Have you heard about this funding?

So the Department for Education just opened the Early Education Partnership Funding last week, with a deadline in July.

So yes, the time frame is tight. Not impossible, just… “let’s get our thinking caps on and maybe grab a strong coffee” energy.

It is a brilliant chance for nursery and reception settings to do something together that actually makes a difference, especially around transition, school readiness, communication and language, and helping children feel confident as they move on in their journey.

In other words, it is about proper joined-up thinking, not just another one-off project.

The focus is on joint working between nursery and reception around transition, communication and language, and school readiness.

And if you’re sat there thinking “we need something simple, realistic, and ideally doesn't take 47 meetings to plan”, then Tales Toolkit is a really good place to start.

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 So what is Tales Toolkit?

Tales Toolkit is a storytelling approach used in early years settings that gets children creating, telling and acting out their own stories.

It is simple, playful and honestly a bit magic when it gets going.

It works just as well in nursery as it does in reception, which is exactly why it fits this funding so well. There is no awkward handover approach and no sense of “this is how school does it now”. Instead, it is a shared way of working that both settings can use confidently and consistently.

And yes, staff usually end up enjoying it just as much as the children.

One of the other big advantages is how easy it is to get started. The training is delivered online, so staff can access it flexibly at a time that works around real life in early years rather than trying to squeeze into already packed inset days.

That means settings can move at their own pace, revisit sessions when needed, and get new staff up to speed without everything needing to stop or line up perfectly in a diary somewhere. In a sector where time is always tight, that flexibility makes a real difference.

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Why it fits this funding so well

This funding is really looking for impact in the areas that matter most. Not flashy ideas, but the real building blocks.

• Communication and language
• Social skills
• Confidence and self-expression
• Listening and attention
• Emotional development
• Imagination and creativity

Tales Toolkit hits all of this, but in a way that does not feel like extra work or another thing to squeeze in.

It is learning through storytelling. Proper, joyful, messy, brilliant storytelling.

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It works for all children, especially SEND and EAL

One of the biggest strengths of Tales Toolkit is how naturally it supports all children, particularly those with SEND and children learning English as an additional language.

This is not an add-on or something you use separately. It is built into the way the storytelling works from the start.

Because it uses symbols, repetition, clear structure, props and shared storytelling, children can access the same experience in lots of different ways. They do not need to rely on complex spoken language to take part. They can join in through actions, pointing, visual cues, single words, repeated phrases or even simple participation in the story.

Because everyone is working within the same shared story, children are not separated out or given something different. They stay fully included in the group experience, which is hugely important for confidence and belonging.

It also helps close gaps. Children who might usually find access more difficult are not being pulled away from play or supported separately. Instead, they are developing language, confidence and social skills inside the same high quality interactions as their peers. That shared access is often what makes the biggest difference over time.

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The magic bit, children actually own it

You know those moments when children surprise you because they suddenly say something completely brilliant when you were not expecting it.

That happens a lot with Tales Toolkit.

Stories are led by the children, centred aroundtheir interests, their home life, the things they’re familiar with. Children are not just retelling stories. They are creating them, solving problems in them, adding their own ideas and taking ownership.

When that happens, you see confidence grow in a really natural way.

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Transition suddenly feels less scary

We all know transition can be a big deal for little people.

But when children already know the structure, the symbols and the way storytelling works, something shifts. Especially when combined with support for children communcation and social and emotional skills.

They walk into reception thinking, “I know this, I can do this.”

That sense of familiarity is powerful. It removes one more unknown in a world full of big changes.

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It actually brings staff together too

This is one of those unexpected wins.

Tales Toolkit tends to create really good conversations between settings. Shared training, shared stories and shared reflections on what worked and what did not.

It builds relationships between practitioners in a very natural and human way. Through the training staff get to share their sense of humour, to have fun, to make stories up as they go along.

In early years, that connection is often where the best practice comes from.

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And yes, there is real evidence behind it

This is not just something that feels nice or that children enjoy.

We have data to show Tales Toolkit makes a significant impact on children’s communication, language and confidence, social skills, creativity, literacy and more.

We have reports with Goldsmiths University of London and The Education Endowment Foundation.

You’ll find a whole page of our website dedicated to our impact.

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"I’ve got a little boy who’s going to speech therapy at the minute and it’s really helped him with his talking. Like using new words, hearing his friends use them and us talking about it … I think it’s the creativeness of letting them create their own stories, letting them have free rein on what they want to do and doing it together with his friends, it’s helping him build confidence."
(Practitioner, PVI). 

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And yes, it is good value for money

Let’s be honest, funding always has to stretch.

The good thing here is that Tales Toolkit doesn't eat the whole budget and disappear.

Looking at the funding available, you have enough to fund Tales Toolkit for each setting and  leave room for:

• staff release time
• resources
• joint meetings
• celebration events and yes, cake, that absolutely counts as essential

So it supports both delivery and the partnership work around it.

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If you choose to go for this funding

If you decide to apply for this funding and choose to work with us, we are more than happy to support you in any way we can.

That includes answering questions, helping shape ideas, supporting with application forms, planning sessions with settings, developing project ideas together and thinking through delivery across nursery and reception.

This is an area we would really like to develop further, so we are genuinely keen to help settings make the most of the opportunity.

We do not want it to feel like you are doing it alone, especially with such tight deadlines. We are very happy to be part of the thinking and planning alongside you.

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The bit that really matters, it lasts

This is not a we did a project once and it was nice kind of thing.

Once staff are trained, it stays.

Children move through settings with shared experiences. New cohorts benefit. Practice builds over time.

It becomes part of how things are done, not just something extra.

Final thought

At its heart, Tales Toolkit is really simple.

It gives children space to tell stories.
It gives adults a shared language to support them.
It gives settings a way to work together that actually feels enjoyable.

In a world where early years can feel very busy, very pressured and very much like just one more thing, something joyful and meaningful like that really stands out.

If this funding is about making a genuine difference across nursery and reception, this is one of those approaches that does not just tick boxes. It brings people together, strengthens outcomes and helps children genuinely thrive.

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