This report presents a synthesis of literature--published since 2008--that demonstrates significant impact in each of the key student outcomes of access, retention, attainment, and progression. This builds on a number of key Higher Education Academy (HEA) publications or projects from the past five years that have addressed issues associated with…

Estimates of the mental health needs of adolescents far outstrip the resources of traditional mental health. The field of adventure therapy has the potential to help meet these unmet needs. It is argued that particularly in the United States and the United Kingdom, for adventure therapy to become a formal part of the mental health delivery service…

Systems of accountability are "second order" ways of using evidence of the standard to which "first order" tasks are carried out for a great variety of purposes. However, more accountability is not always better, and processes of holding to account can impose high costs without securing substantial benefits. At their worst,…

Storytelling is a powerful means of expression especially for voices that may be difficult to hear or represent in typical ways. This paper reports and reflects on our experiences of co-creating digital stories with school practitioners in a project focusing on embedding innovative technologies for children on the autism spectrum in classroom…

Distributive leadership, which has been described as a distribution of power within the sociocultural context of universities, provides a valuable model for encouraging scholarship and innovation in learning and teaching. By nurturing, rather than imposing, leadership responsibilities, and relating them to personal, as well as institutional…

"Real life" learning has often been suggested as a good method for engaging students in the science curriculum. In this article, an evidence-based rationale for the use of engineering as a context for "real life" science study is explained. This has been achieved through development work undertaken by the National Science…

Prevalence rates of autism spectrum disorder have risen dramatically over the past few decades (now estimated at 1:50 children). The estimated total annual cost to the public purse in the United States is US$137 billion, with an individual lifetime cost in the United Kingdom estimated at between £0.8 million and £1.23 million depending on the…

This case study explores the United Kingdom's (UK's) approach to improving low-performing schools and presents lessons learned that could be applied in other countries. The study: (1) Gives an overview of the overall structure of UK schools; (2) Provides a context for the country's school-improvement efforts; (3) Reviews the different types of…

Collaborative inter-professional practice (IPP) is hailed increasingly by policy-makers and a growing number of practitioners as "the" new form of professional practice for those working within and across services for children and young people. Based on desk research, and drawing upon an increasingly invasive use of the term…