ABSTRACT
During the early 1990s there was a great deal of public and political discussion about two issues: the standards of performance of our national teams; and the fitness levels of young people. As a result PE came under the microscope, with attention directed at an alleged decline in standards of achievement and attainment in our schools. Accountability also emerged as a buzzword, with parents, governors, politicians, HMI inspectors and the general public all wanting to know about standards, and if the curriculum was being adequately delivered. While I do not want to enter into a debate about the rights and wrongs of accountability here, we do need to acknowledge that current working conditions include statutory assessment that is scheduled to be externally ‘audited’. The potentially most far-reaching influence on pupils’ achievement and assessment was the implementation of the National Curriculum in Physical Education (DES, 1992, DFE, 1995). This formalised expectations at the end of four key stages along with programmes of study and a specified attainment target, all of which have since become a way of life in schools.
