How much have teachers and their pupils benefitted from the top-down Westminster-led control of policy held in place by a powerful national inspection regime? A Generation of Radical Educational Change: Stories from the Field is an exploration of the revolutionary impact of the greater and continuing involvement of central government in education policy-making which began in 1976 and was accelerated by the 1988 Education Act and subsequent legislation. In the book, a dozen distinguished contributors from a wide range of sectors explain and reflect on how they worked to do their best for their schools, teachers and pupils in these years of great change. They understand the reasons, explained by Lord Baker in his early chapter, for a National Curriculum in 1988, and also the reasons for a more effective national inspection system. Yet their stories accumulate to become a powerful critique of the top-down policies of the last two decades. These policies have been too numerous, short-term, incoherent and partisan; governments have been indifferent to professional opinion and serious research, and have relied excessively on measurable outcomes and simplistic Ofsted judgments. Our current system is narrower and less democratic than it was, but evidence is hard to find that English pupils are doing any better in international comparisons. The combined reflections in this volume are timely in these years of lively educational debate as are the suggestions for future policy. A Generation of Radical Educational Change is an invaluable read for current and aspiring headteachers, policy makers and those with an interest in education policy and how it evolves.

How much have teachers and their pupils benefitted from the top-down Westminster-led control of policy held in place by a powerful national inspection regime? A Generation of Radical Educational Change: Stories from the Field is an exploration of the revolutionary impact of the greater and continuing involvement of central government in education policy-making which began in 1976 and was accelerated by the 1988 Education Act and subsequent legislation. In the book, a dozen distinguished contributors from a wide range of sectors explain and reflect on how they worked to do their best for their schools, teachers and pupils in these years of great change. They understand the reasons, explained by Lord Baker in his early chapter, for a National Curriculum in 1988, and also the reasons for a more effective national inspection system. Yet their stories accumulate to become a powerful critique of the top-down policies of the last two decades. These policies have been too numerous, short-term, incoherent and partisan; governments have been indifferent to professional opinion and serious research, and have relied excessively on measurable outcomes and simplistic Ofsted judgments. Our current system is narrower and less democratic than it was, but evidence is hard to find that English pupils are doing any better in international comparisons. The combined reflections in this volume are timely in these years of lively educational debate as are the suggestions for future policy. A Generation of Radical Educational Change is an invaluable read for current and aspiring headteachers, policy makers and those with an interest in education policy and how it evolves.

Betrayal ...treachery ... treason. A year has passed since Kalli escaped from the Ferrasium, but the High Priest's stranglehold is tightening and his tentacles are extending to encompass all of Keymett. As Pharaoh's royal barges sail toward Wasset to celebrate the Jubilee Festival, the High Priest is poised like an arachnid in his nest, waiting to hatch his plans. Kalli must unlock the secrets of the Golden Scarab before all of Keymett falls under the High Priest's dominion, but who can she trust? Excerpt: Bells jangled above his head as Seraphis parted the beaded curtain at the shop's entrance. Bottles, colors of every hue, lined the shelves from floor to ceiling of the small space. Dark shapes floated within some of the jars and Seraphis saw eyeballs, tails, and scales suspended within. Scents of aniseed, sulphur, and camphor mingled in his nostrils. He coughed. The shopkeeper, a man of middle years, bowed and the tassel on top of his box hat swung in an arc. He swept his arm toward his wares. "Noble sir, how may I be of assistance?" The High Priest kept his hood up, shrouding his features and flicked a gold coin at the shopkeeper. "I seek Moorak." The man snatched the coin from the air faster than a lizard's tongue catching a drowsy fly. The coin disappeared inside his robes as if he was a magician. He pointed to a doorway almost hidden in the shadows at the rear of the shop. "The last door on the left. Knock seven times." The corridor was smothered in shadows and smelt of decay. A rat scurried away from his footsteps. The last door was solid and studded with iron spikes. He rapped exactly seven times, stood back and waited, drumming his fingers against his upper arm. Moments later, he heard a series of bolts being drawn and the door groaned open a crack. "Moorak?" Chains rattled and the door opened further. A hand crippled into a claw and tipped with yellow fingernails motioned him inside. Moorak secured the door behind Seraphis before shuffling to the work bench. A cauldron, blackened with soot, bubbled above the fire pit, belching green fumes. Seraphis' eyes watered. He blinked rapidly and tried to mask his surprise. Moorak was a woman. She was fair of face, but mottled skin, pitted and burnt, sheathed both her forearms. She must have become accustomed to her customers' reactions to her ruined arms as she glanced down and shrugged. "My art demands some sacrifice." Moorak shooed a toad off a chair and offered the seat to her visitor. "What service do you require?" Seraphis ignored the seat and paced, tugging his earlobe. "A slow-acting poison to stop the heart, but leaves no trace." Moorak nodded. "How do you want to administer it? By ingestion, a few drops trickled on food? Or slipped into a drink, or by touch?" "Touch?" "I have recently acquired a rare but expensive ingredient that can be smeared upon items, but it takes one to two days to work. The reactions vary dependent on the dosage. With a high dose, the victim succumbs to a failed heart, while lighter doses produce flu-like symptoms and kills the sufferer by dissolving their internal organs. It leaves no residue and isn't contagious, but heed my warning; there is no antidote. The slightest touch kills. " Seraphis smiled. "Perfect." Scroll up and grab your copy of Golden Scarab today. Contains adult themes.

