Knowledge Base
Our programmes are based on academic research in education, psychology, neuroscience, and sociology. The evidence that shapes the design and delivery of our programmes is always evolving. To help you stay up to date with the latest research we have curated a list of important new research from universities, think tanks, charities, and government departments.
Highlighted Research
This section highlights some of the research and evidence that shapes the design of our programmes. This research forms the basis of important concepts, such as our nurturing approach, and continues to be an important part of the evidence base underpinning all that we do.
Strong Foundations: Why Everyone Needs Good Emotional Health.
This 2024 report from Demos highlights the UK’s significant mental health crisis and its huge economic impact of £118 billion every year.
The report highlights the foundational role of good emotional health to prevent mental ill health and recommend that emotional health is put at the forefront of government policy.
PEDAL Report: How can Emotionally Healthy Workplaces Support Emotionally Healthy Families?
A new report written by researchers at Cambridge University suggests that emotionally healthy workplaces might have longer-term benefits beyond supporting workforce performance, productivity, staff retention, and team dynamics.
Mattering in Early Childhood:
Building a Strong Foundation for Life
The Centre on the Developing Child, part of Harvard University in the USA, is at the forefront of research into child development.
This 2025 study highlights how mattering emerges when children feel valued and able to add value to the world around them. Warm, responsive relationships and predictable, attuned environments help children internalise that they are seen, significant, and capable. Opportunities to contribute, even in small ways, strengthen agency and empathy. When adults feel they matter, their emotional availability improves, reinforcing children’s security.
The Theory of Latent Vulnerability
Childhood maltreatment can create lasting changes in brain function, increasing vulnerability to psychiatric disorders later in life.
This 2015 research paper from University College London on latent vulnerability reframes our understanding of early adversity by shifting focus from immediate symptoms to hidden, long-term brain changes that heighten vulnerability over time. It thus highlights the need for preventative approaches that reduce the chances of children developing psychiatric disorders in the future.
Our Impact
We listen to parents, children, schools, local authorities, workplaces and more to make sure we measure the right things in the right way. From emotional health to economics. See how we’re making a difference.