Active Tots evaluation highlights impact as programme moves into next phase

New evaluation data from Cardiff Met Sport’s Active Tots programme has highlighted a significant increase in practitioner knowledge and confidence following its largest training delivery to date.

The findings follow July’s Active Tots training, which brought together 108 members of staff from approximately 18 early years settings across Cardiff.

While around a quarter of those attending already rated their knowledge and confidence as good or excellent before the session, end-point feedback showed substantial improvement across the wider group following the training.

The results provide Cardiff Met Sport with an early indication of the impact of the programme as the team now moves from training into the next stage of delivery.

Dan Hilltout, Active Young People Pathway Manager at Cardiff Met Sport, said:

“The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. What is particularly pleasing is the improvement we have seen across the group, especially given that a higher proportion of attendees than usual already reported good or excellent levels of knowledge and confidence before the training.

“It gives us a really encouraging starting point, but the important next step is seeing how that knowledge is being used in practice within each setting.”

That next phase will see Foundation Physical Activity Coordinator Suzanne Albrecht visit participating settings to understand how staff are putting the training into action and using the equipment packs provided through the programme.

The visits will also allow Cardiff Met Sport to offer additional support where required and begin building a clearer picture of how the programme is influencing physical activity opportunities for young children beyond the initial training environment.

The approach reflects a longer-term focus on supporting the workforce around children, rather than viewing the workshop itself as the end point.

There are also early indications that the programme could have potential beyond Cardiff.

Cardiff Met Sport has received enquiries about the training from across the Central South region through Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, opening the possibility of working with other local authority areas where a similar need is identified.

For the Active Tots team, the next phase will therefore be about understanding what happens after training: how confidently practitioners use what they have learned, how the resources are embedded within settings and where further support can help strengthen delivery.

With positive evaluation results now in place and interest beginning to emerge from outside Cardiff, the programme has an opportunity to build on its initial success while continuing to gather evidence about the difference it can make for practitioners and the children they support.