ABSTRACT
This chapter provides the opportunity to reflect on own views of English in the context of the history as a subject and to find out a little more about the debates that have been played out in different versions of the National Curriculum for English. Since 1990, when the first version of the National Curriculum (NC) was introduced, the statutory curriculum has provided one way of answering the questions of what English is. There are five distinct versions of National Curriculum since its introduction as part of Education Reform Act. There is a limited sense of the canonical which informs the construction of the secondary English curriculum. In English, the first version, produced by a committee chaired by Brian Cox, attempted to reconcile sharply different views of subject. A 'cultural heritage' view emphasises the responsibility of schools to lead children to an appreciation of those works of literature that have been widely regarded as amongst the finest in the language.
