ABSTRACT
The introduction of market principles and greater autonomy for schools comes with the increased accountability for performance. With a change of government in 2010, accountability became a more prominent feature within education. Accountability in education is aimed at increasing student achievement, and means evaluation and responsibility for all who are involved. The current Coalition government has made a commitment to provide comprehensive information available to parents about every school. The programme for international student assessment(PISA) data suggests that a greater prevalence of school competition is related to a stronger relationship between a school's average socio-economic background and the school's average student performance. The chapter asserts that two of the main types prominent in present educational policy and practice in England are hierarchical and market accountabilities. Teachers are drawn into an ethos of productivity by performance which may serve to undermine a teacher's autonomy and professionalism, leading to a culture of compliance.
