Evaluation of the Parent Academy programme aiming to improve attainment of pupils aged 7 to 11 by motivating and educating parents
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN42518213 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN42518213 |
| Secondary identifying numbers | N/A |
- Submission date
- 20/03/2015
- Registration date
- 30/09/2015
- Last edited
- 19/01/2018
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Completed
- Condition category
- Other
Plain English summary of protocol
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
Contact information
Public
NatCen Social Research
35 Northampton Square
London
EC1V 0AX
United Kingdom
 ORCID ID |
0000-0003-3419-546X |
|---|
Study information
| Study design | Interventional, randomised, three-arm controlled trial |
|---|---|
| Primary study design | Interventional |
| Secondary study design | Randomised parallel trial |
| Study setting(s) | School |
| Study type | Other |
| 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 |
| Study objectives | 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(s) | National Centre for Social Research Ethics Committee, 15/08/2014. |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | 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 |
| 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 study start date | 01/09/2013 |
| Completion date | 15/12/2015 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Other |
|---|---|
| Age group | Adult |
| Sex | Both |
| Target number of participants | 3000 |
| Key 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 |
| Key exclusion criteria | N/A |
| Date of first enrolment | 20/08/2014 |
| Date of final enrolment | 20/09/2014 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- England
- United Kingdom
Study participating centres
London
N1C 4AG
United Kingdom
Middlesbrough
TS1 9FT
United Kingdom
Sponsor information
Charity
Millbank Tower
21 – 24 Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP
United Kingdom
| Phone | 0207 802 1676 |
|---|---|
| info@eefoundation.org.uk | |
| Website | http://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk |
"ROR" |
https://ror.org/03bhd6288 |
Funders
Funder type
Government
No information available
Results and Publications
| Intention to publish date | 15/12/2015 |
|---|---|
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | No |
| IPD sharing plan summary | Not provided at time of registration |
| Publication and dissemination plan | |
| IPD sharing plan |
Study outputs
| Output type | Details | Date created | Date added | Peer reviewed? | Patient-facing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funder report results | results | No | No |
Editorial Notes
19/01/2018: Publication reference has been added.
