ABSTRACT
The combined forces of a narrow, traditional curriculum on which external examination specifications would be based, a profession unused to being given the invitation to exercise its professional autonomy and the fear of failure in a world of league tables and performance management, undoubtedly influenced English in classrooms in the coalition years. The report of the Expert Panel made even more curious the final documents that emerged as the new National Curriculum for English. Reform to external examinations has been a constant for English teachers since the introduction of the National Curriculum, with each revision of the orders necessitating a revision of examination specifications. Looking for the Heart of English, John Richmond' alternative curriculum proposals and the National Writing Project shared one basic common denominator: they were all projects that benefited barely at all from any external funding, being driven by colleagues volunteering time and perhaps seeking to cover their costs through publications.
