The 1988 Education Reform Act and the National Curriculum

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• identifies a first change, e.g. the National Curriculum.1 mark
• develops it, e.g. all state schools in England were required to teach a set curriculum of core and foundation subjects, allowing comparison between schools.1 mark
• identifies a second change, e.g. standardised assessment.1 mark
• develops it, e.g. pupils were tested at set ages using national tests, producing attainment data that could later be published and compared.1 mark

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• identifies a first criticism, e.g. an ethnocentric curriculum.1 mark
• develops it, e.g. critics argue the National Curriculum's content has historically reflected white British culture and history as the norm.1 mark
• identifies a second criticism, e.g. teaching to the test.1 mark
• develops it, e.g. high-stakes standardised testing can encourage schools to focus narrowly on test content rather than broader learning.1 mark
• identifies a third criticism, e.g. enabling marketisation.1 mark
• develops it, e.g. the Act's combination of comparable test data and funding tied to pupil numbers laid the foundation for competition between schools, which critics link to widening inequality.1 mark

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• makes one or two undeveloped points, with little or no named detail and no real evaluation.2 marks
• gives a clear, accurate account of arguments on one side with some named detail, and begins to consider the other side, but development or balance is limited.2 marks
• gives a developed, accurate account of arguments on both sides with named detail, weighs them against each other, and reaches a clear, supported conclusion.2 marks
• the National Curriculum created a shared, standardised body of knowledge taught to all pupils, which functionalists can read as reinforcing Durkheim's idea of social solidarity; local management of schools gave schools more control to respond to local needs; standardised assessment created attainment data that made schools more accountable.2 marks
• the National Curriculum's content has been criticised as ethnocentric; high-stakes testing can encourage teaching to the test rather than broader learning; the Act's combination of comparable results and funding tied to pupil numbers laid the foundation for marketisation, which critics link to cream-skimming and widening inequality between schools.2 marks
• a supported judgement on whether the Act's aim of raising standards through consistency and accountability was achieved, or whether its role in enabling marketisation and its narrow curriculum content outweigh these intended benefits.2 marks

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