Purpose: The research seeks to capture the "special character" of schools as seen through the eyes of the Principal and to introduce alternative understandings of ideological praxis' to challenge and unsettle the dominant ideology and logics of secondary schooling with consequent school design implications in South Australia.…

Concerned about the phenomena of early school leaving in our region, we are two teachers who initiated and developed a new school from the "ground up" to re-engage young people disenfranchised with schooling back into formalised learning. Using critical action research methodology over a three and a half year developmental period, this…