research & impact

We know that every organisation supporting individuals facing multiple disadvantages has different priorities and challenges. That’s why we work in partnership to design tailored interventions that fit within the resources, needs, and capacity of each setting.

Our Research Approach

Our team of research psychologists bring expertise across the full research process, from designing proposals and developing questionnaires, to conducting interviews, analysing qualitative and quantitative data, and creating accessible reports. We ensure that findings are shared in clear and practical ways, allowing them to inform real-world practice.

Executive Function Coaching for Adolescents with Autism: A Practical School-Based Approach

Adolescents with autism often face challenges with cognitive flexibility, organisation, time-management, and emotional regulation, which can affect their school experience, academic progress and wellbeing. MindSpark partnered with a state boarding and day school to...

MindSpark Maths: A KS1 Maths Intervention

Since 2020, the Department of Education has included executive functions and self-regulation as "key features of effective practice" in its annual non-statutory curriculum guidance for early years practitioners. However, more direct work is needed in schools,...

The MindSpark Whole-School Approach Evaluation

Supporting young people in developing their executive function skills is essential for engagement, learning, self-regulation, and overall student well-being. Without support from schools, pupils may struggle to keep up academically or often have behavioural...

A Whole-Class Executive Function Intervention for 9-11 Year Olds

Supporting children in developing their executive function skills and metacognition is vital for classroom learning and self-regulation. Our latest research demonstrates that a classroom-based intervention can significantly strengthen executive function skills and...

Does Executive Function Coaching in Youth Centres Work? A Youth Practitioner Perspective

Working closely with a youth centre charity in southwest London, we trained thirteen youth work practitioners as coaches, providing them with practical, neuroscience-informed tools to support young people across their mentoring and employability programmes....

The Impact of Executive Function Coach Training on Youth Centre Culture and Practices

Working closely with one of our youth centre partners, we investigated the suitability and impact of executive function coach training on youth centre culture, internal practices and young person outcomes.  Practitioners reported a greater ability to identify...

Using EF Coaching as a 1:1 Intervention in a State-Secondary School

We recognise that young people facing multiple disadvantages often experience difficulties developing executive function skills due to challenging environments. We trained a key member of staff to deliver Meta-Skills, a 1:1 coaching programme developed by MindSpark...

Research Impact

Measuring impact is central to our mission. Our evaluations indicate that our evidence-based interventions help young people strengthen their executive function skills, including metacognition and self-regulation, leading to improved educational progress and personal development.

Our research also highlights:

  • Stronger relationships between individuals and the professionals who support them, built through a shared language of executive function skills.

  • Increased practitioner confidence, especially in addressing challenging behaviours by understanding the cognitive processes behind them.

All of our research is conducted in accordance with the British Psychological Society’s Code of Human Research Ethics, ensuring rigorous and ethical practice throughout.

Our 2025 Impact Report is Out!

Celebrating MindSpark’s impact in 2025 ✨MindSpark brings insights from psychology and neuroscience into classrooms, communities and workplaces to make a real and lasting difference. We do this through our EF Coach Training, whole-organisation training and consultancy,...

Our 2024 Annual Report is out!

2023/24 was a year of growth, innovation, and impact, driven by our small team’s dedication to making a difference to young people's lives. We have supported:✨ 10,000 children and young people with their executive functions✨ 770 professionals through consultation and...

Dive into our 2022/23 Annual Report

2022–23 was a transformative year for MindSpark CIC. Building on our mission to make executive function support accessible for disadvantaged young people, we reached over 6,000 children and young people through our partners and more than 3,500 others via talks and...

Our 2021/22 Annual Impact Report

2021/22 was a pivotal year for MindSpark,  as we laid the groundwork for long-term, sustainable impact. Our mission remained clear: to ensure young people facing multiple disadvantages are supported by adults who understand and nurture their executive function skills....