Murder, mystery, and magic in a land reminiscent of Ancient Egypt. "You'll be trained as feminators, to fight death bouts for the priesthood's entertainment. You will never leave these iron-impregnated walls. Welcome to the Ferrasium." For centuries, guided by the Destiny's Oracle, the Bera-Bera tribes have guarded the secret of the windflowers. The High Priest Seraphis covets Pharaoh's throne and his minions scour the desert sands, seeking two ancient artefacts of unrivalled power. Kalli's fight for survival begins when the Priesthood uncovers her talent for forbidden magic. Thrust into their killing arena she's forced to fight or die. No one has ever escaped from the Ferrasium, but Kalli knows she must or her younger sister will face the same fate. How can a small band of pygmies, a tomb robber, and a magically untrained girl compete against the might of the Priesthood? "Ferrasium is a fast-paced thrilling ride in an exotic fantasy world with rich characters and vivid imagery. I can't wait to read the next one " Contains adult themes.

A cauldron of trouble is brewing in Valloaria ... Me sister loved me. I could see it in every worry-etched line on her face. I rested me hand on hers, looked her eye to eye, and said, "If it was one of ye bairns, ye'd go too." She held me gaze for a moment, and then nodded. "What will ye do?" "Find Adorabelle and bring her home." "But what will ye do if the witches won't allow it?" I hauled the small sack I'd previously packed onto me back and me muscles groaned, but I ignored the pain, squared me shoulders and headed out the door. "I willna be asking them." Sabrina and Lauren's tales entwine - linked by blood and magic. Sabrina, a newly fledged healer, is thrust out of her sheltered life at Mistress Florisah's healing school after the destruction of the witch-ancestor portraits. An anti-witchcraft militia is poised on Karthalon's borders threatening full scale genocide, unless Sabrina, the last of Lauren's bloodline, can destroy the Lodestone, and restore magic to Valloaria, but the Lodestone is buried deep within the heart of the Order's headquarters. Sabrina struggles to accept this suicide mission, and is distracted by her inappropriate affection for Micah, a prospect monk. Lauren's ghost haunts Sabrina's dreams as her diary reveals the tragic events behind Lauren's actions. With invasion imminent, Sabrina embarks on her quest armed only with a sliver of the Lodestone, and Lauren's diary but how can a lone girl prevail against an army? "I couldn't put it down " "A real witches story for real witch/fantasy lovers. Loved it " "Spellbinding " The Witch-Hunt Series. Contains adult themes.