Why we keep groups small

Each group has six to eight children. That's enough to make friends and practise together, and small enough that every child is seen, heard and cheered on. When a group is full, it's full, and we'll gladly save your child a spot for the next block.

What the research says — and how we used it

We'd rather you choose with clear expectations, so here's what the research tells us.

The largest review of carefully controlled studies of group social skills programmes found real overall benefits. It also found an important gap: young people's own reports showed large gains, but teachers watching them in everyday settings reported no significant change (Gates et al.). Children were learning about social skills in the group; using them out in the world was harder.

So we built our groups around closing that gap, together. While your child practises a new skill with Ashley, you're coached by Audrey on that same skill: what it looks like, why it matters at your child's age, and how to model it and prompt it at home. It's a joint effort. Your child learns the skill in the group, and you leave with your own toolbox to help them use it everywhere else: at the park, at family dinners, at school. That's how a skill learned on Saturday becomes part of your child's everyday life.

Finding your harmony at home

Your child practises with friends on Saturdays, but the real harmony happens at home, in your everyday moments together. That's why every block includes you.

• The Harmony Circle. While your child is in group, you meet with Audrey in the next room to talk through the skill of the week and how to bring it home.

• Your Harmony Card. One small goal to practise each week, with an easy way to notice when it happens.

• A before-and-after snapshot that you fill in, so we measure progress where it matters most: in your child's real life.

Every child learns a new skill in their own rhythm. Home is where that skill becomes your child's own, and it's usually where you'll see the change first.