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.