Cordis Bright are delighted to share the findings from an independent evaluation of Future Men's Boys’ Development Programme (BDP), carried out by Cordis Bright and funded by the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) and the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF).

What is the Boys’ Development Programme?

The Boys’ Development Programme is a targeted social and emotional learning programme for secondary school boys who are at risk of disengagement or exclusion from school. Delivered through 12 weekly one-to-one sessions, the programme aims to strengthen boys’ social and emotional skills, including emotional regulation, communication and conflict management, alongside their sense of identity and connection to school. The programme is designed to strengthen protective factors that may help boys remain engaged in school and reduce behaviours associated with exclusion, and a central feature is the opportunity to develop a consistent relationship with a trusted adult.

Why does this evaluation matter?

School engagement, absence and exclusion are closely interconnected. Evidence suggests that lower engagement with school can increase the risk of behavioural difficulties, absence and exclusion, while exclusion can in turn further weaken young people’s connection to school. This is important, because school exclusion and persistent absence are strongly associated with later involvement in offending, with emerging evidence suggesting that exclusion may itself contribute to increased risk of youth custody. However, there is still relatively little robust UK evidence about which targeted approaches can strengthen school engagement and reduce the risk of exclusion.

What did the evaluation find?

The randomised controlled trial involved 486 boys across eight secondary schools in South London. The study received the Youth Endowment Fund’s highest evidence security rating, reflecting the strength of the evaluation design and providing a high degree of confidence in the reliability of the primary finding.

The study found that:

• The BDP had a small positive effect on boys’ school engagement immediately after the programme. Boys who received the BDP had slightly higher levels of school engagement than boys receiving usual school support.
• Effects across the secondary outcomes were mixed. The BDP had a moderate positive effect on reducing both behavioural difficulties and emotional difficulties, and a small positive effect on improving teacher bonding. There was also a moderate negative effect on peer difficulties, meaning that boys receiving the BDP reported greater peer difficulties. As these were secondary outcomes, they should be interpreted more cautiously.
• Exploratory follow-up suggested that improvements may have strengthened over time. Twelve weeks after the programme ended, the BDP had a moderate positive effect on school engagement. At this later follow-up, there was also a moderate positive effect on reducing behavioural difficulties, small positive effects on emotional difficulties and teacher bonding, and a small negative effect on peer difficulties.
• Exploratory analysis of school administrative data provided encouraging evidence on exclusions. Data from five of the eight schools showed a moderate reduction in the number of exclusion incidents and a large reduction in the duration of suspensions among boys receiving the BDP, with a small negative effect on attendance. These findings should be interpreted cautiously because the analysis was exploratory and administrative data were not available from all participating schools.
• The BDP successfully reached its intended cohort and was generally delivered as intended. The programme engaged boys from racially minoritised and low-income backgrounds and was supported by clear referral and screening processes, relatable practitioners and engaging programme content. Some challenges emerged around referrals for boys whose needs were less clearly suited to the programme, accessibility for boys with language or learning needs, and practical issues associated with delivery in schools.

The evaluation also provided exploratory evidence about how the BDP may bring about change. The quantitative findings were consistent with a pathway in which stronger relationships between boys and their project co-ordinators supported later improvements in school engagement. This was supported by qualitative findings, with boys describing project co-ordinators as approachable, trustworthy and easy to talk to.

Looking ahead

This evaluation makes an important contribution to understanding whether and how relationship-based social-emotional learning approaches can support boys experiencing difficulties with school engagement.

This is the result of a single study, and it should be noted that several of the positive findings - including those relating to the later follow-up and school administrative data - were exploratory. Further research would therefore be valuable to understand whether these effects are replicated and sustained over a longer period.

Nevertheless, the findings provide important new UK evidence on targeted support for boys at risk of school disengagement and exclusion, while also highlighting the potential importance of consistent, trusted adult relationships.

Cordis Bright would like to thank every boy, school, practitioner and partner who took part in the study. Their contribution has helped strengthen the evidence available to schools, commissioners and policymakers seeking to support boys at risk of disengagement and exclusion.

Read the full independent evaluation report below.