The use of discretionary time in the primary school

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine how primary‐school teachers interpret the notion of discretionary time and how this interpretation relates to the amounts of time given to different subjects within the National Curriculum at Key Stage (KS)1 and 2. Head teachers from a wide range of primary schools responded to a questionnaire (161 head teachers, 46 per cent of the original sample). In addition, eight head teachers underwent extended interviews. Both the interviews and the survey demonstrate that the notion of 20 per cent discretionary time has been interpreted in a variety of ways. Only 8.3 per cent of those questioned said that National Curriculum requirements could be met within the statutory time. The result of these varied interpretations and practice has been that one of the central aims of the National Curriculum, that of providing a broad and balanced curriculum by way of entitlement for all pupils, has become distorted. There are now considerable variations between schools in the amounts of time given to different subjects. Generally, there is evidence of considerable stress and frustration amongst teachers. Fear of a new National Curriculum, planned by ‘experts’, has made some teachers cautious in their request for any future revision of the existing programmes of study. However, this needs to be set against their wish to exercise more control over the way the National Curriculum is organized within their schools to take account of particular circumstances. Nearly all the teachers felt that the National Curriculum had limited the possibility of ‘spontaneous’ encounters with their pupils which help forge the necessary teacher‐pupil relationships on which effective learning is based. The demands of the National Curriculum and its rather rigid structure appear to limit the opportunity for such encounters and in the opinion of teachers takes much of the fun out of learning for their pupils.