HOW LEADERS OF OUTSTANDING MUSLIM SCHOOLS IN ENGLAND INTERPRET ISLAMIC EDUCATIONAL VALUES IN A NEOLIBERAL CLIMATE: “British Values” And Market Competition

The chapter is based on PhD research data examining diversity in Muslim schools in Britain collated between 2008 and 2012, supplemented by additional updates from 2018 to 2019, which explore the impact of policy change on Muslim schools’ interpretations of religious values. The consecutive Labour and Conservative governments’ neoliberal education policies have contributed to the expansion and diversity of Islamic schooling provision in Britain. However, such governmental provision engages extensive and intrusive regulations that place further constraints on schools’ values and practices. The Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted) (Ofsted) inspection framework provides the mechanism via which every school’s performance is judged and publicly presented in the schooling market. However, such a framework shifts in accordance with revised policies to meet the latest regulatory requirements. Changes introduced include the promotion of “fundamental British values (FBV).” This chapter explores how leaders of “outstanding” Muslim schools interpret complex and controversial policies in line with their religious values and the contextual priorities of their schools. It particularly explores the leaders’ perspectives on how they implement the FBV policy in their schools to achieve sustainable Ofsted “outstanding” grading despite policy shifts. The chapter first examines changes to policy considering how neoliberal ideals of market competition are shaping and reshaping the education system in Britain. It then explores how these leaders enable the alignment of their interpretation of “Islamic educational values” with an Ofsted “outstanding” rating alongside parental market demands for “Islamic schooling.” Finally, the chapter expands on the challenges of change and diversity for Muslim school leaders working within both the educational policies’ enablers and constraints, parental demands, and the broader socio-political context.