November 24 2022

The Welsh Government intends to deliver a universal Baby Bundle scheme. The scheme will give expectant parents a free ‘baby bundle’ – a gift containing items for babies and parents, delivered a few weeks before the baby’s due date. The Welsh Government has asked Arad Research to gather parents’ views on the baby bundle, its content and how it will be distributed.

February 2023 Update.

February 2023 Update.The survey has now closed, but those who have completed the survey are invited to take part in a short online focus group to discuss the contents of the proposed Baby bundles in more detail. There’s a list of possible focus group dates on this form.

This privacy notice sets out more details relating to the research, the survey and the focus groups.

November 17 2022

Arad Research evaluated the first year of the Playworks Holiday Project.

The Playworks 2021 funding aimed to allow community-based playwork schemes to offer provision to more children than they would otherwise have been able to, and the evaluation evidence shows that new, additional activities were delivered. Local authority play leads welcome the additional funding available for play and reported that it had allowed them to address gaps and offer play to more children in more communities.

Link to report

August 14 2022

We are looking for social researchers to join the Arad team.

More details in the job description here.

July 13 2022

The Welsh Government has published a report by Arad, in association with the Open University and Prof Claire Sinnema, which sets out the findings of a scoping study for the evaluation of the curriculum and assessment reforms in Wales.

This report articulates the theory, assumptions and evidence underpinning the curriculum and assessment reforms and sets out recommendations for a robust monitoring and evaluation programme.

Link to report

June 28 2022

A follow-up report by Arad on schools’ preparations for the Curriculum for Wales has been published by Welsh Government.

The report presents the findings of 48 interviews with senior leaders and practitioners in schools. These interviewees were selected from those who responded to the Preparations for Curriculum and Assessment Reforms 2022 survey (conducted in June and July 2021) and opted to be re-contacted.

The purpose of the research was to explore responses to the survey in more detail and to learn what elements of curriculum realisation were working well and less well.

Link to report

April 28 2022

Arad’s report evaluating the Global Futures programme has been published by the Welsh Government.

Global Futures is the Welsh Government plan to support all learners to become global citizens, able to speak to people in other languages, to understand and appreciate their own and other cultures and to be able to have access to a wide range of opportunities both here in Wales and across the world.

The main aims of the evaluation were to:

• estimate current international language provision in primary and secondary schools in Wales

• synthesise the evidence from Global Futures 2015 to 2020 and its impact on schools, providing context for the evaluation of the 2020 to 2022 strategy

• set out how Global Futures 2020 to 2022 can adapt and align with the new Curriculum for Wales

• outline the next steps for Global Futures

The report can be accessed here.

January 31 2022

A report by Arad on the preparations for the roll-out of the Curriculum for Wales has been published by Welsh Government.

The report presents findings of a survey carried out in June and July 2021 examining school practitioners’ preparations for the roll-out of Curriculum for Wales.

The findings presented in this report draw on a survey of all schools and pupil referral units (PRUs) in Wales, distributed through multiple channels. Over 600 responses were received to the survey.

Link to report

January 4 2022

A report by Arad for Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales analysing the responses received to the ‘Collecting Covid: Wales 2020 questionnaire’ has been published. The aim of the questionnaire was to collect personal stories from across the country to create a comprehensive picture of life in Wales during the first lockdown and beyond. Questions covered the following themes:

• daily life

• health and wellbeing

• government and information

• the future

The report presents the key themes identified within responses to each question, along with illustrative quotes from individual respondents

Link to report

January 4 2022

A report by Arad as part of the Evaluation of the professional standards for teaching, leadership and assisting teaching has been published by Welsh Government.

This report presents findings from year 1 of the evaluation of the professional standards for teaching, leadership and assisting teaching.

This research involved interviews with key stakeholders, and an exploration of data collected via the professional learning passport, as well as interviews with practitioners across 20 schools in Wales.

The report presents the fieldwork and data findings, outlining the use of the standards, support available to use the standards, and the perceived and anticipated impacts of the standards.

Link to report