This review of curriculum design styles in further education (FE) in England and Wales is divided into three parts. Part 1 of the research describes how the main and typical national or central bodies work. (Central bodies are the examining and validating councils that ensure national consistency of content and level of education of students holding identical certificates.) Descriptions of each of 10 central bodies focus on these topic areas: central body workings (origin, structure and composition of Governing Council and Examining/Education Committee, origin and appointment of officers, origin and ratification of syllabuses, use of systematic research departments or evaluation studies), dissemination (policy for presentation of syllabuses, use of publications and examiner's reports and their circulation, use of conferences in development and implementation of new curricula), and college processes (policies regarding examination techniques and teaching methods). Part 2 discusses results of a questionnaire survey of senior staff in colleges that focus on their part in curriculum design. It considers the diffusion of information from the central bodies and the decision making processes at the college level. Through five case studies, part 3 presents views of actual curriculum organization in colleges as seen by participants. (The questionnaire is appended.) (YLB)