Evaluation of the Inspiring Futures intervention
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN17411767 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN17411767 |
- Submission date
- 14/04/2025
- Registration date
- 22/08/2025
- Last edited
- 22/08/2025
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Ongoing
- Condition category
- Mental and Behavioural Disorders
Plain English summary of protocol
Background and study aims
Young people from disadvantaged communities often face challenges that put them at risk of poor behaviour and educational outcomes. This study aims to test if the "Inspiring Futures" programme, delivered by Rugby Football League coaches, helps improve behaviour among school children aged 12-14 who are at risk of developing problems. The programme combines mentoring with sports activities to build skills in self-control, teamwork and decision-making.
Who can participate?
Students in Years 8 and 9 (aged 12-14) who may benefit from additional support. Schools select students based on behaviour records, attendance patterns, pastoral needs, and interest in physical education.
What does the study involve?
The study will work with 114 schools across Northern England. Schools will be randomly assigned to either run the Inspiring Futures programme or continue with their normal activities. Students in the programme schools will attend twelve weekly two-hour sessions led by Rugby League coaches. All participating students will complete questionnaires at the beginning of the study and five months later. The study will also collect information about school attendance, exclusions and wellbeing.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Students receiving the programme may benefit from improved behaviour, better emotional regulation, enhanced social relationships, and increased school engagement. There are minimal risks to participation. Students may feel initial discomfort when discussing personal feelings or experiences, but the programme is designed to create a supportive environment.
Where is the study run from?
The study is run from schools in several northern English local authorities including Leigh, Wigan, Warrington, St Helens, Huddersfield, Wakefield, Hull, Barrow, Swinton, Salford, and Leeds.
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
November 2023 to April 2026. Recruitment began in April 2024. The intervention will be delivered between January 2025 and July 2025 across two waves. Data collection will finish by December 2025, with final results available by April 2026.
Who is funding the study?
The Youth Endowment Fund (YEF)
Who is the main contact?
Dr Facundo Herrera, Principal Investigator, Ipsos UK, facundo.herrera@ipsos.com
Contact information
Public, Scientific, Principal Investigator
222 Avenue Extension Road
Clarendon Park
Leicester
LE2 3EL
United Kingdom
 ORCID ID |
0000-0002-2869-1419 |
|---|---|
| Phone | +44 (0)7947443259 |
| facundo.herrera@ipsos.com |
Study information
| Study design | Two-armed cluster-randomized controlled trial |
|---|---|
| Primary study design | Interventional |
| Secondary study design | Cluster randomised trial |
| Study setting(s) | School |
| Study type | Efficacy |
| Participant information sheet | Not available in web format please use contact details to request a participant nformation sheet |
| Scientific title | A cluster randomised controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of the Rugby Football League's Inspiring Futures mentoring programme on behavioural difficulties in school children in Years 8 and 9 |
| Study objectives | Participation in a rugby-as-a-hook mentoring programme that focuses on regulating and managing emotions will lead to reduced behavioural difficulties among at-risk youth compared to business-as-usual. |
| Ethics approval(s) |
Approved 01/11/2023, Ipsos Ethics Board (3 Thomas More Street, London, E1W 1YW, United Kingdom; +44 (0)2030595000; ukpaethicsforms@ipsos.com), ref: 23-061247-01 |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | This encompasses externalising behaviours (conduct problems and hyperactivity) which form the primary outcome measure, as well as internalising behaviours (emotional problems and peer problems) which are measured as secondary outcomes. The intervention aims to address these behavioural difficulties through a sports-based mentoring programme that focuses on regulating and managing emotions. |
| Intervention | This is a two-armed cluster randomised controlled trial with random allocation at the school level. The unit of randomisation is the school. Randomisation is stratified by Foundation. The trial will be conducted in schools across multiple local authorities in northern England, including Leigh, Wigan, Warrington, St Helens, Huddersfield, Wakefield, Hull FC, Barrow, Swinton, Salford, and Leeds. The intervention is a 12-week mentoring programme called "Inspiring Futures" delivered by coaches from the local Rugby League Foundation. Each weekly session focuses on small, manageable goals across three broad topics: personal well-being, collaboration, and leadership. Students receive weekly 2-hour mentoring sessions for 12 weeks in total, delivered face-to-face within the school setting. |
