BBC written evidence – Written evidence (PSC0059)

Executive summary

1. The BBC is the biggest media provider in the UK. It is highly trusted and consumed by over 90 percent of adults and 80 percent of young people every week[1].
2. The BBC’s universality is underpinned by its mission to inform, educate and entertain all audiences, and promote the five Public Purposes as set out in the Charter[2].  Educating the nation is specifically mentioned as one of the BBC’s core values, and as part of Public Purpose 2.
3. Reflecting all audiences, across the UK, is key to universality. Over the next 6 years the BBC will cement its commitment to better representing, and serving all parts of the country.[3]
4. The BBC can provide a universal service due to the unique way it is funded. The licence fee makes the BBC directly accountable to its audiences.
5. The audience response over this period has also reflected the importance of the BBC. Almost three-quarters of the UK public say that the BBC is a national institution to be proud of and over three-quarters say the BBC is important to people in the UK. [4]
6. Through its education output the BBC can play an active role in addressing societal deficits through educational campaigns and partnerships. Premier League Supermovers sought to encourage activity and address obesity; BBC micro:bit gave 1m children the kit to foster their digital skills.
7. Over the past year, the importance of universal public service media in supporting educational outcomes has been clearly demonstrated. The BBC’s Bitesize Daily and Lockdown Learning services reached a peak online audience of 5.8m in January 2021, with an average of over 4.5m.
8. The BBC’s newest education campaign ‘Tiny Happy People’ is focussed on early years language acquisition for 0-4 year olds, and their parents, with a specific focus on C2DE parents whose children are most vulnerable to poor educational outcomes, and life chances.[5]
9. During the Spring 2020, and early 2021 COVID lockdowns the BBC offered significant support for children and parents through their ‘Bitesize Daily’ and ‘Lockdown Learning’ programmes. These produced 297 hours of educational TV, and 2000 online lessons to fill the gap left by school closures.
10. BBC Bitesize also developed a Parents Toolkit to support those parents with limited experience of home learning. This had specific materials covering children with SEND. The Parents Toolkit is being developed into a permanent extension of the service.
11. Tiny Happy People is partnership between the BBC, the Royal Foundation, the National Literacy Trust, Education Endowment Foundation and Public Health England, with insights from practitioners in the Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists and Royal College of Midwives.
12. The campaign is built around the mantra to ‘Talk to your child every day: we’ll tell you how, and why’.

BBC Tiny Happy People

13. Prior to launching Tiny Happy People in July 2020 the BBC spent two years working with public health, childcare and language experts to understand the science of language acquisition and refine the ‘pitch’ of its content. This included a six-month long trial period with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.
14. Tiny Happy People has four aspects of its activation: audiovisual activity produced and hosted by the BBC on its website and social accounts; pan-BBC partner content; hyper-local community engagement led by local parents and groups; engagement with professionals.
15. The BBC, National Literacy Trust and KPMG are due to use Tiny Happy People’s ‘1 Year Anniversary’ to launch a network of Business Champions who will embed the messaging, activities and themes of the campaign within their workforce, and use it as part of their community outreach and Corporate Social Responsibility.
16. Between 2020 and 2021 Tiny Happy People commissioned 621 videos and 2000 social posts offering tips, activities and ‘science’ on the benefits of talking to your baby.
17. Over 100,000 users engage with Tiny Happy People social posts every day; 90% of those ‘following’ Tiny Happy People on Instagram are young parents (18-34).
18. Cut through is nationwide, but with particularly strong performance in urban centres such as Doncaster, Bradford and Coventry where the BBC has traditionally struggled to engage audiences, and where educational outcomes are below national average.
19. In January 2021, Radio 2’s Zoe Ball Breakfast Show launched ‘Tiny Happy People Families’, a segment following the language journey of five new sets of parents from a diverse range of backgrounds. This takes the message of early years language acquisition to a daily audience of 8.1m.[6]

Community Engagement

20. Despite the challenges of COVID-19, the BBC team has worked hard to develop community activation and engagement opportunities; these ‘play’ opportunities play a vital role in helping language acquisition.
21. Over 250,000 Tiny Happy People ‘activity cards’ – paid for by local authorities and health trusts, have been distributed in hub areas.
22. Alongside the hub developed with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Tiny Happy People is piloting differential hub community engagement in four areas:

• Cornwall: worked with Homestart to deliver community champion and professional training; Facebook ‘Stay & Play’ event with Pasha Kovalev and Rachel Riley; monthly ‘Dad’s Panel’ on BBC Radio Cornwall; Cornish language commissions
• Greater Manchester: regular THP events led by Homestart Manchester; THP branded Manchester tram; over 100k activity cards distributed
• Glasgow: partnership with Homestart Scotland and Rangers FC Foundation launched early 2021, some interest from Scottish Government and NHS Scotland
• Wales: initial roll-out in Merthyr Tydfil delayed as Welsh Government keen to collaborate on rollout in ‘Flying Start’ centres across Principality; 6k Welsh language activity cards distributed; 30 Welsh language materials commissioned
• Belfast: launch delayed to allow broadening to national rollout

23. Both the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists and the Royal College of Midwives are actively recommending Tiny Happy People materials to their members as an accessible, free resource to suggest to new parents and community leaders.
24. Public Health England and Home-Start UK, the UK’s largest charity focussed on supporting parents with young children, have built Tiny Happy People into staff and volunteer training focussed on managing and helping families with young and vulnerable children.

Economic Impact

25. The National Literacy Trust and KPMG Foundation have commissioned Pro Bono Economics to estimate the annual economic impact of early years interventions such as those which form part of Tiny Happy People campaign. This research will report in July 2021, at which point we would be happy to share it with the Committee.
26. Early analysis suggests a substantial impact for parents undertaking just one additional ‘language play’ activity with their child each day.

June 2021