Curriculum Change in Secondary Schools, 1957-2004

This book is about curriculum change in secondary schools and shows how the quality of education has been affected by increasing intervention of central government.
Based on the story of one secondary school between 1957 and 2002, we follow the changing context of before and after the introduction of the National Curriculum; the changing role of LEAs and governors; and the characteristics since 1992 of school inspections charged with the responsibilities of policing the operation of the national tests, predictions of results, examination results, nationally set targets and compliance with detailed prescription of school curricula.This is one school story seen through the eyes of the six heads who covered that period and some assistant staff who served during forty years or more. How did those changes affect what they sought to do as professionals? This is a story which takes curriculum as the main engine of a school's development and so takes the quality of education.