Drawing on experiences in England over many years, this paper explores the authors' efforts to use collaborative inquiry in order to foster greater equity within schools. All of this is set within national policy contexts that emphasise increased school autonomy, competition, and accountability as central improvement strategies. It is argued that whilst such contexts create worrying challenges in relation to equity, they also open up new opportunities for moving forward. The paper concludes that national policies have to foster greater flexibility at the local level, so that practitioners have the space to analyse their particular circumstances and determine priorities accordingly.