We want to make a difference to the inner and outer lives of children, and to be confident of making an impact is to pay close attention to the outcomes of our projects. We find the measures that carry the best information and the methods that are the least intrusive. We are rigorous and analytical and want to be certain of any link between our projects and positive change. Anything less is not the best that children deserve.

How we started

Two of us on the core team of North East Wellbeing have a long background in Applied Social Research alongside a record of academic publication. It is a natural thing for us to apply these skills to the projects and programmes run by North East Wellbeing. Our connections with Newcastle University allow us to bring a rigour to our methods of evaluation. NEW is about making a difference to the interior worlds and external achievements of children, and this means not wasting time on things that do not work.

What guides us

North East Wellbeing works to see a change in the world of children’s wellbeing and advocating for that change requires evidence of the highest quality. Reliable data are important to us, as are the methods needed to gather data with sensitivity. We believe that numerical, quantitative data are the bedrock of making a case for change, and these data need to be fleshed out with complementary methods, in an applied programme that includes and values teachers, children, and families.

What we currently do

We have recently published a paper setting out the academic effects of Wilderness Schooling, and we are looking for a journal to publish our Curious Beasts evidence. We have completed external work evaluating programmes for the Ernest Cook Trust, the Children’s Foundation and Children North East. Our current applied research programmes include joint work with the Great North Children’s Hospital into the health benefits of the Zone West programme.

How you can get involved

If you are a researcher or have a project that would benefit from analysed data, please get in touch. We are happy to share what we know.