{"alias":"newsItem","byline":"","standfirst":"We\u2019re exploring Scouts for four and five year olds to see if even more young people could gain skills for life","content":{"layouts":[{"type":"mediaBlock","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/1970/hedgehogs.jpg","width":2100,"height":1400,"altText":"Young scout gathering leaves, as part of the Early Years pilot.","caption":"","link":null}]}],"config":null},{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003E\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022margin: 0px;\u0022\u003EWe give almost half a million 6-24 year olds the skills they need for school, college, university, the job interview, the important speech, the tricky challenge and the big dream. Now, we want to explore starting earlier, to see if even more young person could gain the skills they need for life.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022margin: 0px;\u0022\u003EIn\u00A0\u003Ca href=\u0022#\u0022 title=\u0022Skills for Life\u0022\u003ESkills for Life\u003C/a\u003E, our new plan shaped by members, we said we\u2019d look into Scouts for young people under six. The benefits of supporting younger children in their development have been widely researched \u2013 you can find out more about the science by watching the video below:\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null},{"type":"mediaBlock","areas":[{"items":[{"value":"https://www.youtube.com/embed/AhF0XD_F72Q?feature=oembed","gridType":"embed","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass"}]}],"config":null},{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022margin: 0px;\u0022\u003EWith the above in mind, and funding from the Department for Education, we\u2019ve now begun 20 pilots in England with groups from disadvantaged areas, providing spaces for 288 young people aged four and five, and their families.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3 style=\u0022cursor: text; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none;\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022margin: 0px;\u0022\u003EEarly years pilots\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/strong\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022margin: 0px;\u0022\u003E\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022margin: 0px;\u0022\u003EThese pilots will allow us to test different models for four and five-year-olds to see what works best. We can also learn more about the impact and opportunities for local Scouts. Three models are currently being evaluated: the first is similar to the Squirrels programme, run by a separate organisation working under a Memorandum of Understanding with Scouts NI. The second is similar to the programme in Denmark and the USA (called \u0027Lions\u0027). The third explores Scouts in new locations, such as children\u0027s centres. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3 style=\u0022cursor: text; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none;\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022margin: 0px;\u0022\u003EVolunteering\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/strong\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022margin: 0px;\u0022\u003E\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022margin: 0px;\u0022\u003EWe\u2019re also testing ways of recruiting more volunteers from different backgrounds. In America,\u0026nbsp;75% of new parents\u0026nbsp;from their early years programme went on to become volunteers, and 61% of members are families new to Scouts, so we\u0027re hoping to see positive results here in the UK too.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022margin: 0px;\u0022\u003ESpeaking about the pilot scheme, Tim Kidd, UK Chief Commissioner said:\u0026nbsp;\u2018At the Scouts, we prepare young people for the future by equipping them with skills they need to succeed. We believe that this early years pilot will help us create a programme that will continue to support the development of the UK\u2019s young people through this key, formative stage of their life.\u2019\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022margin: 0px;\u0022\u003EChief Scout, Bear Grylls said: \u2018The pilot will help us find the right formula for this work and\u0026nbsp;I truly believe that young people aged four and five will benefit hugely from the fun, adventure and skills we develop in Scouting.\u2019\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3 style=\u0022cursor: text; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none;\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022margin: 0px;\u0022\u003EPilot evaluation\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/strong\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022margin: 0px;\u0022\u003E\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022margin: 0px;\u0022\u003EAt the end of the\u0026nbsp;pilot period \u2013 which will last for at least a year \u2013 we\u2019ll consult with the movement to make a decision on the potential of a wider UK roll out, or whether more testing\u2019s required.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022margin: 0px;\u0022\u003EPlease remember that, at this stage, Groups do not have permission to start early years provision outside these pilots. Unofficial provision is against our rules, could affect the pilots, and isn\u2019t insured.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null}]},"searchDescription":null,"pageType":null,"location":null,"versionDate":"09 May 2019","reviewDate":null,"furtherReading":[],"relatedLinks":[],"id":40246,"nodeName":"Developing Scouts for young people under six","title":"Developing Scouts for young people under six ","type":"newsItem","image":{"url":"/media/2127/hedgehogs_min.jpg?width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1d9becd2dbceeb0","caption":"hedgehogs_min.jpg","type":"jpg","size":46241,"width":800,"height":533,"altText":""},"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"Developing Scouts for young people under six ","headerSubTitle":null,"headerCta":null,"headerCtaText":null,"headerCtaLink":null,"headerBackgroundColour":null,"showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":null},"subHeader":"We\u2019re exploring Scouts for four and five year olds to see if even more young people could gain skills for life.","browserTitle":null,"silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC80MDI0NiJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/news/2019/may/developing-scouts-for-young-people-under-six/"}