This article discusses whether the occupational culture of teachers has changed as a consequence of increased managerialism, using as an exemplar some of the routine planning, assessment and reporting procedures in common use in schools in England. The article examines this claim in the light of developments after the 1988 Education Reform Act, which had a profound effect on the way education is delivered in England. It then relates this question to the issue of teacher and pupil identity within the English education system, and concludes that there are dangers with using such frameworks for education, as they can undermine the role of the child as an individual within the schooling process. (Contains 2 figures and 4 notes.)