This paper offers a theoretical critique of the curriculum model adopted by Northamptonshire Local Education Authority (LEA) for its Lower Attaining Pupils Programme. It evaluates the way in which Northamptonshire chose to interpret the requirements of the original Department of Education and Science brief at the LEA level. The background section identifies the Northamptonshire program as an illustration of a debate that has been around for 20 years. The paper then discusses seven dilemmas that have been the focus of the debate: (1) the differentiated versus the common curriculum; (2) "vocationalism" within the pre-16 or post-16 curriculum; (3) the school curriculum and the validity of out-of-school experience; (4) the skills in skills-based teaching and learning; (5) the use of profiling as assessment; (6) who the clients are and what is the nature of their complaint, i.e. underachievement; and (7) central direction versus local autonomy: centralization or decentralization. Nearly 60 references are cited. An appendix summarizes the findings of the evaluation of Northamptonshire's Lower Attaining Pupils Programme project that was undertaken by the Further Education Unit. (YLB)