School and Residential Ethnic Segregation: An Analysis of Variations across England's Local Education Authorities

Johnston R., Burgess S., Wilson D. and Harris R. (2006) School and residential ethnic segregation: an analysis of variations across England's Local Education Authorities, Regional Studies 40, 973–990. Schools are central to the goals of a multicultural society, but their ability to act as arenas within which meaningful intercultural interactions take place depends on the degree to which students from various cultural backgrounds meet there. Using recently released data on the ethnic composition of both schools and small residential areas, this paper explores not only the extent of ethnic segregation in England's schools, but also whether that segregation is greater than the underpinning segregation in the country's residential areas. The results show greater segregation in schools – considerably so for primary schools and more so for some ethnic groups relative to others – than in neighbourhoods, patterns which have considerable implications for educational policy.