Inclusion is not enough: a qualitative study of leadership, ethos, and policy in racially heterogeneous schools in NI

In Northern Ireland (NI), where the education system has historically been shaped by religious and cultural divisions, recent demographic shifts due to inward migration present both challenges and opportunities for educational leaders. While research reveals the crucial role of leaders in promoting inclusivity [Miller, P. 2019. “Race and Ethnicity in Educational Leadership.” In Principles of Educational Leadership and Management, edited by T. Bush, L. Bell, and D. Middlewood, 223–238. SAGE Publications.], little is known about how leaders in different school types, particularly those with limited prior exposure to racial heterogeneity, interpret these changes. Drawing on debates in multicultural education (MCE), we examine how leaders in a Catholic and a State-Controlled post-primary school, alongside policy workers, respond to racial diversity. Findings from 12 qualitative interviews show that while leaders are supportive of minority ethnic students (MES), responses are often intuitive rather than evidence-based, reflecting gaps in professional development and systemic constraints. The paper highlights the role of school ethos in shaping leadership responses. An ethos that makes a rhetorical commitment to inclusion without meaningful implementation embeds systemic inequities. By situating leadership of schools with MES within a complex web of ethos and policy, this study moves beyond prescriptive leadership models, advocating for a nuanced, critically engaged, and contextually responsive approach to educational leadership in NI.