ABSTRACT
In many educational systems much of what currently goes on under the label of ‘school improvement’ is not consistent with the principles and strategies outlined in preceding chapters. For a variety of reasons, many school improvement approaches are little more than a quick fix and expedient response to the demands for change and the setting of targets by external agencies. This is not to excuse teachers, school leaders, and governors from adopting a more authentic position, for, as has been seen, there is much they can do to improve the quality of education without reference to outside agencies. It is to argue however, that the policy context plays an important role in setting the educational agenda, and determining whether school improvement will be successful or not. It is for this reason that the final chapter of the book focusses on the policy context for school improvement for real.
