* How can one tell a 'good' school from a 'bad' one? * How should schools be judged? * How best might they be improved? Questions about the quality of schooling have dominated the political agenda for much of the past decade. As a direct result new policies have been introduced involving more performance indicators, league tables of exam results, more frequent inspection and the closure of 'failing' schools. Studies of school effectiveness and school improvement have much to contribute to these questions. Drawing on the latest research, John Gray and Brian Wilcox take a fresh and critical look at some of the reforms. How can one ensure that a broader view of what education is about is retained in the face of narrow performance indicators? What contribution can value-added approaches make to ensuring that schools in disadvantaged areas are judged more fairly? How sound are inspection procedures? What happens after a school has been inspected? How much do schools actually improve over time? And what prospects are there for turning round 'failing' schools rather than simply closing them?