This paper aims to explore how school leaders with different cultural backgrounds to the learners bring about change in school practices (Hofstede, 1991).  By focusing on the responses, attitudes and actions of key senior leaders in different types of urban primary schools in England, this study seeks to add to our understanding of this process.  We believe that any study based on cultural aspects will need to explore the contested definitions of culture and develop a critical viewpoint on how one factor could be deemed to raise standards to improve outcome of diverse learners (Reyes et al.,1999; Bell and Stevenson, 2006;  Heystek and van Louw, 2010).  The specific focus of our research is on how leaders are meeting the needs of pupils who have English as Additional Language (EAL).  We define EAL as those pupils who are learning English in addition to their home or first language.  Furthermore, we are investigating how leaders develop policy in their schools in pursuit of cultural objectives.  Our assumption is that the policy is likely to be shaped by the values, beliefs and attitudes of staff within the school, but also by the specific local context of the school and of the moral leadership.

The diverse learner population in England has increased consistently, especially in the urban regions, and with it the demand for different types of provision allied to new patterns of immigration and inter-group power relations (Sachdev and Bouris, 1985).  In particular, the increase of migrants from Europe into the urban areas of England has had a direct impact on the way in which the leaders tailor their provision for these pupils who have EAL.  Research has indicated that a diverse workforce tend to have better understanding and awareness of the needs of diverse groups of students than indigenous, homogeneous groups of the workforce (Lumby et al., 2005).  The idea being that leadership need to harness the skills, languages and cultural awareness so important for understanding and relating to diverse student groups (Lumby and Coleman, 2008).

Research through the TDA and NALDIC (TDA/NALDIC, 2009) has shown that there is a mismatch in the available resources for pupils who have EAL and the leaders’ understanding of how to use this provision effectively.  The likely affect of this to schools is an added pressure to personalising learning for pupils who have EAL with limited and may even undermine the principles of inclusion and equality of opportunity for diverse learners. 

The new inspection framework (Ofsted, 2010) in England places judgments on attainment and the quality of pupils’ learning and their progress by looking at outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils.  The evidence in the inspection process takes account of any important variations between groups of pupils, and an analysis of the progress of minority ethnic groups which constitute pupils who have EAL.  Findings from recent section 5 inspection reports (Ofsted, 2010) suggest that the context of each school is crucial in making informed judgments on raising standards.

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