This statutory instrument establishes the legal framework for attainment targets and programmes of study for the English curriculum within the national education system of England and Wales. The document is issued by the government of Great Britain to formalize educational standards under the Education Reform Act 1988. It provides the mandatory regulatory requirements that local education authorities and schools must implement to ensure standardized academic progression.

This document serves as a primary source for legal historians and educational policy researchers examining the implementation of the 1988 Education Reform Act. Experts categorize this as a foundational regulatory text that defines the historical development of standardized testing and curriculum mandates in the United Kingdom.