Trial protocol for Future Men's Boys Development Programme

Resources 30 October 2023

Trial protocol for Future Men's Boys Development Programme

Developed in collaboration by colleagues from Cordis Bright, Future Men, and YEF.

Cordis Bright are currently conducting an efficacy study randomised control trial (RCT) evaluation of Future Men’s Boys Development Programme (BDP), funded by the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF).

The BDP is a targeted, manualised, social and emotional learning programme delivered across 12 one-to-one, 50 to 60 minute sessions. It aims to develop the social and emotional capacity and skills of boys in Years 7-11 who are at risk of exclusion and disengagement from school, to improve school engagement and reduce the likelihood of exclusion. The efficacy study is taking a two-arm parallel RCT approach, and will also include an implementation and process evaluation. The trial will consist of 480 boys aged 11 to 16 across six secondary schools in South London, and will take place across two academic years between September 2023 and July 2025.

The rationale for an RCT evaluation of the BDP is strong. Evidence shows that young people from ethnic minority backgrounds and low-income households are disproportionately at risk of disengagement and exclusion from school in the UK. However, there is limited evidence on what works to support these young people to remain engaged with school. In addition, while evidence suggests that social-emotional approaches may improve educational outcomes, few studies have taken an experimental designs approach to testing this in the UK. This study will therefore build on this limited evidence base, and assess the extent to which targeted, social-emotional programmes for boys at risk of disengagement and exclusion improve school engagement.

YEF have recently published the trial protocol for the study, which sets out our approach to the efficacy study in more detail. This has been developed in collaboration by colleagues from Cordis Bright, Future Men, and YEF. The protocol can be accessed below, and further information is available on the YEF website. For more information about the Future Men evaluation, please contact Dr Stephen Boxford at stephenboxford@cordisbright.co.uk, or Emma Andersen at emmaandersen@cordisbright.co.uk.

Downloads:

Trial protocol for Future Men's Boys Development ProgrammeDownload

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