Plain English Summary
Background and study aims
Physical Education (PE) can play a large role in helping children do better at school. Research has shown that PE has a positive effect on the brain and can improve cognitive (mental) performance both immediately and in the long-term. The “Fit to Study” is a PE programme targeted at Year 8 pupils. This programme was designed to optimise the benefit of PE for brain function, and involves 20 minutes of certain activities per week. The aim of this study is to assess the impact that the “Fit to Study” programme has on academic performance in Year 8 pupils at the end of the year.
Who can participate?
Year 8 pupils attending schools in England.
What does the study involve?
Participating schools are randomly allocated to one of two groups. Those in group one receive the “Fit to Study” programme. This consists of training PE teachers on how to adapt their PE lessons to include the certain activities that are aimed to improve brain function . The programme is then included in the regular PE lessons for students. Those in the second group continue with their regular PE lessons. Participating students are followed up using their maths scores at the end of the school year.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Participants may benefit from participating in physical education that optimizes brain function and academic achievement. There are no notable risks with participating as the activities are deemed as safe and age appropriate.
Where is the study run from?
This study is being run from Oxford Brookes University (Oxford) and is taking place in schools in the West Midlands and the South of England (UK).
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
January 2017 to July 2018
Who is funding the study?
1. Education Endowment Foundation (UK)
2. Wellcome Trust (UK)
Who is the main contact?
Dr Fatima Husain
fatima.husain@natcen.ac.uk
Trial website
Contact information
Type
Public
Primary contact
Dr Fatima Husain
ORCID ID
Contact details
NatCen Social Research
35 Northampton Square
London
EC1V 0AX
United Kingdom
+44 207 549 8508
fatima.husain@natcen.ac.uk
Additional identifiers
EudraCT number
ClinicalTrials.gov number
Protocol/serial number
Evaluation of Fit to Study
Study information
Scientific title
Randomised controlled trial of Fit to Study, an intervention to optimise the benefit of PE for brain function in order to raise attainment, delivered to 12-13-year-old pupils
Acronym
Study hypothesis
Pupils in schools implementing Fit to Study will have better educational (maths) attainment than equivalent pupils receiving business-as-usual PE lessons in year 8.
Ethics approval
The University of Oxford Ethics Committee, 20/01/2017, ref: R48879/RE002
Study design
Interventional two-arm cluster (school-level) randomised controlled efficacy trial
Primary study design
Interventional
Secondary study design
Cluster randomised trial
Trial setting
Schools
Trial type
Treatment
Patient information sheet
Not available in web format, please use the contact details below to request a patient information sheet
Condition
Educational attainment (Maths)
Intervention
Participating schools are randomly allocated to either the intervention group or the control group.
Intervention group: Participants receive the Fit to Study intervention. This consists of improving students brain function by improving attention and working memory, which in turn improves learning, resulting in a positive impact on attainment. The intervention includes twenty minutes per week of prescribed activity, designed to optimise the benefit of physical education (PE) for brain function. The intervention is delivered by PE teachers during scheduled lessons. As part of the intervention PE teachers receive training in how to deliver the intervention.
Control group: Schools continue with business as usual.
Participating students are followed up using their Pupil Key Stage 2 (KS2) scores obtained from the National Pupil Database (NPD) to measure their pre-intervention attainment. Post-intervention assessments will be carried out in June/July 2018 using the level 13 Progress in Maths test, provided by GL assessment.
Intervention type
Other
Phase
Drug names
Primary outcome measure
Mathematical attainment is measured using the level 13 Progress in Maths test (provided at GL assessment) at the end of the school year.
Secondary outcome measures
There are no secondary outcome measures.
Overall trial start date
12/09/2016
Overall trial end date
31/03/2019
Reason abandoned (if study stopped)
Eligibility
Participant inclusion criteria
Pupils in Year 8 (aged 12-13).
Participant type
All
Age group
Child
Gender
Both
Target number of participants
Approx. 9000
Participant exclusion criteria
There is no exclusion criteria.
Recruitment start date
25/01/2017
Recruitment end date
05/05/2017
Locations
Countries of recruitment
United Kingdom
Trial participating centre
Oxford Brookes University
Headington Road
Oxford
OX3 0BP
United Kingdom
Sponsor information
Organisation
Education Endowment Foundation
Sponsor details
9th Floor
Millbank Tower
21-24 Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP
United Kingdom
+44 207 802 1676
info@eefoundation.org.uk
Sponsor type
Charity
Website
Funders
Funder type
Charity
Funder name
Education Endowment Foundation
Alternative name(s)
Funding Body Type
Funding Body Subtype
Location
Funder name
Wellcome Trust
Alternative name(s)
Wellcome
Funding Body Type
private sector organisation
Funding Body Subtype
international
Location
United Kingdom
Results and Publications
Publication and dissemination plan
Planned publication in a high impact peer review journal.
IPD sharing plan:
The current data sharing plans for the current study are unknown and will be made available at a later date
Intention to publish date
31/03/2019
Participant level data
To be made available at a later date
Basic results (scientific)
Publication list