Inspire to Achieve Programme – second trial

This project is no longer recruiting.

What is the Inspire to Achieve programme?

Inspire to Achieve is a structured, 24-week instructor-led programme that aims to develop a range of skills, including self-regulated learning, metacognition, resilience, positive relationships, and wellbeing. The application of these non-cognitive skills in the classroom may in turn have a positive effect on academic outcomes.

This programme will be offered to 24 pupils in Year 9 in schools allocated to the intervention groupAs part of a Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT), settings will be randomised into either the intervention or control group. Settings in the intervention group will receive the programme being tested. during the academic year 2026/2027. Pupils taking part will be those who are underperforming academically, and also struggling with either engagement, attendance, behaviour or emotional wellbeing at school.

Who is leading this project?

The project is led by Commando Joe’s Fun & Fitness Ltd, an organisation that offers structured, instructor-led programmes focused on developing pupils’ character and non-cognitive skills. Commando Joe’s instructors will partner with participating intervention schools to ensure the programme aligns with school priorities and supports pupils’ wider needs.

What will this project look like in your setting?

If allocated to the intervention groupAs part of a Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT), settings will be randomised into either the intervention or control group. Settings in the intervention group will receive the programme being tested. , each school will be assigned a trained Commando Joe’s instructor who will deliver weekly 1‑hour sessions to small groups of Year 9 pupils.

Participating pupils will engage in a mix of practical, scenario-based challenges and guided reflection. This allows pupils to learn through experience as well as discussion, developing skills such as self-regulationHow children monitor their emotions and thoughts, and adapt their behaviour in different circumstances., teamwork, resilience, problem-solving, and managing emotions.

As pupils progress through the 24-week programme, their learning is reinforced by structured reflection and instructor support. This helps pupils transfer skills into other contexts, such as classroom behaviour, peer interactions, and academic tasks.

Commando Joe’s works flexibly to ensure the programme fits seamlessly within the school day. Sessions can be scheduled during curriculum time, intervention slots, or inclusion periods, depending on the needs of the cohort. In addition to the timetabled weekly session, instructors enhance the reach of the programme by offering lunchtime and after-school sessions for wider pupils (and example timetable is included at the end of this webpage).

Schools will need to identify a lead contact to support pupils with baseline, endline, and follow-up questionnaires. A member of staff will also sit in on weekly sessions, providing an opportunity to observe the programme and its impact on pupils.

As this is a research evaluation, both intervention and control schools will be asked to support the evaluators with pupil assessments, surveys, or interviews. Schools will also be required to identify target pupils and provide pupil information to the evaluation team. Exact evaluation requirements will be set out in the information materials if you express an interest in this project.

Schools in the intervention groupAs part of a Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT), settings will be randomised into either the intervention or control group. Settings in the intervention group will receive the programme being tested. will be asked to contribute £2,500, 17% of the usual programme delivery costs for 24 pupils. Schools allocated to the control groupAs part of a Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT), settings will be randomised into either the intervention or control group. Settings in the control group continue with their usual practices and help provide a comparison to measure the intervention’s impact. They are usually offered a monetary compensation as thanks for their contribution. will continue with business as usual and will receive £1,500 for completing all evaluation activities. This financial incentive can be used to fund enrichment activities for the target pupils, excluding adventure learning-type programmes.

Who can take part?

School criteria:

• State-funded mainstream secondary schools in selected Local Authorities across England
• Have not taken part in a Commando Joe’s programme in the past two academic years, 24/25 and 25/26
• Have an overall percentage Pupil Premium population of 24% or above
• Not signed up to take part in the EEF trials for Learning Together Mental Health or the Outward Bound Trust Adventure Challenge programme, which are also recruiting in 2026

Pupil selection criteria:

All schools will be expected to identify the target pupils and provide pupil information to the evaluation team.

• Pupils in Year 8 (who will enter Year 9 in the academic year 26/27 when delivery and testing would take place)Targeted pupils can’t be due to take part in a PGL Reach programme or Outward Bound programme between Year 9 – 11
• Out of the 24 target pupils, at least 35% (min. of 9 pupils) should be eligible for Free School Meals.
• Target pupils must be underperforming academically and meet at least one of the other criteria described below:
  • Behaviour concerns
  • Attendance/​school engagement risk
  • Wellbeing/social-emotional needs

Please see the School Information Sheet for more detailed eligibility guidance.

Many pupils, particularly those underperforming academically or with additional behavioural, attendance, or wellbeing needs, can benefit from programmes that develop non-cognitive skills such as self-regulationHow children monitor their emotions and thoughts, and adapt their behaviour in different circumstances., resilience, and teamwork.

Evidence suggests that similar adventure-learning approaches may improve non-cognitive outcomes such as self-efficacy, and self-regulationHow children monitor their emotions and thoughts, and adapt their behaviour in different circumstances.. They may also play an important part in the wider school experience through improved wellbeing and relationships. However, few studies have examined the long-term impact of such approaches on academic attainment. A previous EEF trial of a similar Commando Joe’s Programme showed small positive shifts in self-regulationHow children monitor their emotions and thoughts, and adapt their behaviour in different circumstances., but school closures due to COVID-19 affected the evaluation. 

This trial offers a unique opportunity to re-evaluate the programme under more favourable conditions and contribute to the research base on adventure learning and character education.

This project will be evaluated by the University of York through a randomised controlled trialAn RCT is used evaluate an educational programme by assigning settings to one of two groups: the intervention group, who receive the programme or the control group, who continue with business as usual. This ensures that any differences in outcomes can be confidently attributed to the programme, providing a robust estimate of the impact and contributing to the evidence for what works in improving educational outcomes., meaning it will assess the impact of Inspire to Achieve on pupils’ self-regulated learning as the primary outcome. It will also evaluate the impact on metacognition, resilience, pupil-teacher relations, peer-relations, and wellbeing as well as long-term follow-up using Attainment 8 data taken from the National Pupil Database.

Schools have a 50% chance of being allocated to the intervention groupAs part of a Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT), settings will be randomised into either the intervention or control group. Settings in the intervention group will receive the programme being tested. (receiving the Inspire to Achieve programme). Schools allocated to the control groupAs part of a Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT), settings will be randomised into either the intervention or control group. Settings in the control group continue with their usual practices and help provide a comparison to measure the intervention’s impact. They are usually offered a monetary compensation as thanks for their contribution. will continue with business as usual but play an important role in still completing the evaluation activities to act as a comparison group. An implementation and process evaluationAn IPE is used to understand how and why an intervention has (or has not) been successful. Data is analysed to explore programme quality, reach, adaptation and differentiation, as well as setting fidelity and responsiveness to the trial design. will be conducted alongside the impact evaluation to explore how schools implement the programme and perceptions of the programme.