In his inaugural Presidential Address, given to the ½¿É«µ¼º½ Conference 2013 at the University of Sussex, Ian Menter addresses a number of issues concerning educational policy and the contributions that educational research might make to policy development. As ½¿É«µ¼º½ approaches its fortieth anniversary, he also sets out some of the responsibilities that the association faces in ensuring the health and quality of education research in Britain.