Governments, local authorities, school leaders, and teachers all over the world want to improve the educational attainment and participation of all students, and to minimise any systematic differences in outcomes for social and economic groups. A particular concern is for those students from backgrounds that may objectively disadvantage them at school and beyond. However, considerable effort and money is currently being wasted on policies, practices and interventions that have very little hope of success, and that may indeed endanger the progress that is being made otherwise. The poor quality of much education research evidence, coupled with an unwillingness among users of evidence to discriminate appropriately between what we know and do not know, means that opportunities are being missed. At a time of reduced public spending it is important that proposed interventions are both effective and efficient. Overcoming Disadvantage in Education is unique in the way that it: Shows where the solutions to underachievement and poverty lie combines primary(new), secondary (official) and published (review) evidence distinguishes between those possible causes of underachievement that are largely fixed for individuals, and those that are modifiable. There are evidence-informed ways forward in handling under-achievement and increasing social justice in education. This book shows which the more likely approaches are, and where further work could yield further benefits. This book will be a key text for students, developing academic researchers and supervisors in the social sciences, and for those research users charged with improving educational outcomes.

Around the world, schools are being asked to offer new services to students, families and communities in order to overcome the effects of disadvantage. This book critically examines the role of full service and extended schools.

This book explores the lives, experiences and the formation of higher educational aspirations among marginalised migrant youth in South Africa. Using a case study based in Johannesburg, the author illuminates their voices in order to demonstrate the reality faced by these young people in the context of migration to the Global South. Within the complex landscape of global and African migration, this book draws on detailed narratives to understand the conditions under which aspirations for higher education are – or are not – developed. In doing so, the author highlights the value of understanding individual lives, experiences and opportunities from a human development point of view, capturing the multidimensional disadvantages experienced by migrants in a balanced, intersectional manner. Balancing empirical data with theoretical analysis, this volume tells a rich, nuanced story about marginalised migrant youth – an essential work for understanding the conditions necessary for such youth to live valuable lives in both local and international contexts. This book will appeal to students and scholars of youth migration, aspiration and educational opportunities, particularly within the Global South.

The New Labour Government puts Education, Education, Education at the heart of its agenda but is it doing enough to combat educational disadvantage? Combating Educational Disadvantage sets the discussion of educational disadvantage within the socio-political context of the 1980s and 1990s, with its market philosophy in education and brings together the contributions of leading writers and researchers of international standing.

The Handbook of Bullying in Schools provides a comprehensive review and analysis of what is known about the worldwide bullying phenomena. It is the first volume to systematically review and integrate what is known about how cultural and regional issues affect bullying behaviour and its prevention. Key features include the following: Comprehensive – forty-one chapters bring together conceptual, methodological, and preventive findings from this loosely coupled field of study, thereby providing a long-needed centerpiece around which the field can continue to grow in an organized and interdisciplinary manner. International Focus – approximately forty-percent of the chapters deal with bullying assessment, prevention, and intervention efforts outside the USA. Chapter Structure – to provide continuity, chapter authors follow a common chapter structure: overview, conceptual foundations, specific issues or programs, and a review of current research and future research needs. Implications for Practice – a critical component of each chapter is a summary table outlining practical applications of the foregoing research. Expertise – the editors and contributors include leading researchers, teachers, and authors in the bullying field, most of whom are deeply connected to organizations studying bullying around the world.