Handsworth Revolution has been widely acclaimed as an important book. It charts the progress of an inner-city primary school over twenty three years, describing and analysing its evolution in the context of a local community at a time of rapid change. It is addictively readable, with a strong narrative drive which takes us on a personal, historical and philosophical journey that is enlivened by a vivid sense of the texture of real school life. It is much more than entertaining. It pauses from time to time to engage in profound and penetrating analysis of issues such as school leadership, the role of teaching and learning, the shifting political influences on education, the problems of social disadvantage, the experience of ethnic minority communities. It also celebrates the powerful impact of teachers and schools on children's lives, and has been enthusiastically received by young teachers and students in training, as well as by headteachers looking for reassurance and support on the question of the value of primary education. It is already being extensively used on teacher-education and leadership and management courses, both within and outside the world of education, sometimes as a set text. It will be of great interest in addition to sociologists, political analysts and local historians. This is a book not to miss. Its exceptionally positive reception from commentators in various fields suggests that it will come to be regarded as a classic of its kind, one of the few portraits of the actual life of teaching that has both become an important text for the academy and at the same time attracted a substantial general readership.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgements vii; Note vii; Winter: The First Year; 1. The Interview 3; 2. Handsworth 6; 3. The School 11; 4. The Assembly 14; 5. Walking About 20; 6. The Children 28; 7. The Appraisal 34; 8. Miss Minchin 37; 9. The Riot 40; 10. The Logbook 47; 11. Mornings 49; 12. Break 52; 13. Literacy and Lunchtime 56; 14. Afternoons 60; 15. Utopia 62; 16. The Film 67; 17. Building the Team 71; 18. New Blood 78; 19. William Tyndale 85; Spring: 1976-1979; 20. Parents 95; 21. Mr Afraz 101; 22. Difficult Parents 104; 23. Naughty Children 110; 24. Truants 118; 25. Emotional Survival 122; 26. James 126; 27. Marcus 130; 28. The New Building 134; 29. The Councillor 143; 30. The Unit 149; 31. Theatre 156; 32. Space 162; 33. The Next Step 165; Summer: The 1980s; 34. The Trip 173; 35. The White Dog 180; 36. The National Front Meeting 183; 37. Race Issues 187; 38. Harambee 189; 39. The Riots 1981 194; 40. The Riots 1985 199; 41. Joshua 202; 42. Teacher Action 206; 43. The Breakfast 211; 44. Curriculum 215; 45. The Visitors 224; 46. Reflections 231; Autumn: The 1990s; 47. The Marketplace 239; 48. Poverty 249; 49. Crime 258; 50. Breaking In 262; 51. Danger 268; 52. The Tragedy 271; 53. The Children 275; 54. Blair's Speech 285; 55. Fame 292; 56. Discouragement 301; 57. The Dance 309; 58. Dante 313; 59. Twenty-first Century Schooling 320; 60. Leaving 329; Notes and References 333; Glossary of Abbreviations 336