Thanks to funding from the Community Investment Board, a community-led early intervention programme that supports children in years five and six, and their families, has been made possible. The project works with children who would benefit from support to develop confidence, resilience and build positive relationships with peers and trusted adults.

Children are invited to attend termly courses, and by the end of the funding period, ten courses would have been offered across six schools reaching sixty children.

Holiday groups will be offered to families and year six children can join for four-day courses over the summer holidays, focusing on the transition to secondary school.

The project involves children in co-designing future courses and a children’s voice in the Southend Vision.

Alongside the offer to children, parents can be supported through the Your Family and Information and Guidance services with the aim of building parenting confidence, improving home to school links and building family resilience.