The National Curriculum: can small schools deliver? Confidence and competence levels of teachers in small rural primary schools

Abstract

Recent calls for primary schools to provide specialist expertise across the curriculum have presented a particular challenge to small schools (roll < 100) whilst other survey evidence has shown low levels of confidence amongst primary teachers in several curriculum areas. One strategy adopted by small schools to increase access to such expertise has been the formation of clusters. This paper, based on data from two rounds of questionnaires to headteachers and teachers, relates small schools' teachers' confidence and competence self-ratings, and choices of curriculum support strategies to four levels of cluster commitment. Confidence and competence ratings were generally high but the expected positive relationships between self-ratings and cluster levels were only partially supported by the data. Explanations based on the process of cluster development are offered.

An Evaluation of the Quality of ICT Teaching within an ICT-Rich Environment: The Case of Two Primary Schools

“…Computers are powerful and versatile tools because they can introduce either levels of simplicity or levels of complexity into the instructional process and can enhance teaching and reconceptualize learning in numerous ways. There is still, however, considerable uncertainty over how ICT should be used in the classroom, a view corroborated by a number of studies (Watson, 1993;Hargreaves et al, 1996;Chalkley and Nicholas, 1997;OFSTED, 2001). While the use of ICT across schools has been established, integration into the teaching and learning process has hardly commenced (Harrison et al, 2002).…”

Respect and responsibility: Review of research on small rural schools in England

“…Their findings have challenged government assumptions about 'inherent difficulties' in curriculum coverage, breadth or depth, but drew attention, nevertheless, to wide variation in curriculum provision, and failure to exploit the potential advantages of smaller classes, ease of communication with colleagues and longer term relationships with children. Hargreaves et al (1996) and Galton et al (1998) concluded that despite its stated aims, the National Curriculum had merely resulted in more teacher directed whole class lessons, and no improvement in cognitive challenge.…”

“…They include the study of Curriculum Provision In Small Schools (PRISMS) (Galton & Patrick, 1990), the Rural Schools Curriculum Enhancement National Evaluation (SCENE) (Galton, 1993;Galton, Fogelman, Hargreaves, & Cavendish, 1991) and a longitudinal study of small rural schools' clustering and the National Curriculum in the Midlands (INCSS) (Galton, Hargreaves, & Comber, 1998;Hargreaves, Comber, & Galton, 1996). These multi-mixed method studies used structured observations, questionnaire surveys, semi-structured interviews, and various graphical and play-based techniques with pupils.…”

Reviews of research in rural schools and their communities: Analytical perspectives and a new agenda

“…Research on school-community relationships also tends to be in Category II, based on multiple case studies (Bell & Sigsworth, 1987) or a select few such as Vulliamy, Kimonen, Nevalainen, and Webb's (1997) unique comparative Anglo-Finnish case studies, which provide detailed close-up views of teachers' work and professionalism. Research in Categories III and IV, which take time as an explanatory dimension are unusual but include Hargreaves et al (1996) study of rural schools' clusters in Category III, and studies which return to the same sites after several years and collect data in the same ways (e.g. Webb and Vulliamy, 2006;Galton, Hargreaves, Comber, Wall, & Pell, 1999) in Category IV.…”

“…In England, Category I includes Bell and Sigsworth's (1987), and Arnold's (1998) studies of localised community and school interactions. Research on small schools' clusters would be located in Category IIa, where clusters were formed locally as a survival mechanism in the face of new policies (Hargreaves, Comber, & Galton, 1996). Category IIb is the most strongly represented in the English research as researchers have sought to examine the effects of large scale structural reforms on teachers' behaviour (see Richards, 1998;Vulliamy and Webb, 1995;Webb and Vulliamy, 2006) or occupational status (e.g.…”