Participant Consultation

As part of our development work on the Five to Twelve study, the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) is inviting some study participants to share their views with us. This will help us make sure future plans for the study are better for everyone involved.  

The consultation will take place through online discussion groups in November 2026.

This information explains what the online discussion is for and how it will work. Please take your time to read it carefully. If anything is unclear, don't hesitate to ask us. You’ll find our contact details at the end of this sheet. 

What is the online discussion about?  

This consultation is part of the wider Five to Twelve study. We want to talk to some of the mothers, fathers and carers who take part in the study to hear about your experiences.

Why have I been invited to take part?

We are inviting a small group of fathers, mothers and carers from the study to take part in this online discussion. We want to hear from people with different backgrounds and experiences. This will help us plan future developments for the study and ensure they work well for everyone.  

What’s involved? 

  • You will be part of a small group with 6 to 9 other mothers, fathers and carers who take part in Five to Twelve.
  • The group discussion will take place online and will last one hour.
  • A researcher will ask questions about your experience of taking part in the Five to Twelve study and about future plans for it.
  • You don’t need to prepare anything in advance. We are interested in your experiences and opinions. There are no right or wrong answers. If you do not want to, you don’t have to say anything.
  • Taking part is voluntary. You don’t have to take part if you don’t want to. If you do, you can skip any questions you don’t want to answer and stop at any point.
  • Your participation will be kept confidential and your data will be stored securely. Everything you tell us will only be used in an anonymised form.  
  • With your permission, we would like to video-record the session, as this helps us ensure we capture the details of the discussion. The recording will only be accessible to the Five to Twelve research team.  
  • As a thank you for taking part, you will receive a £60 love2shop voucher which can be used in a wide range of high street shops and online retailers. 

Why take part?

Your feedback and views on our plans for the future will help us make taking part a positive experience for everyone and help ensure that the study findings represent the diversity of families in the Five to Twelve study.

Do I have to take part?

No, whether or not you take part in the online discussion is entirely up to you. You are free to say that you do not want to take part at any time without giving a reason. Your decision about whether or not to take part in the online discussion will not affect your participation in the main Five to Twelve study (or any other rights or benefits to which you are entitled).

Can someone else take part instead of me?

Yes, another mother, father or carer living in your household can take part instead of you. 

Will taking part in the online discussion be confidential?

Yes, your participation in the online discussion will be kept strictly confidential. Your information will be stored securely. The recording of the discussion will be used only by the Five to Twelve research team to help make sure we have an accurate account of what was said and to help with note-taking. Only members of the Five to Twelve research team will have access to the recording.  

Any information you share with us will only be used in anonymised form. During the online discussion you do not have to join with your full name on display. We would prefer you to enable your camera during the online discussion to support group discussion, but this is not a requirement. You will not be named in any outputs from the consultation, and no-one will be able to recognise you.  

Who is carrying out the research?

The National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) carries out the Five to Twelve study, alongside collaborators from the National Children’s Bureau (NCB), the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), and an advisory group of academics. NatCen are carrying out this consultation study. NatCen is the largest independent and not-for-profit social research organisation in the UK. You can find more information about us on our website natcen.ac.uk.  

Who is funding the research?

The study has been commissioned and funded by the Department for Education (DfE).  

Who has reviewed this study?

NatCen’s Research Ethics Committee has reviewed this consultation to protect your safety, rights, wellbeing and dignity.  

What will happen to the information I give?

Your feedback will be used to shape future plans for the Five to Twelve study. Your answers will be anonymous and will not identify you. We will keep recordings and notes from the discussion securely.

We may also share findings with researchers from other organisations involved in running the Five to Twelve study and researchers working on other research projects but never in a form that would identify you.

We will record the group discussion to help with note-taking and to ensure that we accurately capture what you tell us. Written notes and recordings will be kept securely to help inform future phases of the study. We will also keep a record of who took part to help us ensure we are not asking too much of study families. This information will not be shared outside the Five to Twelve research team. 

As with the main Five to Twelve study, we will treat all information that you share with us in strict confidence, in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Your personal details will be held securely by NatCen and will not be shared with anyone outside of the Five to Twelve research team. The information you provide will only be used for research and not any other purposes. NatCen is the data processor and the Department for Education (DfE) is the data controller for this research. 

If you believe we have not complied with your data protection rights, you can contact us at dpo@natcen.ac.uk.  

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF; telephone: 0303 123 1113; website: ico.org.uk/concerns

You can view the study privacy notice here.  

What if I need support?

Please let us know if there is anything we can do to support you to take part.  A list of support links is available here. 

Contact for further information

If you would like more details or have any questions, please contact the Five to Twelve research team: 

Our Freephone service is available Monday to Thursday, 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM, Friday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and Saturday 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.  

If you leave a message, please include your name and contact details, mention the ‘Five to Twelve Participant Consultation’, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Please also provide your Five to Twelve study reference number if you have it (this will be at the top of emails from us).