Publications

This final report presents the main findings from the evaluation. These are organised in four main chapters: the implementation of the Foundation Phase Foundation Phase practice the impact of the Foundation Phase an economic analysis of the Foundation Phase. The final chapter discusses the implications of these findings with associated recommendations.

The changes in the world today are characterized by new levels of complexity and contradiction. These changes generate tensions for which education is expected to prepare individuals and communities by giving them the capability to adapt and to respond. This publication contributes to rethinking education and learning in this context. It builds on one of…

Executive Summary The aim of the 2013 ESF Leavers Survey is to assist in assessing the effectiveness of labour market interventions delivered under ESF. Telephone interviews were conducted with approximately 2,000 people who had left an ESF project delivered under Priorities 2 and 3 of the Convergence Programme and Priorities 1 and 2 of the…

It draws on: 239 classroom/setting observations 341 practitioner interviews 604 school/setting survey responses 1,008 parent/carer survey responses 37 Local Authority interviews 4 non-maintained organisation interviews.

It draws on: 239 classroom and setting observations 341 practitioner interviews 604 school and setting survey responses 37 Local Authority interviews 4 non-maintained organisation interviews.

The Foundation Phase is a Welsh Government flagship policy of early years education (for 3 to 7-year-old children) in Wales. Marking a radical departure from the more formal, competency-based approach associated with the previous Key Stage 1 National Curriculum, it advocates a developmental, experiential, play-based approach to teaching and learning. The Learning Country: a Paving…

Since devolution, the Welsh Government has implemented a range of progressive curriculum reforms that have sought to foster enthusiasm for learning, to develop key academic skills and competencies and to promote a strong sense of citizenship. The Welsh Government has now committed itself to a fundamental and independent review of the national curriculum and assessment…

This paper aims to replicate analysis conducted by Chowdry et al. (2013) which considers the determinants of participation in higher education (HE) in England. Using linked individual level data, for both participants and non-participants in HE, Chowdry et al. track 2 cohorts of young people from age 11 through to age 20. They demonstrate that…

Home care should be about empowering people to live independent lives near the people and places that are important to them. It should be the way that we help people get back on their feet after a health or personal crisis. It should be the way that we save money by avoiding unnecessary hospitalisation and…

The Foundation Phase (introduced in 2008) provides a developmentally appropriate experiential curriculum for children aged 3-7 in Wales. The Welsh Government commissioned independent evaluation (led by WISERD) aims to evaluate how well it is being implemented, what impact it has had, and ways in which it can be improved. The three-year evaluation utilises a range…