The National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) [1] is the UK's largest independent provider of research, assessment and information services for education, training and children's services. Its clients include UK government departments and agencies at both national and local levels, which benefit from NFER's full range of expert and professional services. NFER’s purpose is to provide independent evidence that improves education and training and hence the lives of learners [2]. In 2015 for instance, the Alcohol Education Trust commissioned NFER to conduct an independent evaluation of the impact of its Talk About Alcohol intervention, which gives teachers free printed and online tools to encourage students age 11–18 to make informed decisions concerning alcohol consumption [3]. |