| Intervention type | Behavioural |
| Primary outcome measure | Behavioural difficulties measured using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) combined conduct and hyperactivity scales (0-20), collected via student survey at baseline and at the 5-month follow-up |
| Secondary outcome measures | The following secondary outcome measures are assessed at two timepoints: (1) baseline - before randomisation, and (2) follow-up - five months after randomisation: 1. Internalising behaviour measured using the SDQ combined emotional problems and peer problems scales (0-20) 2. Pro-social behaviour measured using the SDQ Pro-social behaviour scale (0-10) 3. Children's well-being measured using the Short Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale 4. Educational attainment measured using the KS2 Reading, Writing and Maths 5. Number of temporary exclusions measured using the Annual number from administrative data 6. Number of authorised absences measured using the Annual number from administrative data 7. Number of unauthorised absences measured using the Annual number from administrative data 8. Physical activity measured using the Self-reported question on days engaged in physical activity (0-7) |
| Overall study start date | 01/11/2023 |
| Completion date | 01/04/2026 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Learner/student |
|---|---|
| Age group | Child |
| Lower age limit | 12 Years |
| Upper age limit | 14 Years |
| Sex | Both |
| Target number of participants | 1254 |
| Key inclusion criteria | Participants will be selected based on a scoring system that evaluates four risk factors: behaviour log, pupil attendance, pastoral input, and attitude to PE/interest in sport. |
| Key exclusion criteria | 1. Students not in Years 8 and 9 as of September 2024 2. Students who do not meet the selection criteria based on the scoring system (which evaluates behaviour log, attendance, pastoral input, and interest in sport) 3. Students whose parents/guardians do not provide consent 4. Students who do not provide assent to participate |
| Date of first enrolment | 01/10/2024 |
| Date of final enrolment | 14/04/2025 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- England
- United Kingdom
Study participating centre
London
W1T 5HP
United Kingdom
Sponsor information
Industry
3 Thomas More St
London
E1W 1YW
England
United Kingdom
| Phone | +44 (0)2030595000 |
|---|---|
| IFEval@ipsosresearch.com | |
| Website | https://www.ipsos.com/ipsos-mori/en-uk |
"ROR" |
https://ror.org/05f71tw16 |
Funders
Funder type
Research organisation
Private sector organisation / Trusts, charities, foundations (both public and private)
- Alternative name(s)
- YouthEndowFund, YEF
- Location
- United Kingdom
Results and Publications
| Intention to publish date | 01/08/2026 |
|---|---|
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | Yes |
| IPD sharing plan summary | Stored in publicly available repository |
| Publication and dissemination plan | The evaluation results will be published as a comprehensive report that adheres to the CONSORT-SPI extension guidelines for reporting social and psychological interventions. This report will be made available on the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) website by August 2026. Key dissemination activities include: The Statistical Analysis Plan will be published online following peer review by the YEF evaluation panel Findings will be presented at a formal dissemination event in June 2026 Results will be shared with participating schools and Rugby Football League foundations All anonymised data will be archived in the YEF Data Archive for future research use The evaluation team will prepare academic papers for submission to peer-reviewed journals Throughout the project, the Rugby Football League and evaluation team will maintain communication with stakeholders to enhance understanding of the intervention and evaluation findings. All published materials will ensure participant confidentiality and adhere to data protection regulations. The final report and any publications will include appropriate acknowledgement of the Youth Endowment Fund's support. |
| IPD sharing plan | The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study will be stored in a publicly available repository (Youth Endowment Fund Data Archive) |
Study outputs
| Output type | Details | Date created | Date added | Peer reviewed? | Patient-facing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Protocol file | version 10 | 25/03/2025 | 29/04/2025 | No | No |
Additional files
Editorial Notes
15/04/2025: Study's existence confirmed by the Youth Endowment Fund.
