Our Work

Evaluation of the Go Higher in healthcare programme

This project, funded by Go Higher West Yorkshire’s National Collaborative Outreach Programme (NCOP), was designed to help young people explore careers in healthcare. It was targeted at young people from areas where progression rates to Higher Education are low, and particularly low when GCSE attainment is taken into account. This initiative is an expansion of a programme started by the University of Leeds in 2014, funded by Health Education England and the Royal College of General Practitioners. Our project involved working with a broader mix of healthcare-related organisations in order to deliver careers activities and events in schools and to support placements in a wide variety of settings. We placed 115 participants in a range of settings, including GP practices, hospital wards, and dental surgeries. If you want to know more about this, download our report below (just tell us who you are … it makes us feel good).

National Metals Technology Center (NAMTEC) : Technical Skills Audit

In 2010 the National Metals Technology Centre (NAMTEC) carried out a national technical skills audit in order to collate industry-relevant data on behalf of a sector that was short of skilled employees; this report presents an update of that survey. Research Toolkit devised an online survey and administered and analysed the data collected from it as part of this national update. If you want to know more about this, download our report below (just tell us who you are … it makes us feel good).

Access to healthcare: mature student progression in HE

This research project explored the appetite amongst stakeholders for the development of a resource to support mature learners (Access Diploma students) aiming for a health-related career. Project work included collecting and collating data from a number of sources and stakeholders associated with Access to HE Diploma students at the University of Leeds. If you want to know more about this, download our report below (just tell us who you are … it makes us feel good).

Class of 2023: an evaluation of the 2017 Go Higher West Yorkshire Summer School Programme

The Class of 2023 Summer School took place across a number of Go Higher West Yorkshire partner institutions from Tuesday 18th July to Thursday 20th July 2017. The residential programme was targeted provision offered to schools in West Yorkshire with low engagement and low progression rates into Higher Education (HE). The aims of the programme were to raise aspirations and confidence, enhance awareness of choice for HE institutions and courses in the region, and familiarise students with the HE environment, and make them feel welcome in our institutions. This report presents a summary of the programme from the perspective of the participants and other stakeholder groups. If you want to know more about this, download our report below (just tell us who you are … it makes us feel good).

Action Deafness: an evaluation of the HearNow Forward Project

Action Deafness is the leading provider for D/deaf people across the East Midlands (Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Rutland; the cities of Leicester, Nottingham and Derby) and offers a range of services to individuals, charities, councils and companies. Research Toolkit was commissioned to evaluate a 3-year Big Lottery-funded programme designed to engage with D/deaf people in and around Leicester. The evaluation method undertaken by Research Toolkit consultants focused upon telling the story of the beneficiaries of the HearNow Forward project through data gathered via a number of quantitative and qualitative approaches.

An evaluation of the pilot Pathways to Leeds Summer School

The Pathways to Leeds Summer School is a pilot outreach programme developed by Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine (LICAMM) at the University of Leeds. It has been designed and developed in consultation with the University of Leeds School of Medicine and the University’s outreach office, Educational Engagement. A multi-strand evaluation of the programme was carried out by Research Toolkit, consisting of: pre- and post-programme Learning Gain Tool analysis, online survey of participants, follow-up focus group with a selection of participants. If you want to know more about this, download our report below (just tell us who you are … it makes us feel good).

An evaluation of Theatre of Debate’s ‘People are Messy’ production delivered in a selection of Target-16 schools in West Yorkshire

This project work provided an impact evaluation of a set of outreach events in West Yorkshire schools that took place in March 2016. ‘People are Messy’ was devised, produced and delivered by Theatre of Debate with support from NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre and a Wellcome Trust Strategic Award. This evaluation of the ‘People are Messy’ events in West Yorkshire involved collecting survey and other impact data from participating students and teachers. Our survey data also utilised the Research Toolkit Learning Gain© methodology to explore development or learning gain resulting from the experience. If you want to know more about this, download our report below (just tell us who you are … it makes us feel good).

Providing Primary Care Work Experience: evaluating a national work experience pilot programme

The general practice work experience programme focuses on the current imbalance in access to opportunity for those from traditionally disadvantaged backgrounds by offering them an immersive work experience programme in a general practice setting, which aims to add value to their social and academic skills. Our learning gain tool was administered to participants at the beginning and end of the programme. This resulted in paired data (pre- and post-programme) from approximately 46% of participant. If you want to know more about this, download our report below (just tell us who you are … it makes us feel good).

Work experience student handbook (a reflective diary)

This handbook supported the Go Higher West Yorkshire work experience programme in healthcare. It was designed by us to help young people to make informed decisions about their future. Content was split between activities and reflective exercises that prepared students for work experience and helped them to get the most out of it. If you want to know more about this, you can download the resource we produced below (just tell us who you are … it makes us feel good).

RAF Primary Activity Book

As part of their school engagement programme, the Royal Air Force commissioned us to work with science and engineer experts to develop an accessible activity book for primary schools. Our activity book has been translated into Welsh and formed a major part of the RAF100 engagement resources in 2018. If you want to know more about this, you can download the resource we produced below (just tell us who you are … it makes us feel good).

Inspiring and preparing tomorrow’s doctors: a reflective diary

As part of a national programme to support work-experience, funded by the Royal College of General Practitioners and Health Education England, we coordinated the development of a reflective diary to support 6th form learners whilst on placement in General Practices around the UK. The diary has been produced to support and guide learners through their entire work experience placement. Guidance and support information within it has been tailored to the specific needs of those interested in pursuing an application to medicine at a UK university. If you want to know more about this, you can download the resources we produced below (just tell us who you are … it makes us feel good).

Learning Gain Tool

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Reports

Resources

Learning Gain Tool

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Our Work

Reports

Resources

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