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The Implementation of the National Curriculum in Wales PRYDWEN

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The Implementation of the National Curriculum in Wales PRYDWEN The Implementation of the National Curriculum in Wales PRYDWEN ELFED-OWENS M A (Educ)., B Ed., Dip Sch Man., Submitted for Doctorate of Philosophy 1996 at the University of London Institute of Education CONTENTS The Implementation of the National Curriculum in Wales Acknowledgements I, Preface U Abstract UI, Glossary and Abbreviations w Introduction 1 Chapter 1 Working towards the establishment of the 12 National Curriculum in Wales 1944 - 1988: Chapter 2 The establishment of the National Curriculum 44 in Wales:- The Education Reform Act, 1988 Chapter 3 A review of the operation of the National 58 Curriculum in Wales at national level post 1988 Chapter 4 A review of the operation of the National 130 Curriculum in Wales at classroom level Chapter 5 Research and design 153 Chapter 6 Summary of Research Interviews 167 Chapter 7 Main conclusions and recommendations 249 Bibliography 257 Postscript 273 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am most grateful to: • Professor Denis Lawton who set me on course to study for both a Master of Arts degree and a Doctorate in Philosophy and whose whole attitude to life, to learning and to equal opportunity has been an inspiration; • Dr Janet Harland and Dr Louise Stoll for their valuable advice; • The seven interviewees for their time and valuable contribution; • Joyce Broomhall for her efficiency, interest and support always; • My husband, Thomas Elfed, without whose patience and encouragement the completion of this work would not have been possible. 1 PREFACE Welsh is not just a question of different words for different things. A language makes you think and feel in a special way. It makes you what you are (Beagan, 1992) " 'This is your new teacher', said my mother. 'Look at her, take your cap out of your mouth, shake hands with her, she's going to teach you everything'. She extended her hand to me, and a weak smile crossed her face'. 'Oh yes', she said, 'we'll teach him everything he needs to know, we'll teach him how to behave'. The door opened, and I could see children closely packed together on benches. There were two open spaces in the room, and two people on their feet, one in each space. The school-teacher took me to one of them, I only understood the words 'new boy' from all that was said. I could read Welsh pretty well by then, and I was placed in a class of children who were learning to read English. My reading book was one of the SPCK* books. I hate those letters to this day because of the cruelty associated with them and with trying to learn to read English. As soon as I opened my mouth to speak in Welsh, the whole class laughed and a heavy wooden block hanging from a rope was put around my neck - the Welsh Not. I had seen something similar hanging from dogs' necks to prevent them from chasing sheep. At midday, the teacher questioned the class and everyone's finger pointed to me. A weak smile crossed her face when she saw the block hanging from my neck. She approached me with a birch in her hand reciting an English rhyme. After that, the Welsh Not was around my neck daily. The teacher had to be told when anyone heard a child speaking Welsh, then the Welsh Not block was placed upon the neck of the 'offender'. It was to stay there until the wearer heard another child daring to speak Welsh, then it was duly removed and placed around his neck. At the end of the day whoever was unlucky enough to be wearing it was birched across the hand. Every day it was around my neck as if it sought me from every direction. This is a comfort to me today - I never tried to get rid of the Welsh Not by transferring it to another. My school-days which should have been full of the wonders of living and learning were the most bitter days of my life. I hated school, books and even knowledge itself. To school, lowe nothing but my story" (Owen M Edwards,1933). * SPCK: Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge 11 ABSTRACT The 1988 Education Reform Act offered remarkable curricular and institutional potential to Wales. It established a separate Curriculum Council for Wales to advise the Secretary of State and this resulted in the development of a distinctly Welsh curriculum for schools. Separate Orders were developed in history, geography, art and music in addition to the Welsh First and Second language Order and a Welsh dimension to the remaining subjects. In 1995 the Curriculum Cymreig (Welsh Curriculum) was given statutory status in every subject. This research focuses on the relationship between policy and practice in Wales in particular the extent to which implementation in the classroom reflects, or contrasts with the original policy. The first chapter traces the development of the Welsh Dimension from 1944 to 1988. The second chapter explores how the Education