A tapestry of multiple perspectives: Contextualising inclusive education through the study of a rural government school in Uttarakhand, India

•A situated understanding of inclusive education (IE) at a remote school in India.•Intersectionality and capability approach help in examining marginalisation and IE.•Participatory research builds on the strengths of marginalised school communities.•Structural forces undermine the pursuit of IE in rural schools.•Policymakers and educators should focus on teaching-learning processes at school. This article presents the multiple perspectives of school community members at a remote, rural government school in Uttarakhand, India, by using a strength-based participatory and multiple perspectives approach. By incorporating the capability approach and intersectionality to conceptualise inclusive education, qualitative data were generated with ten students using photographs/drawings/writings, and seven parents, three teachers, and one school leader using in-depth interviews. Reflexive Thematic Analysis helped construct the participants’ shared beliefs in the value of schooling, the development of diverse valued capabilities, the role of teachers as agents of social justice, and school as an equalising space. Simultaneously, adverse conditions of teaching and learning were identified that posed significant risks in the creation of inclusive and equitable educational opportunities at the school.