Williams, GarethBurrows, AdamWilliams, Dean2022-06-272022-06-272021-05-20Williams, G., Burrows, A., & Williams, D. (2023). ‘It’s about portraying that we are organised …’ A case study looking at understanding identity changes within one Free school’s Physical Education and School Sport (PESS) programme.‘ Educational Review, 75(2), 305-323. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131911.2021.19175220013-191110.1080/00131911.2021.1917522http://hdl.handle.net/10034/626970This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Educational Review on 20/05/2021, available online: https://doi.org/10.1080/00131911.2021.1917522This research looked at changes made towards PESS at one of the first Free schools in England. Opened by parents as a new institution within an unfamiliar setting, the school had to contend with limited resources for an ambitious programme based upon a full complement of examination courses and an emphasis on prestigious team sports. A single case study methodology revealed that subsequent changes in identity stemmed from staffing changes, alongside a shift in personal philosophies towards a more inclusive ideology. Research participants agreed that ‘too much’ had been attempted ‘too soon.’ Using Goffman’s concept of ‘impression management’, changes are explained by the analysis of a team ‘performance’ communication to parents, identified by interviewees as key policy actors in the life of the school. This approach has been successful in justifying change, a finding that will help to understand the extent to which parental expectations are managed at Free schools.Attribution 4.0 Internationalhttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/IdentityFree schoolsphysical educationimpression managementcurriculum innovationArticle1465-3397Educational Review