This report, produced by the Graduate School of Education at the University of Exeter, was commissioned in June 2009 to explore the impact on young people of participating in short courses in leadership education. The research is designed to be in two stages: a pilot study (from July-December 2009) and a main study, if commissioned, (from January 2010-December 2012). The pilot research examined whether there was evidence to suggest a link between the five studied students’ participation on the leadership course and both their attitude towards, and performance in, their academic subjects over a four-month period. In addition to this, the research examined whether broader attitudes and abilities that may help students to thrive in later life as well as in the classroom – such as confidence, communication skills and teamwork – showed any change as a result of the leadership training. Download the report

The 'Leading Research Group' course ran between March and July 2007. It formed one element of the Hertfordshire Participation Pilot and was funded largely by Hertfordshire Local Authority’s Children Schools and Families Participation Team. This Pilot was a collaborative project between Save the Children UK, Hertfordshire CSF Participation Team, the HCD Student Partnership, one primary and one secondary school, a special school for students with severe, profound and multiple learning difficulties and an educational support centre*  (ESC) for young people who have been excluded from school. It aimed to ensure that children and young people at the participating schools in disadvantaged areas were involved in decision-making and evaluating education as well as developing the skills of teachers and students to lead and undertake research that informed these decisions.