After completing his degree, PGCE and PhD at Bristol University, Ian Colwill taught history at Archbishop Tennyson's School in London from 1973-86. From 1979, he began working as an examiner on the Schools History Project paper at O level and was subsequently appointed Chief Examiner for the Joint O level and CSE course for the London Board. From 1986-88, Ian worked as an ILEA history advisory teacher based at the Teachers' Centre in Clapham. In 1988, he joined SEAC as the Professional Officer for history and was involved in running the committees that approved new GCSE and A level syllabuses. During the gestation of the National Curriculum in the early 1990s, Ian sat on the NCC group which significantly revised the History Working Group's proposals. From 1993-5, working for SCAA, he was responsible for the review of the history orders as part of the Dearing review. In 1997, he joined the curriculum review team at QCA which was responsible for monitoring the history NC and for managing the implementation of the 2000 revision to the curriculum. Ian discusses his early career, the impact of the National Curriculum and assessment on the teaching of history, the controversies that have surrounded the subject and his role in national developments related to history teaching. Interviewed by Nicola Sheldon.