Shortlisted for the NASEN/TES 2007 Book Award

Increased partnership between professionals, particularly through the integration of services, indicates a major opportunity for child and parent participation, but one that seems in danger of being side-stepped. Drawing on substantial research evidence, this book looks at reasons for this situation; what is happening now, what developments and initiatives have been tried and what can be done to develop a culture of participation?

Some of the main threats to participation are discussed in this book including:

• Has ‘partnership’ ever been?
• Who is excluded from 'partnership'?
• Which discourses have made participation illusive and what are the implications – theoretical and practical - for how we move forward?

Partnerships for Inclusive Education includes a helpful framework map which guides critical thinking towards the development of a culture of collaboration and presents original and stimulating ideas to open up the complex processes that can frustrate participative practice. Combining socio-cultural ideas with post-structural thinking gives this book a strong yet accessible theoretical basis, making it a valuable resource to both an academic and a professional educational audience.

Liz Todd is senior lecturer and Director of Educational Psychology at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.