Because the members are appointed by the Legislature, Mr. Cuomo has no direct role in formulating curriculum policy.

These aims were to be used as a checklist to test curriculum policies.

Again LEAs were requested to draw up curriculum policies and schools were expected to set out their aims in writing.

Thus subject departments and individual teachers are to be involved in forming curriculum policies rather than having rights over such policies.

The Authority's curriculum policies produced various responses from heads and teachers.

"It shows we really can influence what kids are learning with curriculum policies," Ms. Hannaway said.

For many years there was no whole-school curriculum policy at Sutton.

The second way in which national guidelines for curriculum policy have emerged is through conferences, reviews or national commissions.

Each document seeks to lay down a curriculum policy, define a subject area and stress the need for an education programme which is 'coherent and continuous'.

Local management will throw into sharp relief the fact that staffing decisions (in turn determined by financial priorities) can determine curriculum provision, if not curriculum policy.