Reform Act relates to Wales and the third chapter follows the development of the Curriculum Cymreig (Welsh Curriculum) from the 1988 Act to 1st June, 1996. The fourth chapter explores implementation in the classroom through the study of a selection of the Inspectorate's reports and surveys alongside research into the effect of change on schools. The fifth chapter is an outline of the nature of the research, the selection of research process, the choice of participants and an evaluation of the methods used. It was decided that the optimum research process was the interview of key educational decision makers of major educational agencies in Wales, a report of which is outlined in chapter six. The conclusion of this research, as outlined in chapter seven, is that despite its historically disadvantaged start, the development of the distinctiveness of the Welsh curriculum is remarkable. However, although its profile appears to be rising, it is surprising that no reference is made to it in either the Bright Future series or in the Parents' Charter. Furthermore, its status and its development is hindered by loose monitoring and assessment strategies at every key stage and freedom of choice of both subjects and examination boards at Key Stage 4. ill GLOSSARY Awdurdod Cwricwlwm ac Asesu Cymru (ACAC) Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales Athrawon Bra Welsh Area Advisory Teachers Bwrdd yr Iaith Gymraeg Welsh Language Board Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg Welsh Language Society Menter Cwm Gwendraeth Gwendraeth Welsh language after~school project Menter Taf Ely Taff Ely Welsh language after-school project Mudiad Meithrin Cymru Welsh Nursery Movement Urdd Gobaith Cymru Welsh League of Youth Pwyllgor Datblygu Addysg Gymraeg (PDAG) Welsh Education Development Committee Swyddfa Prif Arolygydd Ei Mawrhydi Office of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector (OHMCI) IV ABBREVIATIONS AT Attainment Target CATS Consortium for Assessment and Testing in Schools CATS CYMRU Consortium for Assessment and Testing in Schools (Wales) CCW Curriculum Council for Wales DES Department of Education and Science DfEE Department for Education and Employment ERA Education Reform Act (1988) GCSE General Certificate of Education GEST Grants for Education Support and Training INSET In-service Education and Training IT Information technology IIMCI Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools IIMI Her Majesty's Inspectors KS} Key Stage 1 (5-7 year oIds) KS2 Key Stage 2 (7-11-year oIds) KS3 Key Stage 3 (11-14 year oIds) KS4 Key Stage 4 (14-16 year oIds) LEA Local Education Authority LMS Local Management of Schools NCC National Curriculum Council NFER National Foundation for Educational Research NSS Non-Statutory Standard Assessment Tasks v OHMCI Office of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector (Wales) OFSTED Office for Standards in Education (England) PoS Programme of Study SCAA Schools Curriculum and Assessment Authority SCDC Schools Curriculum Development Council SEAC Schools Examinations and Assessment Council SoA Statement of Attainment TA Teacher Assessment TGAT Task Group on Assessment and Testing Yl Year 1 in the National Curriculum (5-6 year oIds) Y2 Year 2 in the National Curriculum (6-7 year oIds) Y3 Year 3 in the National Curriculum (7-8 year oIds) Y4 Year 4 in the National Curriculum (8-9 year oIds) Y5 Year 5 in the National Curriculum (9-10 year olds) Y6 Year 6 in the National Curriculum (10-11 year oIds) VI INTRODUCTION The aim of this research is to seek a better understanding of the relationship between policy and practice in Wales in the context of the National Curriculum and focussing mainly on the primary sector. Phillips (1996) claims that from a sociological perspective, Wales is faced with a remarkably interesting situation and that education policy research in the principality is in its infancy. Illuminative and perceptive as existing research is, there is nevertheless a tendency to avoid the Welsh agenda.. and for policy to be described very much in an 'England and Wales' rather than an 'England or Wales' context (Phillips, 1996, p.32). He maintains that this is surprising given the curricular and institutional distinctiveness of the Welsh educational policy and he challenges researchers by stating: It seems to me that policy sociologists have the potential to produce a Welsh version of Ball (1990), a Jones (1989) or a Chitty (1989) in England, or a McPherson and Raab (1988) in Scotland or even a O'Buachalla (1988) in Ireland (ibid, p.38). This research attempts to evaluate how the implementation of the National Curriculum in Wales fits on the five levels of decision-making which were identified by Lawton (1978) and quoted by Chitty (1989): national; regional (local education authority); institutional (school); departmental; and individual (teacher in the classroom). Firstly, the investigation involved a literature review.
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