ABSTRACT
Th is book tells the story of the National Literacy Strategy (NLS) in England. It was and remains the biggest educational reform programme of its kind in the world. It has been a powerful and formative infl uence on the structure and professional culture of primary education in England and has also been a cornerstone in the development of knowledge about issues of large-scale educational reform internationally. Th e NLS has evolved and changed substantially over the years and has been a subject of widespread debate and discussion in England and abroad. Schools, politicians, researchers and critical observers have variously acknowledged its success and pointed to its weaknesses.
