Summary
We would like to invite you to take part in this study.
Before you decide whether or not to participate, you need to understand why the research is being carried out and what it would involve for you.
Please take time to read the following information carefully.
A. Key Information
What will I have to do?
1. Answer a few quick questions about your personal & professional background (online survey).
2. Join us for an online interview to discuss your experiences/ideas for how schools and researchers can work together
Any risks?
There are no anticipated disadvantages/risks to participation other than loss of time.
B. Meet the team
Lead Researcher
Senior Researcher
Collaborators
Kristin Liabo (University of Exeter)
Tamsin Ford (University of Cambridge)
GJ Melendez-Torres (University of Exeter)
Students & staff of Northgate High School
Funder
NIHR School for Public Health Research
Website: www.sphr.nihr.ac.uk
C. Key contacts
If you have any questions or would like any further information about this study, please contact the lead researcher Lauren Cross via email: cavstudy@mrc-epid.cam.ac.uk
D. Contents
What is the purpose of the study?
Why have I been invited?
Do I have to take part?
What will I have to do?
What are the possible benefits and risks of taking part?
Can I change my mind about taking part?
What will happen to information collected about me?
Who is organising and funding the study?
Who has reviewed the study?
Questions and next steps
Capturing All Voices
Exploring successful collaborations between secondary schools and school-based health researchers.
1. What’s the purpose of our study?
In recent years, a schools’ role has drastically changed. With high expectations of supporting students’ health, wellbeing, and life journeys increasingly visible in national frameworks and standards- schools are now responsible for more than just learning.
However, in the current climate, balancing learners academic and pastoral needs can be a challenge.
As school-based health researchers we’re also interested in supporting students’ health. We’re very keen to work with secondary schools- but we’re not always sure how best to go about it.
Aim
Our research aims to explore successful collaborations between researchers and secondary schools.
This will help us to identify what’s working well, in which contexts/conditions, and where we might change things to make it easier for schools and researchers.
2. Why have I been invited to take part?
Current members of Senior Leadership within UK mainstream secondary schools have been invited to participate. We have also invited researchers with a background in school-based health trials to take part in our interviews separately.
Not sure if I’m eligible?
If you’re not sure whether you’re eligible to participate, then please do not hesitate to contact our lead researcher Lauren Cross via email:cavstudy@mrc-epid.cam.ac.uk
3. Do I have to take part?
It is up to you to decide whether or not to take part. If you do decide to take part, you are free to stop at any time during the research without giving a reason.
4. What will I have to do?
Participation in our research has been designed to be quick and easy. Before the interview, we will check you’re happy to take part. To give permission, you will be asked to complete an online consent form. With the consent form we will also send you an optional online survey about your demographics and professional background.
This should take no longer than 5 minutes and will help us understand your background and current context. The brief survey will include details about your: gender, ethnicity, current job title, number of years experience, and information about the kind of School you currently work at.
Next you will take part in an online one-on-one interview to share your experiences (see example questions to the right). This will last for approximately one hour and will be scheduled at a date and time which suits you.
5. What are the possible benefits and risks of taking part?
There are no anticipated disadvantages/risks to participation other than loss of time, for which you will be compensated.
Participants will be given the option to receive up to £35 in vouchers as a thank you for participating in our research. Alternatively, participants can opt to make an equivalent, anonymous donation to charity.
The results from this study will inform guidance for researchers hoping to work with secondary schools. We hope this guidance will enhance experiences and opportunities for schoolresearcher partnerships and collaborations. This may ultimately improve the future experiences, and health, of researchers, school staff and students.
6. Can I change my mind about taking part
You are free to withdraw from the study at any time. You will not be asked/expected to provide a reason.
7. What will happen to information collected about me?
Information we collect during the course of the research will be kept strictly confidential. Any information about you will have your name, place of work, and study name removed so that you cannot be recognised from it and it will not be used or made available for any purpose other than for research.
The contact information you provide such as email address and phone number(s) will be used by the research team to keep you informed about your participation in the study. This information will be stored on a secured network drive within the MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge. Interview audio recordings will also be separately stored on our secure drive.
In line with our departmental policy, after a period of 20 years, all your information will be securely deleted.
The University of Cambridge is the data controller of any data that is collected as part of the current study. For further information about the University’s data protection policy, adherence to GDPR, and how the University uses your personal data as a research participant can be found at: www.informationcompliance.admin.cam.ac.uk/dataprotection/research-participantdata
What will happen to the results of the study?
You will be asked if you would like to receive a copy of the main project findings.
The results will also be shared with other secondary schools and schoolbased health researchers. We also expect to publish the results from the study in an academic journal in the next two years. We will not publish any details that identify you personally or the organisation in which you work.
8. Who is organising and funding the study?
The study is organised by the University of Cambridge (MRC Epidemiology Unit) in collaboration with the University of Exeter (Medical School). The study is funded by the National Institute for Health and social care Research (NIHR) School for Public Health Research (SPHR).
9. Who has reviewed the study?
All research documents have been assessed at by an independent group of people called a Research Ethics Committee to ensure that your safety, rights, wellbeing and dignity are protected.
This study has been reviewed and approved by the University of Cambridge Humanities and Social Sciences Research Ethics Committee (Reference number: 24.380).
10. Questions and next steps
If you have any questions or would like any further information about this study, please contact lead researcher Lauren Cross by email at: cavstudy@mrc-epid.cam.ac.uk
Please complete the next steps on the online form to participate in our research.
