ABSTRACT
Illustrated through the USA and UK (English and Scottish) policy contexts, this chapter explores key international drivers of global policy and how these shape policy at the national level and create the context for schools, exploring the inherent tensions therein. Key themes within the chapter are globalisation and the role of organisations such as the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF); neo-liberalism; policy borrowing; and the tension between autonomy and accountability, themes expanded upon in subsequent chapters.
