Many useful things that progressivism has to offer (child-centred approaches, flexibility of response, negotiated and democratic classroom organisation) have been swept aside in the march of traditionalist policy. Taking robust theories of developmental psychology derived from the work of Swiss psychologist Piaget and Russian developmentalist Vygotsky, Silcock reasserts the need to explore the positive potential of new progressivism, and looks at how progressivist approaches can help teachers improve their classroom.