Plain English Summary
Background and study aims
There is a reasonable amount of research examining the role and impact of mentoring and one-to-one coaching in a wide variety of environments and contexts but there is very little evidence that mentoring programmes are successful in raising educational achievement and aspirations of young people. This study seeks to fill this evidence gap through the evaluation of 'Think Forward': a programme that provides one-to-one coaching for young people. The main objective of this test study is to examine the feasibility of undertaking a larger scale evaluation of 'ThinkForward'.
Who can participate?
Year 10 and Year 11 pupils in four London secondary schools can participate.
What does the study involve?
Firstly, initial data will be collected from administrative records and directly from pupils via a survey. Two of the schools will be randomly selected to become 'intervention' schools, whilst the two remaining will become the control group. Within both intervention schools, 40 pupils (in both Year 10 and Year 11) will be identified as being eligible for the coaching program by Think Forward. Then half of these 40 pupils will be randomly selected to take part in the 'Think Forward' programme, the half remaining will become the control group. Interviews with Think Forward coaches, participating pupils and school staff will also be undertaken.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
There are potential benefits on educational outcomes for pupils selected into the 'ThinkForward' intervention group. Some of these benefits may spill over from the intervention group to other pupils (friends / siblings). There is an unknown risk around how pupils (and/ or their parents) might react to being placed in the control group - which is why the study is being initially run in a small scale.
Where is the study run from?
The study will take place in four London secondary schools, UK.
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run?
The study began in November 2013 and will run until the end of the 2014/15 academic year.
Who is funding the study?
The Educational Endowment Foundation, UK.
Who is the main contact?
Mr Sean Demack
s.demack@shu.ac.uk
Trial website
Contact information
Type
Scientific
Primary contact
Mr Sean Demack
ORCID ID
Contact details
Centre for Eductation & Inclusion Research (CEIR)
Sheffield Hallam University
City Campus - Unit 7
Science Park
Sheffield
S1 1WB
United Kingdom
+44 (0)114 225 6055
s.demack@shu.ac.uk
Additional identifiers
EudraCT number
ClinicalTrials.gov number
Protocol/serial number
N/A
Study information
Scientific title
A pilot randomised controlled trial evaluation of a Year 10 / Year 11 coaching programme (ThinkForward)
Acronym
Study hypothesis
1. How feasible is pupil level randomisation in evaluating 'Think Forward'?
2. What is the impact of the Think Forward mentoring programme on a set of measurable outcomes including attainment?
3. How does the Think Forward mentoring scheme operate to produce these outcomes?
Ethics approval
Sheffield Hallam University Ethics Committee, 25/06/2013, ref: AM/SW/19-2013
Study design
Pilot randomised controlled trial
Primary study design
Interventional
Secondary study design
Randomised controlled trial
Trial setting
Other
Trial type
Quality of life
Patient information sheet
Not available in web format, please use the contact details below to request a participant information sheet
Condition
Educational intervention in secondary schools
Intervention
The four schools will be randomised to intervention and control schools (two schools in each group).
Among the intervention schools, in each year group, 20 pupils will randomly selected to receive ThinkForward and the remaining 20 will be placed in the control group.
The intervention will involve ThinkForward coaches having one-to-one meetings with pupils to encourage greater engagement with education and develop skills in future planning.
The intervention will have two duration periods. For pupils in Year 11, the period will be around 6 months, for pupils in Year 10 it will be after 6 months and the end of their Year 11 (so 1.5 years).
Intervention type
Other
Phase
Not Applicable
Drug names
Primary outcome measure
Change in attainment - KS3 to KS4(GCSE)
Attainment at Key Stage 3 (baseline) and Key Stage 4 (at the end of Year 11 so 2 years for Year 10, 1 year for Year 11) change between these measures (which are collected via public examinations).
Secondary outcome measures
1. Change in future employment and educational expectations
2. Change in school attendance
3. Change in 2 'mind set' constructs - 'Aspiration' and 'Determination'
Secondary outcomes include attendance which also will be collected from administrative data at baseline and the end of the intervention periods.
A questionnaire will be used to collect detail on future educational and employment expectations and mindsets at baseline, after 6 months (both Y10 and Y11) and at the end of the 1.5 years (just for those who began in Y10).
Overall trial start date
06/11/2013
Overall trial end date
20/07/2014
Reason abandoned (if study stopped)
Eligibility
Participant inclusion criteria
Using administrative data on Year 10 and 11 pupils in four London secondary schools, ThinkForward will identify 40 pupils most at-risk of becoming NEET (not in education, employment or training) following the completion of full-time education.
Participant type
Patient
Age group
Child
Gender
Both
Target number of participants
320 Year 10 and Year 11 pupils in 4 London secondary schools
Participant exclusion criteria
Any pupil who completes an opt-out form will not be included.
Recruitment start date
06/11/2013
Recruitment end date
20/07/2014
Locations
Countries of recruitment
United Kingdom
Trial participating centre
Centre for Eductation & Inclusion Research (CEIR)
Sheffield
S1 1WB
United Kingdom
Sponsor information
Organisation
Educational Endowment Foundation (UK)
Sponsor details
9th Floor
Millbank Tower
21 24 Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP
United Kingdom
Sponsor type
Charity
Website
Funders
Funder type
Charity
Funder name
The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) (UK)
Alternative name(s)
Funding Body Type
Funding Body Subtype
Location
Results and Publications
Publication and dissemination plan
Not provided at time of registration
Intention to publish date
Participant level data
Not provided at time of registration
Basic results (scientific)
Publication list