Purpose: This paper considers an undergraduate student's coming to, and use of, an ethnographic approach as a particularly appropriate way in which to investigate aspects of life in a British hospital school. Such schools occupy a liminal position with regard to education policy and provision. There is a paucity of research on hospital schools and particularly of the experiences and perceptions of teachers who work in them. This lack of research has implications for policy development. The paper therefore offers some rare insights into one of these schools. It also gives insights into how ethnography can challenge taken for granted assumptions. Design/methodology/approach: An ethnographic participant observer approach was adopted. Findings: This paper gives insights into how ethnography can challenge researchers' taken for granted assumptions as well as offering illustration of some aspects of life in schools. Originality/value: Although there is an extensive literature on uses of ethnography, this approach has rarely been applied to hospital schools. The paper makes a small step towards addressing this lack.