This book explores policy and practice in a range of areas where education and other agencies (health, social and employment services and housing) interact. Its theme, of joined up policy and inter-agency working, is central to all those interested in promoting social justice for adults and children experiencing the effects of exclusion.

This collection will give readers interested in questions of social justice and education access to the work of some of the key contributors to the debate in the UK.

Working with Children in the Early Years is an accessible introduction to early years theories, policy and practice, offering practitioners in a diverse range of settings the opportunity to develop their knowledge, understanding and skills for working with young children. This fully updated second edition builds on new government agendas and interests in supporting quality provision for young children and their families. Bringing together current research and thinking in a broad range of areas, it covers: the diversity of practitioner roles and multi-agency working working with families listening to children observing and assessing developing professional roles health and well being curriculum and pedagogy the importance of play and learning in the early years All contributions are strongly practical and underpinned by relevant theory, and will support students and practitioners studying in the field of early years and early childhood studies as well as those aiming to achieve Early Years Professional Status. The book will also appeal to training providers, equipping them with a valuable and unique source to support a range of early years courses.

Educational Partnerships and the State is a compelling collection of essays by an international group of scholars that provides a critical exploration of the role of partnerships in contemporary educational reform. Their focus is on the expanding role that collaboration between the public and private sector has come to play in the governing of schools, children, and families in response to an array of worldwide economic and social changes. The contributors to this volume highlight the new relationship between civil society and the state through partnerships and what that linkage has come to mean for an array of educational issues including academic achievement, school governance, school parent-relationships, teacher education, the construction of family and community involvement, and the discourses of reform as practices that order participation and action.

Effective communication between the home and school is crucial for any child's education, but where special needs are concerned, creating good partnerships is essential. This book is concerned with home-school relations from an 'inclusive' perspective. Throughout, it highlights issues that are common across all children and families, those that reflect individual diversity and those that are of particular significance when children have special educational needs. Sally Beveridge provides debates on issues such as: * the conceptual and policy frameworks that form the background to this subject; * the fundamental nature of the learning environment that families represent for children; * the potential role of home-school relations in supporting the educational achievements of children from diverse backgrounds and with differing needs; * strategies for the development of positive communication with parents. This book offers a manageable overview of a complex topic, ensuring its appeal to students and practitioners alike.

Almost every Education Studies degree includes an element of comparative education, and this book provides an accessible undergraduate-level introduction to the theme. It begins by defining what is meant by the term ′comparative education′ and examines the benefits of studying it to students, policy makers, educators and academics. The book then takes a largely age-phase approach with a comparative analysis of selected education systems from around the world, including the impact of globalisation.

The universality of the problematics with urban education, together with the importance of understanding the context of improvement interventions, brings into sharp focus the importance of an undertaking like the International Handbook of Urban Education. An important focus of this book is the interrogation of both the social and political factors that lead to different problem posing and subsequent solutions within each region.

Shaping Education Policy is a comprehensive overview of education politics and policy during the most turbulent and rapidly changing period in American history. Respected scholars review the history of education policy to explain the political powers and processes that shape education today. Chapters cover major themes that have influenced education, including the civil rights movement, federal involvement, the accountability movement, family choice, and development of nationalization and globalization. Sponsored by the Politics of Education Association, this edited collection examines the tumultuous shifts in education policy over the last six decades and projects the likely future of public education. This book is a necessary resource for understanding the evolution, current status, and possibilities of educational policy and politics.

Offers practical ideas for facilitating the transition from school to career for young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

Safeguarding Children and Schools explains how schools are able to contribute to keeping children safe from harm and promoting their welfare, in line with Government Every Child Matters guidelines. The contributors, who are all experts in the field of child protection, put the potentially daunting task faced by schools in context, explaining relevant policy, the latest research findings and offering practical examples to help schools to be more proactive and meet their responsibilities successfully. Areas discussed include the roles of local education authority services and schools in child protection, working with particularly vulnerable or difficult children, the relationship between safeguarding and the curriculum, and training school staff to safeguard children. At a time when expectations of the role of schools are evolving, this book provides guidance and support for teachers, managers and social care professionals.