The government's commitment to 'joined-up thinking' forms the cornerstone of the 'partnership' approach used in health and education provision today. In schools, and particularly where the promotion of inclusion is concerned, it's widely recognised that parents, teachers and other professionals can create effective partnerships by engaging in joint learning activities, supporting each other in their respective roles and participating together in various decision-making activities. The author argues that this over-reliance on 'partnerships' can in fact be counter-productive, and urges the reader to consider the three widely-held education partnerships from a less simplistic viewpoint. For easy reference, these three methods form the structure of the book: * parent partnerships * multi-agency working * partnerships with children. Liz Todd presents a new way of thinking about partnerships and demonstrates how teachers and education professionals can implement new, more effective strategies to truly understand how 'partnerships' can meet the needs of everyone involved.