The experience of an elementary school implementing the Touchstones Program--an approach to assessment within the proposed National Curriculum (NC) in England--is described, after which teacher reaction to the NC and fundamental beliefs about the nature of education are considered. The Touchstones assessment consist of 10 cross-curricular group assessments for children aged 6 to 8 years. These assessments are intended to provide qualitative information on performance in English, science, and design and technology for students in the changed environment created by the NC. These assessments incorporate attainment targets identified by NC working groups and are considered one of a range of approaches to assessment under the NC. The Touchstones Program uses three different assessments: those made by the teacher directly from observation; those devised from student-kept records; and those observations that are not recorded until all the activities have been completed. The approach was tested with 2 groups comprised of 6 children between 6 and 8 years of age who explored the strengths of paper, plastic, and tin-foil under wet and dry conditions. The assessment provided teachers and administrators with an understanding of what will be involved when NC procedures are implemented, and it raised questions about the influences that the NC will have on education, particularly assessment-driven education. Teachers in the trial interpreted the criteria for reaching levels within the attainment targets as implying changes in their teaching practice, suggesting that teaching to the targets is one probable result of the NC. A number of other concerns are discussed, including the concern being felt at the higher levels by tutors and students like that "training to become a teacher" has been replaced by "learning about the National Curriculum, Assessment, and Records of Achievement." (SLD)