‘One school, two systems’: Navigating the geographies of alternative education in an elite primary school in China

Abstract Despite the global rise of alternative education as a response to the limitations of standardised methods, little attention has been given to how these systems coexist with mainstream education, particularly in non‐Anglophone contexts. This article addresses this gap by examining a distinctive primary school in Guangzhou, China, where alternative and mainstream education coexist on the same campus. Utilising the framework of spaces of prescription and negotiation, the study explores how alternative educational spaces navigate the constraints of China's centralised educational system while maintaining their distinctiveness. The findings reveal that T School strategically adapts mainstream educational spatial forms to support its elite education philosophy, thereby underscoring the fluid boundaries and dynamic interplay between alternative and mainstream education. This research advances the understanding of the spatial and temporal strategies that alternative education employs within standardised systems, offering insights into the adaptability of educational boundaries. Furthermore, the study illuminates the flexibility of spaces of prescription and negotiation within overlapping and interconnected power geometries. By adopting a critical and poststructuralist approach, the framework could enrich the understanding of the fluidity and negotiation of educational boundaries globally. The study's findings carry significant implications for policymakers and educators, guiding the development of more inclusive and responsive educational policies worldwide.