JRIE https://doi.org/10.1177/1475240918793955 Journal of Research in International Education 2018, Vol. 17(2) 148–163 © The Author(s) 2018 Article reuse guidelines: sagepub.com/journals-permissions DOI: 10.1177/1475240918793955 journals.sagepub.com/home/jri International schools: leadership reviewed Alexander Gardner-McTaggart Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, UK Abstract This article provides a systematic review of research on leadership in international schools, though not focusing on International Baccalaureate schools which are the focus of a separate paper. International schools are autonomous, private bodies that cater to the globally advantaged. Accordingly, this literature review views them and their leadership through the Bourdieusian concept of distinction. Educational leaders in this context face considerable complexities. International schools thrive on the distinction they confer, it being intrinsic to these schools’ identity. International schools can be understood as existing on a matrix, or spectrum, between conceptions of international and global; equitable and market-place. The review finds that international schools experience considerable unhelpful change and transition, where consistency is highly prized yet difficult to achieve. Along with tensions between their equitable and market orientation, transition emerges as the most significant challenge facing educational leaders in this context. Keywords International schools, educational leadership, international education, international schools leadership, Bourdieu Introduction This literature review provides an overview of the research and literature on international schools, with the section entitled Leadership in International Schools offering a systematic literature review of research. A review of International Baccalaureate (IB) international schools leadership comple- ments this in a separate paper. Both reviews consider the international schools sector through a critical lens. Sections prior to the research review unpack the complexity and diversity of interna- tional schools, which exist in many different guises and generally cater to the wealthy in two main forms: the international and globally mobile, and (increasingly) the upwardly mobile local-national demographic. It follows that discussion of international schools should involve the concept of ‘distinction’ (Bourdieu, 1984). This bears particular relevance to international schools as they posi- tion themselves in the educational marketplace, and is helpful in understanding the challenges facing leadership in this context. Corresponding author: Alexander Gardner-McTaggart, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, UK. Email: acgmctaggart@hotmail.com 793955JRI 0 0 10.1177/1475240918793955Journal of Research in International EducationGardner-McTaggart research-article 2018 Article