The Fragile Ecology of Schools That Value Equality

The research findings reveal the fragile ecology of schools, within which the positive aspects of their cultures are poised to lose out to market pressures. Quaker schools are not immune to these pressures and openly state their ambition to provide opportunities for academic success. In many ways, they are no different to other schools. Important lessons are gleaned from interviews with teachers showing how schools that value equality can be preserved and protected in ways that benefit academic performance. The findings support data from the students, presented in Chap. 8 , describing how outcomes were seen as more than qualifications. This seemed to influence and connect with their perspective that teachers, and their schools, respected them as individuals. The chapter explores these themes and then reviews some of the ways data presented in the preceding chapters can be understood in relation to broader educational issues.