We recognise that quality of survivorship for children with brain tumours is a very important area.  Levi’s Star is proud to be funding and carrying out Doctoral research at Leeds University, focusing on how children who have survived a brain tumour are supported within education.

Children spend at least 30 hours a week at school and therefore school can be considered a major influencing element on a child’s rehabilitation following treatment for a brain tumour.  Support within school could have a substantial impact upon paediatric brain tumour survivors (PBTS), helping to ensure they reach their potential.  This is especially important considering that PBTS can experience difficulty in areas such as cognition and learning, social skills and behaviour/emotional regulation. Physical difficulties can also be experienced as a result of a brain tumour and its treatment.  Doctoral research carried out by Vicky Ringer is therefore concerned with looking at the awareness key school staff have about the effects brain tumours can have on children/young people and what intervention strategies are used in school to identify and support deficits experienced by PBTS.  It will also consider the journey, perceptions/views of parents and children/young people who have survived a brain tumour, focusing on what support works well in school for them and if/how they feel support could be improved.

The research is driven by a desire to understand the perspectives of families/PBTS and school staff.  Using a qualitative approach to research is the best approach for the study because it is concerned with real-life and the lived journey/experience of PBTS, their families and teachers/support staff.  It is concerned with the way young people affected by a brain tumour are supported at school. Understanding the ‘human experience’ of families/young people affected by brain tumours as they return to school and ‘life’, post treatment is central to this study and will be used to inform/improve practice.

For more information please contact Vicky Ringer on 07971 932610