Inequality in education remains a challenge for all countries, thus countless children are excluded from quality education within school systems because of economic, social, cultural reasons. On the international agenda there is an urgency of approaching the still troubling matter of “providing education for all”, especially providing policies and educational programmes for  improving urban school in highly disadvantaged areas. (Hopkins, Ainscow & West, 1994; Hopkins, 2001; Darling-Hammond, 2001; Reynolds, 2001; Lupton, 2004; Ainscow & West, 2006).  

This paper draw upon the results of a research focused on the analysis of an urban school life, located in an area of high poverty and social deprivation, immigration, unemployment, poor housing, etc., in Malaga, Spain.
The object of study is an infantile and primary school, providing education for pupils of different backgrounds such as: immigrant children, gypsy children, children of women who have suffered abuses, children with family problems, children with drop out schooling records and high mobility rates. The research intended to provide a deep understanding of the educational reality of a school in “challenging circumstances” and from the reflection facilitated by this research, more informed data to be available for the improvement educational plans and programmers of the school community.  

The general aim was to identify the main challenges, tensions and problems that a school located in a highly disadvantaged area is confronting in achieving an inclusive and effective educational provision for all pupils, as well as, possible solutions of these problems by considering the views of school administrators and teachers, pupils and parents.

The underpinning objectives were:

-         Identify the characteristics of the school context and what challenges  these characteristics present (concerning school location, school organization and global functioning, the educational provision, the relationship between school and the neighborhood and general characteristics of pupils, teachers and families)

-          Analyze in what ways the school culture connects/ embraces the socio cultural and economic diversity of pupils

-         Identify and analyze the relationships between pupils and teachers, between pupils and pupils and between parents and teachers

-         Identify the role of the teachers in improving and promoting inclusive education in that school

The theoretical framework is based on the social justice (Freire, 1972; Griffiths & Troyna, 1995; López Melero, 2004) intercultural education (Bank, 1989; Carbonell, 1995; Diaz-Aguado, 1999; Maturana, 1999) and inclusive education principles. We agree with the definition of an inclusive school as “design to secure children’s basic human right to individuality, culturally and developmentally appropriate education and to eliminate social exclusion.” (UNESCO, 2001).

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