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This article attempts to construct an analytical framework to reflect upon the deeply contested area of 14-19 education and training policy in England following the publication of the Government’s White Paper '14-19 education and skills' [indexed at TD/IRD 88.163]. We argue that the evolution of 14-19 policy over the last 15 years, culminating in the publication of the Tomlinson Final Report on 14-19 reform [indexed at TD/IRD 88.166] and then its rejection by the Government, might be better understood by looking at this area through the application of four related conceptual tools - political eras, the education state, the policy process and the operation of political space. These concepts or tools are used here both to narrate historical and recent 14-19 developments, to critique current policymaking in this area, and to identify opportunities and challenges facing researchers seeking to engage with the policy process. We suggest that this analytical framework might not only be applied to reform in the 14-19 phase but also to education policy more widely.