Mental Strength Benchmarks: ImpactEd Group and High Performance Foundation convene the Mental Strength Taskforce

Mental Strength Benchmarks: ImpactEdGroup and High Performance Foundation convene the Mental Strength Taskforce

The High Performance Foundation partnered with ImpactEd Group to develop the first comprehensive framework for measuring Mental Strength in young people across England.

We convened a Taskforce of high profile and respected practitioners and organisations(including Lift Schools, E-ACT, Futures For All, Premier League, Youth Sport Trust), developed and delivered a national survey of 4,000 young people and expert roundtable discussions, and supported with shaping the subsequent national campaign.

The partnership has established a critical baseline for understanding and supporting young people’s mental strength, revealing notable gender gaps and key transition points that require closer attention.

The Challenge

Young people today face unprecedented pressures, from academic demands to social media influence, and yet there isn’t a unified framework for understanding and supporting young people’s mental strength. While concepts like 'mental toughness' and 'grit' existed in academic literature, there was no comprehensive, youth-focused measurement tool that could:

·       Provide a shared language across schools, youth organisations and families

·       Establish baselines to track progress over time

·       Guide evidence-based interventions.

The High Performance Foundation saw an opportunity to change this by creating a robust framework grounded in research but designed for practical application across the education and youth sectors.

The Approach

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Building the Framework

The research started with a comprehensive review of existing academic literature, which informed the development of core constructs that together define Mental Strength. Critically, the framework positioned Mental Strength as something that can be developed and grown throughout life, rather than a fixed trait.

"Mental Strength in this framework is not fixed; people can develop and grow their skills across different areas throughout their lives." Chloe Dannatt, CEO and Co-Founder of the High Performance Foundation.

Establishing the Mental Strength Taskforce

We worked with the High Performance Foundation to convene a Taskforce of high profile and respected practitioners and organisations to inform the development of the research. The Taskforce, outlined in full at www.highperformancefoundation.org/research,includes leaders of trusts and schools, education and youth organisations, businesses, charities and public figures.

Measuring what matters

With the framework defined, ImpactEd Group led the development of a survey tool specifically designed for young people aged 11-25. The language and content were carefully calibrated to be age appropriate while rigorously measuring all seven Mental Strength constructs.

The survey was piloted across 28 schools nationally, reaching 3,950 young people in Years 7 to 13. This substantial sample size allowed for robust psychometric testing, with the tool performing well with strong emerging properties.

Each participating young person received a personalised 'Super Strengths Profile 'highlighting their areas of strength and opportunities for development. Schools and trusts received reports comparing their cohorts to national averages, providing actionable insights for their settings.

After the survey pilot, we refined the framework into 6 pillars of mental strength, making changes to reflect learnings from the psychometric testing and stakeholder inputs.

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Listening to Experts

To complement the quantitative data, ImpactEd convened four expert roundtable discussions in July 2025, recruiting and bringing together 27 sector experts using our networks for deep-dive conversations. These discussions explored four thematic areas that impact young people's mental strength:

·       Personal Connections and Wellbeing (including sense of belonging, support systems and role models)

·       Active Lives (clubs, volunteering and community engagement)

·       Sustainable Role of Technology(including social media, phones and AI)

·       Thriving through Transitions (primary to secondary school, into Further and Higher Education, and into employment)

Key Findings

The research revealed compelling insights that have significant implications for how schools, families and communities can support young people.

A Significant Gender Gap

One of the most striking findings was a notable Mental Strength gender gap. Boys scored higher overall than girls (+0.14), with particularly large differences in:

·       Emotional control (+0.43)

·       Social self-efficacy (+0.27)

·       Challenge (+0.23)

·       Self-belief (+0.20)

Girls, meanwhile, reported higher commitment (+0.17) than boys.

However, not all schools followed this national trend. Some trusts and schools had successfully narrowed or eliminated the gender gap entirely, presenting opportunities for sharing best practice across the sector.

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Critical Transition Points

The data revealed that Mental Strength varies significantly by year group, with Year 11 to 12 representing a particularly vulnerable transition. While Mental Strength generally rises between Years 7 to 11, there is a notable dip when students move into Year 12:

·       Outcome control drops by 0.24

·       Emotional control decreases by 0.22

·       Self-belief falls by 0.17

·       Challenge decreases by 0.12

Launching the Mental Strength Taskforce

By combining rigorous measurement with sector expertise, the work has created a shared language and framework that schools, youth organisations, families and communities can use to better support young people.

The High Performance Foundation is now building a national movement to support young people's mental strength. To learn more about the framework or support their work, visit www.highperformancefoundation.org/research

If you are interested in conducting sector-wide research or developing robust measurement frameworks, get in touch with ImpactEd Group by emailing hello@impactedgroup.uk

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