Theories of chaos and complexity have achieved  some success in advancing the understanding of  non-linear systems in the physical world. The  three principal conditions for a chaotic system are;  that it operates in a non-linear way, that it is  iterative (the output of one cycle becomes the  input of the next) and that small variations in initial  conditions lead to large differences in outcomes.  Many systems within education appear to meet  these conditions. This paper explores the possible  usefulness of chaos and complexity in an  education context. It is hypothesised that some  important events at pupil, class and school level  may be understood within a chaos and or  complexity perspective. For example, cognitive  dissonance at pupil level and the school  community dealing with an adverse inspection  report at school level. It is further hypothesised  that chaos theory and complexity may provide an  alternative to the reductionist approach of some  school effectiveness work on the one hand and  the localism of qualitative case studies on the  other. Complexity theory may provide a tool for tracing the emergence of simple organising  principles from the complexity of social interaction and have implications for the study of schools and  their communities.