Bilingual education planning through free school reform in England: a case study of new institutional development

摘要: This study explores the extent to which free schools reform in England can facilitate innovation by considering how, and how far, parents advocates of bilingual education have used this establish state-funded primary schools. Currently little is known about either or markets foster language planning present thesis highlights not only opportunities afforded planners, but also significant constraints encountered due compromises demanded schools’ quest for legitimacy. Four case campaigns were followed six twenty-one months, generating qualitative field notes, public document analyses, parent, leader sponsor interviews alongside quantitative analysis intake using Annual Schools Census. Thematic was informed abductive engagement with data parallel neo-institutionalist literature. Initial codes clustered form four analytic research strands, leading main findings. Firstly, institutional entrepreneurs bricoleurs networking skills capital are key. For communities without this, a distant dream. Secondly, successful schools, needed mean such limited use freedoms that they cannot be considered offer innovation. Despite founder parents’ power over location decisions means their does appear innovative English context. Finally, guarantee legitimacy, campaigners carefully balance distinctiveness mimesis borrowing practices ‘best’ (often private) potentially socially segregating practices. However, early inconclusive. The ends recommending that, support innovation, government should shelter new from statutory testing pressure. Sponsors encouraged groups less capital, order avoid continued dominance monolingualism reinforcing perception as serving niche elite high status languages.