This article draws on an inquiry into the design and implementation of the curriculum in a case study urban primary school in the north of England. In response to the introduction of the revised National Curriculum in September 2014, teachers and the school head engaged in a critical discourse around their perceptions of students' attainment and…

This article provides an interim report on a two-phase study of curriculum innovation in primary schools in England during one of the most significant periods of change for the last two decades. More specifically, the study addresses the challenges to school leaders created by the Rose Review of the primary curriculum. This article presents and…

Twenty years after the introduction of the 1988 Education Reform Act (ERA), BELMAS (British Educational Leadership, Management & Administration Society) held a discussion forum for academics, teachers and all those interested in education policy and practice. Was the ERA a success or a failure? The one-day forum of presentations and…

This article reflects on the historic tensions of education under capitalism, arguing that they have been exacerbated in our era of neo-liberal globalisation. Government drives for greater "accountability" and "effectiveness" are a blinkered response to the threefold global crisis we face: poverty and debt; a collapse of the…

Examines the primary school deputy headteacher's changing role following implementation of Britain's 1988 Education Reform Act. Using qualitative data from 50 schools in England and Wales, documents an ever-expanding role, accompanied by tensions between classroom teaching and wider curriculum and managerial responsibilities. Recommends limited…

The article reviews a recent report of the Task Group on Assessment and Testing under the 1988 Education Reform Act (Great Britain) as it applies to students with special educational needs. Concerns are raised regarding the detail of planning, language content, and the way progression is to be demonstrated. (DB)

Traces the chain of events involved in the conception and development of the British National Curriculum with special attention to the place of art and design. Describes the confusion concerning disciplinary boundaries, content, and attainment targets and questions the effect the confusion will have on art and design education. (LS)

Since the 1988 Education Reform Act, Gloucestershire College of Arts and Technology (Gloscat) in England has lost the bulk of its higher education provision and become a smaller, poorer, and largely vocational provider. This paper presents a case study of Gloscat's response to local changes and the need for competence-based curriculum. Reviews the…

During the past 100 years, there has been an evolution in publicly funded education in England. This report provides a historical perspective for recent reforms and spotlights three related areas. The first section describes the early 19th-century Newcastle Commission's efforts to design a system of sound and cheap elementary education for…

This manual on the provision of Professional, Industrial, and Commercial Updating (PICKUP) programming by colleges in England, Scotland, and Wales consists of a summary of recommendations, an introduction, 8 sections, and 11 appendices. Section 1 discusses planning; the requirements of the 1988 Education Reform Act; provision of programming;…

Recent British educational reforms, particularly the adoption of a national curriculum, have increased centralized control of education. Since 1988, teachers have witnessed the erosion of universities' role in teacher training, the "marketization" of the national inspection system for schools, and the imposition of school assessment…

Traces educational reform related to history education in Great Britain since the first Margaret Thatcher administration. Outlines the work of the History Working Group and two competing approaches to the study of history. Describes how conservative forces rejected pluralistic history in favor of traditional nationalist-based history. (CFR)

Addresses effects of the (UK) Education Reform Act of 1988 on three linked components of outdoor education: outdoor pursuits, outdoor studies, and residential experience. Argues that curriculum changes completely fragment the cross-curricular value of outdoor education and fundamentally undermine the role of perhaps the most significant process of…

Examines the interplay of political and educational factors influencing current U.S. and British school reform. The dominant characteristic of educational policymaking in both countries is "hyperpoliticalization." Britain's 1988 Education Reform Act, motivated by conservative political considerations, represents a setback to secondary…

This report summarizes a conference which addressed the 1988 British Education Reform Act (ERA). Two of the major planks in ERA, the National Curriculum and Local Management of Schools (LMS), were discussed in detail by speakers and delegates with a view to developing integration and building inclusive schools. Summaries are provided of the talks…