This book examines the role of family and schooling through an interpretive, qualitative, intergenerational case study. It examines the formation of academic and vocational aspirations by second generation (G2) migrant students from diverse international backgrounds.

Looking at the influence of family background, the changes and impacts of the migrant experience, and the effectiveness of the Academy, Hoskins and Barker interpret the successes of a cohort of sixth form migrant students from diverse backgrounds. They ask key questions about how participants perceive their lived experiences and imagined futures; how their aspirations and identities relate to their background circumstances; and in what ways the school and teachers enable and facilitate their future progress and potential career pathways. The findings challenge prevailing pessimism about the role of families and schools in enabling social mobility; and suggests the possibility that there may be important messages here for social mobility more widely. How do G2 migrants buck the trend?

A valuable resource for scholars of social mobility as well as for educators – especially those working with migrant learners. The use of theory, policy analysis and genealogy will provide students with accessible social mobility case studies.