Written specifically for education studies students, this accessible text offers a clear introduction to education policy. It aims to help the reader understand what is meant by educational policy, how policy can be made and the main discourses that have driven education.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Part 1 The context
• 1 Political ideology
• 2 Education policy and policy-making
• Part 2 The phases of education
• 3 Secondary schools
• 4 Primary matters
• Part 3 Political discourses
• 5 Markets
• 6 Choice and diversity
• 7 Professionalism
• 8 Performance and accountability
• 9 The future?
• References