In 1996 Routledge published Success Against the Odds, which looked at how a sample of schools in a variety of disadvantaged areas managed to be effective, despite the odds being stacked against them. Since that time much has been written on school improvement and raising standards. Success Against the Odds - Five Years On revisits the eleven schools that were studied in the first book to see if they are still managing to do well in the current climate. The book looks at what has been learnt and developed in the field of school improvement and effectiveness during the period between 1995 and 2000 and implications for policy and practice are discussed.