People

Jennifer Spratt

Research Fellow
Tel: +44 (0) 1224 272734
j.spratt@abdn.ac.uk

Overview of Research | Selected publications

Overview of Research

Jenny Spratt is a researcher in the Rowan Group, at Aberdeen University. Jenny has a background in secondary teaching, in both England and Scotland. She gained a Masters Degree in Education (with distinction) in 1999, the thesis of which The Classroom Substitute: Issues surrounding the employment of supply teachers was awarded the Scottish Council for Research in Education Practitioner Researcher award in 2000.

Since then Jenny has moved into research full time and has worked on the interface between education and other services, focussing on the well-being of children and young people.
Externally funded research projects include;

A survey of the management of supply teachers by Scottish Education authorities funded by SEED
Analysis of responses to “Education for Citizenship” document distributed by Learning and Teaching Scotland
Literature review of young people’s perceptions of their health needs, reported to the Health Education Board for Scotland
A needs assessment of primary school tobacco education, reported to the Health Education Board for Scotland
A study of rural deprivation and social exclusion, reported to Argyll and Bute Community Planning Partnership
Evaluation of the Scottish schools ethos network and the anti-bullying network, reporting to the Scottish Executive Education Department
Investigating the links between mental heralth and behaviour in schools, reporting to the Scottish Executive Education Department
Mental well being and behaviour in schools: promoting links between evidence and practice, reporting to National Programme for Mental Health and Wellbeing
Sex and Relationship Education- Review of Programmes and Supporting materials, to report to NHS Health Scotland
A synthesis of published research on Mentoring and Befriending reporting to The Mentoring and Befriending Foundation
An Appraisal of Bookstart in Sighthill, Edinburgh reporting to Bookstart Scotland
An investigation of the role of school nurses in supporting mental health and well-being reporting to the National Programme for Improving Mental Health
A review of research evidence on participation and consultation between children, parents and schools reporting to Aberdeen City Council
Knowledge of HPV and acceptability of HPV vaccination amongst young people, parents and health professionals reporting to Health Protection Scotland and NHS Education for Scotland
Research Seminar Series - Exploring the school as a site of promotion and support of mental health funded by ESRC
A Review of Sex and Relationship Education in Primary Schools for NHS Health Scotland
An investigation of the role of Bookstart in dual language families for Bookstart Scotland
Evaluation of the Moving Image Education in South Lanarkshire for Scottish Screen
Literature review of young people’s views of mental health and well-being for NHS Health Scotland

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Selected publications

2009 Shucksmith, J., Spratt, J., Philip, K. and McNaughton, R. A critical review of the literature on children and young people’s views of the factors that influence their mental health. NHS Health Scotland

2009 Spratt J, Shucksmith J, Philip, K , Watson C (in press): The bad people go and speak to her’: Young people’s choice and agency when accessing mental health support in school Children and Society

2009 Spratt,J. C.; Philip,K. L.; Payne,F. M.Role of Bookstart in Dual-Language Families Report to Bookstart Scotland

2009 Poobalan AS, Pitchforth E, Imamura M, Mandava L, Tucker JS, Philip K, Spratt J, van Teijlingen E. Characteristics of effective interventions in improving young people’s sexual health: A review of reviews. Sex Education: Sexuality, Society and Learning 9 (3) 319 -336

2009 Spratt,J. C.; Philip,K. L.; Shucksmith,J.; McNaughton,R.; Tucker,J. S.; Van Teijlingen, E. A review of sex and relationships activities and resources in primary schools in Scotland Report to NHS Health Scotland

2009 Shucksmith J, Spratt J, Philip K and Watson C ‘Learning how to collaborate? Promoting young people’s heath through professional partnership in schools.’ In Forbes J and Watson C (eds.) Service Integration in Schools. Research and Policy Discourses, Practice and Future Prospects. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers

2008 Spratt J, Philip, K, Shucksmith J and Kiger A. The Role of School Nurses in Supporting Mental Health. Report to National Programme for Improving Mental Health and Well-being.

