Plain English Summary
Background and study aims
This study will test the hypothesis that educating parents in how to support their child’s learning can improve the attainment of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds, focusing on children in Key Stage 2 aged 7-11. It focuses on the added value of intervening with parents, and investigating the effect of incentives in motivating and engaging them. If successful, the project may lead to a further study of more complex incentive structures.
Who can participate?
Parents of a pupil attending a school participating on the study.
What does the study involve?
The Parent Academy is delivered over 8 months. There are approximately 20 parents in a class and each class meet every fortnight, totalling 13 sessions across the 8 months. The classes last an hour and a half and follow a curriculum aligned with the learning of the pupils at school, so that similar topics are being taught at both simultaneously. The design is a three arm study (two treatment groups and a control group) individual-level randomised control trial. Within each school, parents of pupils in Years 3 to 6 will be randomly allocated to one of three groups:
1. Control group (‘business as usual’)
2. Intervention group
3. Intervention group (with incentives for attendance)
Take-up in the two intervention arms is expected to be less than 100%, so we will analyse outcomes according to the original treatment allocation of the parents (intention to treat).
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Benefits of participating in the study are that parents may be able to engage better with the school and other parents. There are no specific risks of participating in the study, although parents may feel under pressure to take part in the evening classes.
Where is the study run from?
16 schools in disadvantaged areas in Middlesbrough (8 schools) and Camden (8 schools).
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
September 2013 to December 2015
Who is funding the study?
Education Endowment Foundation (UK)
Who is the main contact?
Dr Fatima Husain
Trial website
Contact information
Type
Public
Primary contact
Dr Fatima Husain
ORCID ID
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3419-546X
Contact details
NatCen Social Research
35 Northampton Square
London
EC1V 0AX
United Kingdom
Additional identifiers
EudraCT number
ClinicalTrials.gov number
Protocol/serial number
N/A
Study information
Scientific title
A three-arm randomised controlled trial of offering (incentivised and unincentivised) parents Maths and English classes in order to improve attainment of pupils aged 7-11
Acronym
Study hypothesis
Offering Maths and English classes to parents will improve attainment for pupils within a year. Incentivising parents to attend will have a greater effect.
Ethics approval
National Centre for Social Research Ethics Committee, 15/08/2014.
Study design
Interventional, randomised, three-arm controlled trial
Primary study design
Interventional
Secondary study design
Randomised parallel trial
Trial setting
Schools
Trial type
Other
Patient information sheet
Condition
Education trial
Intervention
1. Intervention 1: Unincentivised. Parents of pupils aged 7-11 are offered the opportunity to participate in the Parent Academy programme, where they are given lessons in Maths and English, covering a syllabus similar to that received by their children. Parents of pupils in years 3 and 4 are taught separately from parents of pupils in years 5 and 6.
2. Intervention 2: Incentivised. Parents are offered the same intervention, but are financially rewarded for each session they attend.
3. Control: Parents are not offered to attend the Academy.
Intervention type
Other
Phase
Drug names
Primary outcome measure
Test scores of the InCAS standardised assessment modules Maths and Literature. Tests are conducted in schools.
Secondary outcome measures
Attendance rates of parents.
Overall trial start date
01/09/2013
Overall trial end date
15/12/2015
Reason abandoned (if study stopped)
Eligibility
Participant inclusion criteria
1. Parent of a pupil who attends a school participating in the trial
2. Parent's pupil is in school year 3-6
Participant type
Other
Age group
Adult
Gender
Both
Target number of participants
3000
Participant exclusion criteria
N/A
Recruitment start date
20/08/2014
Recruitment end date
20/09/2014
Locations
Countries of recruitment
United Kingdom
Trial participating centre
London Borough of Camden
5 Pancras Square
London
N1C 4AG
United Kingdom
Trial participating centre
Middlesbrough Council
PO Box 500
Middlesbrough
TS1 9FT
United Kingdom
Sponsor information
Organisation
Education Endowment Foundation
Sponsor details
Millbank Tower
21 – 24 Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP
United Kingdom
0207 802 1676
info@eefoundation.org.uk
Sponsor type
Charity
Website
Funders
Funder type
Government
Funder name
Education Endowment Foundation
Alternative name(s)
Funding Body Type
Funding Body Subtype
Location
Results and Publications
Publication and dissemination plan
Intention to publish date
15/12/2015
Participant level data
Not provided at time of registration
Basic results (scientific)
Publication list
2016 results in https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/projects-and-evaluation/projects/parenting-academy/