The present study utilized the Inviting School Survey-Revised (ISS-R) (Smith, 2005b, 2013) based on Invitational Theory andPractice (Purkey & Novak, 2008) to examine the school climate of a public primary school in a low urban socio-economicsetting in Kenya. School climate was defined as the perceptions of primary school teachers and pupils in five areas: People,Places, Processes, Policies, and Programs, based on the Invitational theory and Practice paradigm. Results showed that theoverall school climate of Raduce primary school was inviting in many areas. The current study revealed that in spite of thechallenges facing a public school in an urban low socio-economic setting, it is possible with inviting policies, programs,processes, and people, to realize positive academic achievement with students.

Scholars and researchers commonly understand that environmental factors have a profound influence on academic performance (Noguera, 2003). Student academic performance is directly influenced by socio-economic, psychological, and environmental factors (Oduol, 2006). Although educators cannot change a student's socioeconomic standing, genetic predispositions, or ability level, changes in the school environment can improve a student's chances for academic success (Lehr, 2004). Therefore, with a positive school climate, children from economically depressed urban areas have a chance to get quality education and realize high academic achievement (McEvoy & Welker, 2000). A positive school climate is an important component of successful and effective schools and thus is often an aim of school wide initiatives (Griffith, 2000; Koth, Bradshaw, & Leaf, 2008; Lehr, 2004). It makes a school a place where both staff and students want to spend a substantial portion of their time; it is a good place to be (Lehr, 2004; Novak, Rocca, & DiBiase, 2006). Growing evidence suggests that school climate can affect students' social environment, their behavior, learning, and that by addressing organizational processes and social relationships; positive behavioral change can occur (Flay, 2000; Zullig, Koopman, Patton, & Ubbes, 2010). Improving school climate is considered a preventative approach, rather than a reactive or remedial one. A positive school climate has been associated with fewer behavioral and emotional problems for students (Lehr, 2004; Marshall, 2004). However, the nature of schools and the significance of its climate in disadvantaged urban settings is not well understood, there is considerable evidence that the socioeconomic backgrounds of students in these schools have a bearing on how they are perceived and treated by the adults who work with them in disadvantaged urban schools. What is School Climate? School climate includes the interactions between students' and teachers' perception of their school environment (e.g. environmental factors such as the physical buildings and classrooms, materials used for instruction); academic performance; feelings of safety (Mayer, 2007), and school community of feelings of trust and respect (Purkey & Novak, 2008; Smith, 2013; Kuperminca, Leadbeatera, & Blatta, 2001; Marshall, 2004). Cohen, McCabe, Michelli, and Pickeral (2009) argued that school climate refers to the quality and character of school life and is based on patterns of people's experiences of school life and reflects norms, goals, values, (McEvoy & Welker, 2000; Zullig et al., 2010) interpersonal relationships, teaching and learning practices, and organizational structures shown to relate to social situations within classrooms and to the school as a whole. Koth et al., (2008) further stated that school climate is influenced by educational and social values, and has been Generally, school climate is multi-dimensional and influences many individuals, including students, parents, school personnel, and the community (Marshall, 2004). In the current study school climate refers to the perceptions of Grade 8 pupils and teachers on their school's people, process, policies, programs, and place. A positive school climate exists when everybody involved with the school community feels comfortable, wanted, valued, accepted, and secure in an environment where they can interact with caring people they trust (Mayer, 2007). Schools with a positive atmosphere encourage and welcome the participation of teachers, students and parents, which in turn make the school successful (American School Counselor Association (ASCA), 2003; Koth et al., 2008). Research has consistently shown a link between positive school climate and other important measurements of school success such as academic achievement (Noguera, 2003), effective classroom management (Marshall, 2004), and high staff morale (Mayer, 2007). …