Sheffield’s Park Hill Estate

This short was one of six films featuring the award winners of the Economic and Social Research Council’s ‘Impact Awards’. Professor Cathy Nutbrown’s work aims to improve the life chances of young children from marginalised backgrounds by helping parents with the skills needed to develop reading and writing.

The project has had remarkable results and has been replicated across the UK and developing countries.

Helping mothers with simple literacy skills at home significantly accelerates childrens’ reading development.

I spent a day with Cathy and some of the people working on the project at the nursery within Sheffield’s Park Hill estate. It was a humbling and uplifting day watching dedicated people and seeing the impact Cathy’s work had on the children.

Yousef can now write his own name.