Project delivery

The project has been successfully piloted and is being implemented and evaluated across three schools with a longitudinal (repeat follow-up) design. We have completed six trials and have more planned soon.

Youth Compass has attracted widespread global interest from academics, practitioners and funding bodies – including the Leadership Partnership Schools Network (LPSN). LPSN invited us to deliver the keynote presentation at their 2023 Annual Conference - enabling us to establish collaborations with three secondary schools as part of the SATNAV Compass study.

We began our research in this area almost two decades ago. Compass is inspired by a growing body of evidence that indicates people who do not consider it wrong to break rules are significantly more likely to engage in antisocial behaviour and acts of crime.

Map showing the location of Compass trials
Map showing the locations of the Compass trials

As there were no theory-led intervention programmes that focused on morality, rule-following and emotional development in young people, Compass was created by Dr Neema Trivedi-Bateman. 

The programme and its resources are evidence-based, continually evolving and co-created - shaped by feedback from participants and programme facilitators. 

Four young people, chatting - walking away from the camera in a park

The Cambridgeshire pilot

The successful pilot was an adventure and learning experience for the young people and researchers alike.
Close-up - looking down on to a group of young people sitting in a circle, chatting

The “school run” (SATNAV Compass)

We continue to work with three practitioner partner schools to deliver and evaluate Youth Compass.

RCT and ethical approval

Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT)

Our trials are conducted and reported in accordance with the requirements of the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) Statement. The randomised design allows us to compare individual differences between the Experimental and Control Groups. About half of the participants are randomly allocated to the Control Group, and the rest to the Experimental Group that undertakes the programme. At the end of the programme, the Experimental Group are assessed for enhanced positive attitudes and behaviour in comparison to the Control Group.

Loughborough University Research Ethics Sub-Committee approval

  • The Pilot Study was granted approval in April 2022
    Proposal Number: 2022-7834-9130
  • The School Delivery (2023-24) was granted approval in July 2023
    Proposal Number: 2023-14569-15303