Pupil information sheet: focus group discussion
What is the Theatre in Education project?
It is a project to learn whether using drama productions - as part of PSHE education - help prevent young people trying or using illegal drugs. The project is being run by East Sussex County Council, the University of Brighton, and secondary schools.
All secondary schools in East Sussex have been invited to take part in the project. Some schools volunteered to do additional research activities including focus groups with pupils after the Time Out production.
What is a focus group?
A focus group is a conversation between a group of people, held by researchers. There will not be any teachers present. It has some set questions but is also a chance to chat more generally about ideas. It helps researchers understand people’s views on certain topics and is a good opportunity for people to voice opinions and have their ideas heard.
What does the focus group involve?
We will talk about your knowledge, attitudes and experiences around illegal drug use as well as your thoughts about the Time Out production. The information we collect will help us understand if, or how, Time Out has changed your ideas about illegal drug use. It will help shape future PSHE education.
We will use photos and quotes from Time Out to explore questions about:
- knowledge about drug use
- wellbeing
- motivation and experiences relevant to drug-use
- your thoughts about the theatre production.
The focus group will last one lesson. You don’t have to answer all questions and there will be some ground rules to keep everyone happy and safe. You should only share information you are comfortable with.
Is it confidential?
Although focus group discussions are confidential, any disclosure about drug use, criminal activity, actual or threatened harm against self/others will be passed to school safeguarding lead who will take appropriate action in line with the school’s safeguarding policy.
We ask all participants to respect the confidentiality of focus group discussions and not share what is discussed outside the group. However, as this is a group discussion, we cannot guarantee that other participants will maintain confidentiality.
You will not be asked to share your name or personal details. We will only ask for a pseudonym (false name) so we can link your responses when we copy out the audio recording of the focus group (which will be deleted once we finish). One of the ground rules will be not to share information about anyone else, such as people’s real names.
Your identity will be confidential, and your responses will not be linked back to you or your school in any reports or publications.
There will not be any teachers or school staff in the focus group; just pupils and two adult researchers.
Who collects this information and how?
Researchers from the University of Brighton and East Sussex County Council will lead the focus groups and record the discussion using an audio device. The recording will be stored on a secure, password-protected database managed by University of Brighton and deleted from the device. A Researcher will copy out the audio recording into text and then delete the audio file. When they create the text version, they will identify you with a pseudonym (false name to protect your identity).
Who will have access to the data and how is the information used?
Only approved researchers at the University of Brighton and East Sussex County Council will have access to the recordings and text files for analysis. Your school or teachers will not store or receive any copies of the information you share with us. The information will be analysed by researchers at the University of Brighton to understand the effectiveness of the Theatre in Education project. The findings may be:
- written up as a report for other researchers
- shared in academic publications or meetings
- shared with schools as part of a toolkit about Theatre in Education
- presented in a short film which will be available to the public.
The data is anonymous. This means that we will not identify individual students or schools in any publications or presentations.
You will hear about the results of the research from your teacher, through future PSHE lessons. Reports will also be available on the East Sussex Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (www.eastsussexjsna.org.uk) website in autumn 2025.
What are the risks of taking part?
There is a risk that the focus group discussion could bring up uncomfortable feelings or memories. If you experience this and need support, please speak to your teacher or safeguarding lead. If you are uncomfortable with a specific question, you do not need to answer.
You can bring anything you need to the focus group that will help you feel comfortable.
What are the benefits of taking part?
There are no personal benefits to you for participating in the focus group. However, the more pupils who participate, the more information we will have to help us understand the impact the theatre production. Your participation will help shape future initiatives that aim to educate and promote healthy behaviour in young people.
Do I have to take part?
Participation in the focus group is voluntary. If you decide to take part, you will be asked to provide your consent. You can withdraw at any time without giving a reason. Depending on when you choose to withdraw we may not be able to withdraw your information since it will be anonymised in the written version of the recorded discussion (using a false name). We would therefore still use the information you have provided up to that point.
Can I refuse to give information?
Yes, you have the right to refuse participation or to decide not to respond to a question. This will not affect your participation in the Theatre-in-Education programme or any related school activities. If you have questions or concerns about the information collected, please discuss them with your teacher, ask your parent/carer/guardian or contact the project research team.
How is the data protected?
To ensure compliance with GDPR and data protection regulations, only data that is necessary for this study will be collected. All information will be stored securely and managed in line with the University of Brighton Data Protection Policy and that of East Sussex County Council. For further details, please see the accompanying privacy notice or view this at: Privacy Pupil Focus Group Discussions
Who has approved the study?
The study has been reviewed and approved by the Cross-School Research Ethics Committee A at the University of Brighton and by East Sussex County Council’s Research Governance Panel.
Contact details
If you have questions, concerns or complaints about the project, please contact Professor Jörg Huber Professor Jörg Huber or David Bishop. You can also contact the ethics committee that reviewed the project, the Cross-School Research Ethics Committee A, and the Chair, Dr Lucy Redhead.
If you need this information in an alternative format please ask your teacher or contact Gemma Faithfull by email or call 07922 574718.
What happens next?
If you are happy to participate in the focus group, please sign the accompanying informed consent form.
Thank you for taking the time to read this information sheet and for thinking about being part of this important project. Your input will help improve PSHE for young people like you.
