State and Education Policy: The Academies Programme

Helen M. Gunter is Professor Emerita at the University of Manchester, UK, and is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences.

'This is an incredibly important book on an issue deserving of close scrutiny. It offers precisely the kind of deep analysis that should be mandatory before ill-considered strategies are embarked upon by ideologically-driven governments. It raises crucial questions central to the role of the state, civil society, and the place of private interests in educational policy and school reform.' John Smyth, Research Professor of Education, University of Ballarat, Australia

• Preface Francis Beckett \ Introduction: Contested Educational Reform Helen M Gunter \ 1. Academies and the Law David Wolfe \ 2. Local Government Against Local Democracy: A Case Study of a Bid for Building Schools for the Future Funding for an Academy Richard Hatcher \ 3. The Birth of Norwich's First School Academy: A Case Study John Elliott \ 4. Academy Consultation Meetings: Local Discourse on a National Policy Kirsten Purcell \ 5. Academies in the Public Interest: A Contradiction in Terms? Alan Dyson and Harriet Rowley \ 6. From Reality to Vision: The 'Birth' of The Petchey Academy in Hackney David Daniels \ 7. What Works? An Empirical Assessment of Strengths, Weaknesses and Next Steps for the Academies Initiative Judy Larsen, Valerie Bunting and David Armstrong \ 8. Are Academies Working? Stephen Gorard \ 9. 'Rapidly improving results': Penetrating the Hype of Policy-based Evidence Terry Wrigley \ 10. Academies, Policy Networks and Governance Stephen J Ball \ 11. Joining up the Dots: Academies and System Coherence Ron Glatter \ 12. The New Enterprise Logic of the Academy Programme Brian J. Caldwell \ 13. International Perspectives on Academies: Lessons Learned from Charter Schools and Choice Options Around the Globe Ellen Goldring and Madeline Mavrogordato \ 14. Academies and the Myth of Evidence Based Policy: Limits and Possibilities Denis Gleeson \ Conclusion: Public Education and Academies Helen M Gunter \ Index