An investigation into: what are the factors that teachers in four primary academy coastal schools in South-East England identified as influential in the development of their respective school's curriculum

The aim of this research was to explore the process of how four primary academy coastal schools in South-East England reviewed their curricula following the implementation of the National Curriculum (2013) for England.

The respective sample schools did not have to adopt the National Curriculum (2013) because of their academy status (DfE, 2013). However, in the process of their curriculum review and subsequent curriculum development, they had to ensure that their core curriculum aligned with the government’s increased expectations of pupils’ knowledge by the end of Key Stage 1 and 2 as set out in the National Curriculum (2013).

This qualitative research was conducted using an interpretivist paradigm. The empirical data was collected through semi-structured interviews with four class teachers (participants). Each teacher had responsibility for subject leadership in their respective primary academy coastal school.

The data (gathered from participant interviews) shows three key findings relating to teachers’ perceptions of factors that would influence the curriculum development process and, as such, impact the quality of the developed curriculum in the four primary academy coastal schools.

The first key finding that emerged from teachers’ perceptions in all four primary academy coastal schools was that the school’s context/profile influenced their curriculum development process. This factor would need to be taken into account if their school’s curriculum was to provide pupils with the learning opportunities and experiences, they would need in order to prepare them for the next phase of education and life in general.
The second key finding that emerged from this research was that teachers identified both internal and external factors beyond the school’s context/profile that influenced the curriculum development process in their schools. This determined their approach and influenced their thinking throughout the curriculum development process. They also highlighted the need for teacher training in curriculum development.

The third key finding that emerged from teachers’ perception of the factors that influence curriculum development in their schools, was the importance of school leaders affording teachers’ autonomy in the process. Due to the autonomy given to academies in the development of their school’s curriculum, teachers are becoming increasingly pivotal to its success.
This research has made a substantial contribution to the limited body of knowledge in existence about the process of curriculum development in primary academy coastal schools. It has provided valuable information about curriculum development and has shed light on an under-researched element of an ever-changing educational landscape.