wild and Soundcastle teams. He's changed from being crying and anxious on arrival to shouting "go to see Zoe!" the minute he sees the tree. He has developed a tolerance for other children, for group singing and for music. He has developed so many social skills and even shown a keen interest in making music himself. He gets all of his sensory seeking needs met, has the freedom to explore without any pressure and we are truly fortunate to be able to attend this group. My child has developed and grown into somebody who can be in public without severe discomfort and who actually enjoys the company of other people, and I believe Grow wild has played a massive part in that.....