Domini Bingham, London Centre for Leadership in Learning, Institute of Education, United Kingdom

(Social justice and early educational leadership in London schools – considerations in improving student outcomes in diverse schools’

How to evaluate the relevance and effectiveness of young school leaders’ interventions as intercultural agents in diverse urban schools in London. Can it be measured? Is this a valid question?

This small-scale research study, which is work in progress for my doctorate in education, explores the views of young emerging school leaders in London as to what social justice means to them in multi-ethnic schools in London. This is set against a context of school intakes of up to 98% students having English as an additional language (EAL) and where migrant students are on average one year behind native students (OECD, 2007).

Advocates of interculturalism, which acknowledges the capacity to learn from and other cultures, would argue that there is a requirement for school leaders to be able to reconstruct their own behaviours and educational and cultural beliefs to become competent ‘inter-cultural agents’ (Collard, 2007). For leaders in schools, intercultural education, in practice, means the consideration, valuing and inclusion of diverse cultures of all students in regard to school culture, to give each student an equal opportunity to do well at school.

The role of a school leader is crucial as school leaders are second only in importance to classroom practice in improving outcomes for students in their settings (Leithwood et al, 2004) and therefore how leaders perceive social justice can play a pivotal role in student performance. Leaders are seen as ‘cultural agents bringing values to bear on decision-making and policy decisions’ (Leithwood et al, 1999) and through their leadership, they can move beyond dominant norms and beliefs of monoculture in schools (Dimmock and Walker, 2005) to close the attainment gap in schools.

There is a gap in the research into intercultural education in school leadership, and significantly among upcoming young leaders- potentially with different perceptions from older established leaders. This study would contribute to scholarship in leading learning in diverse settings.

273 words

Domini Bingham

20/12/2011

ICS

2012-01-16

Marie-Anne Hugon

Institute of Education