This article explores a paradox, namely the rhetoric of engagement with diversity and social justice among education leaders, yet the paucity in forward-looking critical theory and practice to develop that engagement. It draws upon relatively new as well as established concepts, including the Capabilities Approach, to suggest how and why diversity…

National policy discourses imply rational and positive pathways to greater equality and inclusion for public sector workers, including those in education. However, radical feminist and critical race theory suggests that whatever measures are undertaken to disassemble systems which impact negatively on those who are minority or excluded, systems…

In the United Kingdom, a hegemonic view of the purpose of educational leadership is summarised by the National College for School Leadership (NCSL) as "transform[ing] the quality of learning for all pupils." School leaders are assumed to be committed to this aim, leading to a view of schools, embedded in preparation programmes, as benign…