Abstract
Until the Education Act of 1988 England did not have a National Curriculum. Teachers were free to teach what they wanted until the age of 14. After that they prepared students for the examinations provided by the school examination Boards. GCSE (replacing O-level in 1988) at age 16 and A-level or A-S level at 18. In 1988 the National Curriculum was implemented from (5-16) years in State Schools. There is a wide provision of examinations, both academic and vocational, for the (16-19) age group for the increasing number of students staying on at this level.
