An evaluation of a Year 10 / Year 11 coaching programme (ThinkForward)

ISRCTN	ISRCTN36189556
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN36189556
Secondary identifying numbers	N/A

Submission date: 01/11/2013
Registration date: 27/12/2013
Last edited: 26/01/2017

Recruitment status: No longer recruiting
Overall study status: Completed
Condition category: Other

Prospectively registered

Protocol

Statistical analysis plan

Results

Individual participant data

Record updated in last year

Plain English summary of protocol

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

Contact information

Mr Sean Demack
Scientific

Centre for Eductation & Inclusion Research (CEIR)
Sheffield Hallam University
City Campus - Unit 7, Science Park
Sheffield
S1 1WB
United Kingdom

Phone	+44 (0)114 225 6055
Email	s.demack@shu.ac.uk

Study information

Study design	Pilot randomised controlled trial
Primary study design	Interventional
Secondary study design	Randomised controlled trial
Study setting(s)	Other
Study type	Quality of life
Participant information sheet	Not available in web format, please use the contact details below to request a participant information sheet
Scientific title	A pilot randomised controlled trial evaluation of a Year 10 / Year 11 coaching programme (ThinkForward)
Study objectives	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(s)	Sheffield Hallam University Ethics Committee, 25/06/2013, ref: AM/SW/19-2013
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied	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
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 study start date	06/11/2013
Completion date	20/07/2014

Eligibility

Participant type(s)	Patient
Age group	Child
Sex	Both
Target number of participants	320 Year 10 and Year 11 pupils in 4 London secondary schools
Key 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.
Key exclusion criteria	Any pupil who completes an opt-out form will not be included.
Date of first enrolment	06/11/2013
Date of final enrolment	20/07/2014

Locations

Countries of recruitment

England
United Kingdom

Study participating centre

Centre for Eductation & Inclusion Research (CEIR)

Sheffield
S1 1WB
United Kingdom

Sponsor information

Educational Endowment Foundation (UK)
Charity

9th Floor
Millbank Tower
21 24 Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP
United Kingdom

Website	http://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/
"ROR"	https://ror.org/03bhd6288

Funders

Funder type

Charity

The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) (UK)

No information available

Results and Publications

Intention to publish date
Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share	No
IPD sharing plan summary	Not provided at time of registration
Publication and dissemination plan	Not provided at time of registration
IPD sharing plan

Editorial Notes

26/01/2017: No publications found in PubMed, verifying study status with principal investigator.