Education policy in England.

This chapter is set within the field of education policy. Its theoretical perspective is drawn from political and economic theory to explain the varying levels of government intervention in education. Its original contribution is an analysis of the effects of government policy on education, in order to provide the newly required political analysis for undergraduate students. It is significant in that it is a contribution to the new literature on undergraduate Education Studies and is concerned to provide a broad perspective on theoretical approaches to the study of Education, being used widely as an undergraduate reader. Its rigour lies in drawing together a wide range of both research and the critical literature on educational policy. The author is also editor of the book, for which the proposal was peer-reviewed.