Research projects
We are keen to instigate research that will fill the gaps in our knowledge, pilot new programmes and provide robust evidence of what works and what doesn't. Current and potential research projects are outlined below.
iCATS study
iCATS-i2i is a research project, funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). Working with Year 4 children and their families, Professor Cathy Creswell's team at Oxford University will analyse the effectiveness of providing parents with online support to enable them to support a child with anxiety.
Creating a teacher training module
Working with Dr Louise Gazeley and team at the University of Sussex we hope to secure funding for a project with PGCE students, to develop a brief for a new teacher training module around school attendance difficulties..
Evidencing the need for flexibility
Covid funding may allow us to evidence that for many children with school attendance difficulties, lockdown and online provision has allowed them to thrive. Our aim will be to make the case for more flexibility and enhanced online provision.
Costing a school 'refuser'
In association with Dr Mara Violato at the Nuffield Centre for Population Health (Oxford University) we are hoping to apply for funding for a scoping review and survey to start to pull together the costs of school 'refusal'. These costs are extensive – from the resources a school & local authority might put into addressing absence, to a range of costs for the family (including one parent often having to give up work) and the potential economic and social costs of unresolved, long term mental health conditions.
Kavli Trust grant
In November 2019 a team led by Professor Cathy Creswell from the Experimental Psychology department at Oxford University was successful in a bid to the Kavli Trust. The research will establish if a supported online intervention for parents of at-risk children (4-7 years) reduces the frequency of anxiety disorders one year later, and identify who benefits most and how to maximise outcomes. Square Peg will be involved.
Could gaming help non-attenders?
We are currently looking for collaborators on a research project around gaming and whether it could help with non-attendance.