From academisation and free schools to workforce retention and curriculum change, education policy is a complicated, constantly evolving topic that sits at the heart of any academic study of education.

This book offers a critical contextual analysis of education policy and the political ideas that drive policy. It maps a careful journey across the recent policy landscape in England looking at major areas of the education system such as: the curriculum, SEND, pedagogy and the school workforce. Analysis is informed by assessing the real-world impact and implications of government initiatives and by taking into account key contextual issues. Case studies from educational settings, supported by study questions to prompt your thinking, examine how key policy ideas operate in practice.

This is the ideal overview of education policy for anyone studying Education Studies degrees at undergraduate level, trainee teachers seeking a deeper understanding of how policy affects the schools they will work in, and Master’s students wanting a clear primer on the subject.

Chris Rolph is Director of the Nottingham Institute of Education, Nottingham Trent University.