Understanding Education Policy

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.

Chris Rolph is the Director of Nottingham Institute of Education at Nottingham Trent University. It has a long history of training school teachers, and is a recognised centre for the study of education. Chris has taught on a range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses, usually contributing to modules on education policy and practice. He supervises a number of doctoral candidates and is an active researcher, with interests in accountability and performativity, and the outworking of education policy into practice.

Before joining Nottingham Trent Chris spent more than 20 years teaching physics in secondary schools. He was a subject leader and Advanced Skills Teacher before becoming a headteacher; he then led 3 schools over the next 13 years. During this time he carried out small research projects and published several papers relating to educational policy.