The project timelines on this page highlight the main milestones to the programme and you’ll find further information and answers to common questions so you know what to expect at each stage.
The TWiTCH Efficacy Trial will run from September 2026 – July 2027.
We would like to continue to understand whether the TWiTCH ONE programme is effective in improving language outcomes for children compared to preschool education as usual. For this reason, we will split the settings that have signed up for the programme into two groups:
- An intervention group, who will receive the programme between November 2026 – July 2027.
- And a control group, who will continuing with usual story time practice.
All settings will be randomly assigned to a group in Oct – early Nov, making sure that the two groups are matched for some characteristics of the settings. You will not be able to choose which group your setting is assigned to.
Our evaluator team will visit all settings to carry out assessments with some of the children in October/early November 2026 and again in June/early July 2027.
Intervention Settings Timeline
Intervention group settings who will receive the programme will also follow the timeline of activities below.
What happens after a school/setting expresses an interest?
We will review your eligibility and if you meet the criteria you will be invited to attend or watch a briefing session. You will then receive a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to complete and return. A final eligibility check will be carried out before your setting is formally enrolled in the trial.
When will settings hear whether they have been allocated to the intervention or control group?
Settings will be informed of their group allocation between October and early November 2026.
This window allows the research team to complete pre-programme child assessments and ensure allocations are accurate and fair. Once your setting’s allocation is confirmed, you’ll receive a direct update with the next steps and any information you may need to prepare.
When will the TWiTCH programme be delivered to intervention settings?
The programme will be delivered from November 2025 through to early July 2027. During this period, intervention settings will receive all training, resources, and support needed to implement the programme and take part in the evaluation activities.
When will the pre- and post-programme child assessments be carried out by the researchers?
Pre programme child assessments will take place from September to early November 2026, and post programme child assessments will run from June to early July 2027. Pretesting will take place from September to early November 2026, and end testing will run from June to early July 2027.
When will settings receive thank you payments?
Thank you payments will be issued to settings at the end of the project, in July 2027. These will be processed once all final activities are complete, and participants will receive confirmation when payments are released.
When will the evaluation results be published?
The evaluation results will be published in Summer 2028. Once the analysis is complete, a full report will be made available so participants and other interested parties can see the findings and the impact of the project.