This article discusses some of the Government's current agendas for schools that appear to be in direct conflict with each other. For example, the positive effects of Every Child Matters, personalised learning, inclusion and collaboration are seen as complementary, but their implementation is viewed as being held back by the current regime of "tables, targets and tests". As these different directions cannot be reconciled, the suggested solution is for schools to forge ahead with the agendas that will benefit all pupils, while making it clear to government that the current testing regime and all that it entails is counterproductive and should be abandoned without delay.