ABSTRACT
In 1988 thirty-eight students from school, a mixed, multiracial inner city school, took part in a scheme that was originally piloted with eighteen students the previous year, which involved the students being able to individually negotiate their own timetables for their final school year. The selection team was also very concerned that the group should reflect the school policies on race and gender. After the often difficult and complex selection had taken place, the Alternative Curriculum Strategies (ACS) co-ordinator visited the parents of the students selected to explain in detail to parents the advantages of the scheme being offered to the students. Some students followed a mainly mainstream examination-based curriculum with access to the ACS facilities offered within this system, while others followed a mainly ACS-based curriculum. The ACS music project involved the group in the processes of fund raising, letter writing, music, lyrics, keyboard skills, recording techniques, video production, sleeve design, publicity, marketing and so on.
