An independent study of the impact of a writing exercise on the academic attainment of disadvantaged children in England

INTERVENTION: Current interventions as of 30/06/2016: All Year 10 and Year 11 pupils in the participating schools will be individually randomised to either treatment or control condition, stratifying by year group, class and FSM status. This is a multi‐site single blind controlled trial. The intervention is a writing activity where the treatment group writes about values that are important to them while the control pupils are given an alternative writing exercise, which could be about values that are not important to them but may be important to others. The writing activity will be delivered by English language teachers during their regular English lessons just before the GCSE exams. Pupils will be given approximately 15 minutes to complete the writing exercise. Previous interventions: All Year 10 and Year 11 pupils in the participating schools will be individually randomised to either treatment or control condition, stratifying by year group, class and FSM status. This is a double‐blind experiment where both pupils and teachers will not be told what the intervention involves. The intervention is a writing activity where the treatment group writes about values that are important to them while the control pupils are given an alternative writing exercise, which could be about values that are not important to them but may be important to others. The writing activity will be delivered by English language teachers during their regular English lessons just before the GCSE exams. Pupils will be given approximately 15 minutes to complete the writing exercise. CONDITION: Attainment at GCSE and self‐efficacy ; Not Applicable PRIMARY OUTCOME: 1. Attainment 8 at GCSE for EverFSM pupils after 1 year of treatment; 2. Attainment 8 at GCSE for EverFSM pupils 1 year after end of intervention ; SECONDARY OUTCOME: Current secondary outcome measures as of 30/06/2016:; 1. Attainment 8 at GCSE for all pupils after 1 year of treatment; 2. Attainment 8 at GCSE for all pupils 1 year after end of intervention; 3. Self‐efficacy: The self‐efficacy survey will be first measured in September 2016, then again in June/July 2017 (Y10 only). It will be assessed via a paper and pencil survey distributed within tutor or form time within schools by form tutors.; ; Previous secondary outcome measures:; 1. Attainment 8 at GCSE for all pupils after 1 year of treatment; 2. Attainment 8 at GCSE for all pupils 1 year after end of intervention; 3. One non‐attainment outcome measure one year after end of intervention to be confirmed and protocol updated by August 2016 INCLUSION CRITERIA: All Year 10 and Year 11 pupils from 25 secondary schools in the South‐East of England with above average EverFSM eligible pupils