ABSTRACT
In this chapter we will set out the background and rationale for the Essex Primary School Improvement (EPSI) programme. The chapter is divided into five sections. In the first section we discuss the context in which the programme was conceived, planned and implemented. In the second, we outline the content of the programme, setting out the programme aims and how the project was organized. Included in this section is a review of the research questions we sought to address during the life of the programme as well as at its conclusion. Following on from this in the third section we describe the LEA focus and, in the fourth section, the anticipated benefits. In the last section we briefly review whether the programme actually helped us to address the research questions and whether the expected benefits accrued.
