We’re excited to announce Abbeygate Sixth Form College as BrainWaves’ new Research Partner of the Year!

Since joining us in January 2024, Abbeygate Sixth Form College, part of the Eastern Education Group, and its staff team have been key members of our Research Partner network and have helped BrainWaves grow to where we are today.

Over the past two and a half years, leaders at Abbeygate have spearheaded the college’s involvement in:

• Early-stage Cohort Study development: Abbeygate participated in the 2024 Consent Trial. This was fundamental to shaping how BrainWaves asks students for consent in our Cohort Study questionnaire. Data from this study was used in one of our first academic paper publications! You can read the publication here.
• Ongoing research study participation: The college followed the Consent Trial with three years of Cohort Study questionnaires, enabling over 1,000 students to share their lived experiences.
• Sharing success: Cathy Durrant, Group Head of Pastoral Support and Administration at Eastern Education Group, presented to delegates at the BrainWaves 2024 networking conference on an innovative mental health intervention in place at Abbeygate, offering her insight to enable other schools and colleges to use similar strategies.
• Collaborative work: Staff at Abbeygate have input into our safeguarding procedures and worked with the wider BrainWaves team to develop grant applications and create ‘roll out’ style interventions.
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We want to say a big thank you to Cathy, Laura and everyone at Abbeygate Sixth Form College for their continued support and engagement. Together with their students, they have helped shape BrainWaves into what it is today, and we’re thrilled that they have renewed their partnership with us for the next two academic years!