2008 Shucksmith J, Spratt J, Philip K and McNaughton R Knowledge of HPV and attitudes towards HPV immunisation amongst young people, parents, educators andhealth professionals. Report to Health Protection Scotland and NHS Health Scotland.

2007 Spratt, J, Shucksmith J, Philip, K and Watson C Embedded yet separate: voluntary sector working to support mental health in schools Journal of Education Policy 22:4, 411-428

2007 van Teijlingen E, Tucker J, Philip K, Spratt J, Poobalan, A. Sex and Relationship Education- Review of Programmes and Supporting Materials. Report to NHS Health Scotland

2007 Spratt and Philip An appraisal of Bookstart in Sighthill. Report to Bookstart.

(2006) Interprofessional support of mental well-being in schools: a Bourdieuan perspective. Journal of Interprofessional Care 20 (4) 391-402 (with J. Shucksmith, K. Philip and C. Watson)

(2006) “Part of who we are should include responsibility for well-being”. Links between the school environment, mental health and behaviour. Pastoral Care in Education 24 (3) 14-21 (with J. Shucksmith, K. Philip and C. Watson)

(2006) School based mental health interventions: The participation rights of children and young people – submitted to International Journal of Children’s Rights (with J. Shucksmith, K, Philip and C. Watson)

(2006) A synthesis of published research on mentoring and befriending: Report to the Mentoring and Befriending Foundation (with K. Philip)

(2006) Evaluation of the Highland Future Schools Project. Report to SEED (with F Payne, N. Coutts, Y Bain, M Gooday, and C Walker)

(2006) Tobacco education: designing resources to meet the needs of the primary school classroom (with J Shucksmith). Health Education Journal 65 (1) 5-13

(2005) Investigating the links between mental health and behaviour in schools: a report to SEED with J.Shucksmith, K. Philip and C. Watson

(2004) Deprivation and social exclusion in Argyll and Bute: a report to the Community Planning Partnership with N Bailey, J Pickering, R Goodlad and M Shucksmith

(2003) Primary School Tobacco Education: a needs assessment. Report to HEBS (with J Shucksmith)

(2003) Young people’s self-identified health needs. Journal of Scottish Youth Issues 6: 47 – 62 (with J Shucksmith)

(2001) Education for Citizenship in Scotland. Report to Learning and Teaching Scotland (with J Shucksmith)

(2000) Untrained, Unsupported and Underperforming? The complexities of employing supply teachers. Research paper 1. Centre for Educational Research, University of Aberdeen

(2000) The Cover Story: A survey of the management of supply teachers by Scottish Education Authorities. Report to SEED

(1999) The classroom substitute: Issues surrounding the employment of supply teachers. Paper presented at the SERA annual conference

Selected Presentations

2008: The changing role of school nurses in Scotland – implications for the promotion and support of mental health. Paper presented at Qualitative Research in Mental Health. Tampere and Scottish Educational Research Association conference, Perth.

2008: Choosing your friends: Young people’s agency in negotiating supporting relationships. Paper presented at ESRC seminar 3: The school as a location for promotion and support of mental health and Getting it Right for Every Child Conference, Glasgow.

2008: Mental and emotional health and well being in schools – what role for the voluntary sector? Pupil Inclusion Network, Scotland Conference Dundee (invited speaker).

2008: School based mental health interventions: The participation rights of children and young people. Children, Young People and Families Research Conference. New Lanark

2007: Reducing the risk – a review of Sex and Relationship Education Programmes in Scotland. UK Public Health Association, Edinburgh.

2006: Participation without power? The role of the voluntary sector in supporting mental well-being in schools. Scottish Education Research Association.

2006: Supporting mental well-being in schools – a Scottish study. Qualitative Research on Mental Health Conference, Tampere, Finland

2006: Supporting Mental well-being in schools- partnership working or parallel practice ? Child and Youth Studies Network, University of Edinburgh

2006: Supporting Young people’s mental health in school. Pupil Inclusion Network Scotland, Edinburgh