Table 2 Study 1 key points and quotes

Data collection/stepped wedge evaluation

1

A need to keep the administrative burden of data collection on schools low

Scheduling data collection

“I guess the admin element would come from you guys [the research team] rather than our side. That would be it [the main issue], really.”– Participant 7: Deputy Headteacher (9.7% FSM, IMD 3)

Practical considerations

“Not adding additional workload to staff, I think, is the biggest one [thing the research team can do to make data collection as least disruptive as possible].” - Participant 8: PE Lead (46.9% FSM, IMD 1)

Practical considerations

“It’s not like it’s, kind of, detrimental to the day, whether that was half an hour in an afternoon, it wouldn’t be a concern.”– Participant 10: PE Lead (6.1% FSM, IMD 10)

2

Keep number of data collection time points to no more than 4–5 maximum

Scheduling data collection

“So, it would be four [time points], really. Potentially you could look at sticking one in May, but…”– Participant 7: Deputy Headteacher (9.7% FSM, IMD 3)

Scheduling data collection

“I think five points over a year, the space of a year, I think is practical.”– Participant 8: PE Lead (46.9% FSM, IMD 1)

Scheduling data collection

“I think that’s [either three or four data collection points throughout year 5] reasonable. Because, you know, it’s not even once a term, and it’s only half an hour.”– Participant 10: PE Lead (6.1% FSM, IMD 10)

3

Space data collection time points out to once a term or every 6 weeks

Scheduling data collection

“That’s fine, you could do that [data collection] termly. As long as teachers know, they don’t need a lot of notice for that. It’s like anything, the more they’re aware they won’t book a trip for that day or do something else that will suddenly cause you [the research team] problems if we say, ‘We can’t do that day now’.”– Participant 3: Headteacher (9.7% FSM, IMD 3)

Scheduling data collection

“I think having one a term would probably be the most practical. Because you know that just one afternoon, or whatever it is that you need with the children, or with the year group, it can be timetabled in termly. I think if you go to eight weeks, it can get a little bit messy on crossovers of half-terms, and things like that.”– Participant 8: PE Lead (46.9% FSM, IMD 1)

4

Avoid certain times in the school year (busy periods and assessment dates)

Scheduling data collection

“I would suggest that December wasn’t used because it’s the month where we’re most off timetable […] other than that, I think any other point in the year would be fine, and knowing them in advance would be really useful.” - Participant 6: Class Teacher (18.3% FSM, IMD 6)

Scheduling data collection

“Yeah, just [avoid] key assessments and probably not the first week of September or anything, but apart from that, it sounds pretty okay to manage, yeah.” - Feasibility 11: Principal (35.4% FSM, IMD 4)

Scheduling data collection

“[In June] Year 4 have a national times table test. So, the first thing is avoiding that date, whenever that is”– Participant 8: PE Lead (46.9% FSM, IMD 1)

Scheduling data collection

“Yeah, definitely, you have to avoid SATs week. […] And key assessment weeks. I mean I’d find that quite stressful if it was like suddenly we’ve got to do this in this week in May, when actually all of the staff are actually helping out with that assessment. So I think we need to be able to reassure schools that it won’t be these weeks.”– Participant 11: Principal (35.4% FSM, IMD 4)

Scheduling data collection

“The only thing, I think, especially with us being a small school, is around SATs week, avoiding the lead-up to that. In bigger schools, it wouldn’t make such a difference, because their Year 5 and Year 6 are separate, but obviously, for us, they’re in one class.”– Participant 15: PE Lead (7.1% FSM, IMD 7)

Intervention delivery

5

Lack of flexibility in when the intervention begins in the school year is acceptable

Scheduling implementation

“I think teachers and schools are so set on dates and stuff that we’re quite rigid for things too, so I think that [inflexibility on when the intervention would begin] would be fine.”– Participant 6: Class Teacher (18.3% FSM, IMD 6)

6

Minimum notice of a term/6 weeks for the start of the intervention to resolve timetabling issues

Perceptions of feasibility

“Schools are incredibly routine, very regimented. The more notice we have with stuff, the better. Saying that, we’re very good at turning things around quickly. If I can put it in diaries that we know you’re coming in this week or even to the day, that will help. […] I think we’d realistically needs a term’s notice, which is six weeks, as a minimum for us. Most terms are six to eight weeks. Obviously, now we’re at the end of term two. If you asked me to put something in term three, I’d really struggle. I might be able to do it, but it might be a struggle.”– Participant 3: Headteacher (9.7% FSM, IMD 3)

7

Lead in time required varies by intervention component

Scheduling implementation

“A term [notice] would be okay, but much shorter than that is quite short.”– Participant 15: PE Lead (7.1% FSM, IMD 7)

Scheduling implementation

“So I’d say, yeah, probably at least a term’s preparation for anything that involves some training. Anything that’s bigger than that, a school process or changing when this happens or that, would probably be a yearly thing. […] If it was a very small tweak to a PE lesson, or something like that, or putting some new equipment out at playtime then that could be done almost straightaway. Yeah, things do happen and can happen quite quickly as well.”– Participant 9: Class Teacher (7.1% FSM, IMD 7)

Scheduling implementation

“[Organising and setting up external club provision takes] not long at all. We’ve got a very effective admin team. The issue might be if you need a hall, a playground or something to do something physical, it’s just scheduling it. In real terms we could easily get something like [external provision] set up probably within two weeks. It wouldn’t take long at all because you’ve got your captive audience. We want to do something in two weeks’ time, it would be timetabling issues and what do we swap around, what do we need to move? A couple of weeks to make that happen, realistically. Longer is always good, but you could do it as quickly as that.”– Participant 3: Headteacher (9.7% FSM, IMD 3)

8

Concern for the impact of season on when the intervention begins

Seasonality

“Even when we have a wet play, for example, that would be another maybe factor that may bring your levels or your readings down on those because a wet play day, you’re just stuck in the classroom all day, and we’ve had three or four of them this year.”– Participant 12: Class Teacher (60% FSM, IMD 1)