Butterflies of curriculum realisation: Investigating early implementation of the Curriculum for Wales

Abstract Curriculum reform provides a vital opportunity for nations to ensure learners are equipped to fully participate as citizens in the 21st century. This paper presents an understanding of educators’ response to curriculum reform, and some of its enablers and barriers. Discussions were conducted with a sample of school senior leaders and learners from Wales. Senior leaders contributed during the early implementation of the new curriculum, with further discussions approximately six months later. Using the ‘butterfly effect’ metaphor, the potential for positive curriculum change is explored. Findings showed that schools were trialling different approaches and increasingly focusing on collaborative activities. Key enablers included the passion, commitment and confidence of school leaders and teachers, cluster working, the provision of support materials and guidance and positive learner engagement. However, barriers included a lack of knowledge and confidence in a minority of aspects of the curriculum, including curriculum design, uncertainty about progression, assessment and future accountability, as yet unmet support needs, and insufficient time. It is concluded that a learning orientation and a social orientation to educators' early response exists. The learning orientation is important to ensure the kind of inquiry for sustained learning for ongoing implementation. Addressing limitations in knowledge and confidence in curriculum design will drive this further. For the social orientation, importance was given to collaboration; it is by interacting with others, particularly within non‐judgemental cluster working, that knowledge is strengthened, trust gained and implementation supported.