This article draws from a Masters research study investigating the early implementation of the NSW English K-10 Syllabus in Year 9 with a focus on, teachers' perceptions of the various forms and purposes of assessment and the role these play in the classroom. The five participants were drawn from one English faculty in a single sex school in the Sydney metropolitan area. In this case study it is evident that systemic policy and an external national testing agenda constrain both classroom and assessment practices consequently narrowing teacher assessment literacy. It appears that the challenge ahead for educators is to balance the demands of external testing with professional agency to develop meaningful assessment strategies that capture the learning occurring in the classroom.