EVALUATION & RESEARCH
INTRODUCTION
We are committed to ongoing evaluation of the impact of our work and since 2019 two major independent studies have been undertaken.
EVALUATION BY THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD
We have recently come to the end of a two-year formal independent evaluation being conducted by Professor Mina Fazel, Head of Adolescent Psychiatry and Emma Soneson, Fellow of Somerville College.
This compares questionnaire responses from children and young people before and after attending AT The Bus. Data is independently collected by schools. An interim report has reviewed the data collected in year one of the study. Early indications from the study suggest that after their time with AT The Bus:
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63% of primary pupils showed a statistically significant and meaningful improvement in the SDQ (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire) in measures of emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity/inattention, peer relationship problems and prosocial behaviour. There were substantially greater improvements among students with higher initial symptom severity.
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79% of secondary pupils showed significant improvements in at least one of the three main outcome measures of:
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Wellbeing (SWEMWBS - Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale). With statistically significant and meaningful improvements here (d= 0.36)
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Mental Health (RCADS-11- Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale)
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Resilience (SRS - Student Resilience Survey)
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Half of secondary pupils showed improvement within each of these areas
We are pleased with these interim results and are looking forward to further analysis of the complex data for year 1 and year 2. A full report will be available in due course.
“I’m less disruptive in school, and I get fewer detentions since I’ve been coming to the Bus. My mum is pleased with me.”
AT THE BUS STUDENT
BATH SPA UNIVERSITY EVALUATION
Qualitative work undertaken in partnership with Bath Spa University (The Power of Art as Therapy) highlights The Beattie Method’s impact on:
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Individual children who transform their view of themselves and show improvements in attendance, behaviour and attainment;
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The wider school community - other pupils, teachers and school staff - also benefit through the presence of AT The Bus in school through shared good practice and reciprocal learning.
OTHER EVALUATION OF THE BEATTIE METHOD
Formal independent evaluation of The Beattie Method was also undertaken when it was delivered by The Art Room Charity. This concluded that:
‘The [Beattie Method] intervention has a positive impact on students across several key areas. Participation resulted in a statistically significant reduction in students’ emotional problems, hyperactivity, problems with peers, and total difficulties, as indicated by class teachers. Following participation students are also significantly more prosocial and their teachers report that their problems have less of an impact on their daily lives and the classroom environment. [The Beattie Method] also significantly improves students’ mood and feelings, with students reporting an 87.5% improvement following participation.’
From: The Art Room: An evaluation of a targeted school-based group intervention for students with emotional and behavioural difficulties. Melissa A. Cortina, DPhil, MSc,∗, Mina Fazel, MRCPsych, DM
