ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we present an overview of critical literacies work from across the four countries of the United Kingdom: Northern Ireland, Wales, England and Scotland. Our survey of the existing literature highlighted that a limited and quite fragmented range of published research explicitly addresses critical literacies within a UK context. Mindful of this, we have extended the reach of this review to include an overview of contemporary educational policy in all four nations in order to consider the status of critical literacies within each policy setting and the possibilities for future work. Looking forward, we call for the strengthening of transnational connections, both inside and outside of the United Kingdom, to ensure greater dialogue and connectivity between the work that already exists and with a view towards supporting the emerging generation of teachers who are entering the profession with a heightened awareness of critical pedagogies.
