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Multilevel Analysis of Ethnic Clustering across Local Schools: Exploring Group Dynamics

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Title: Multilevel Analysis of Ethnic Clustering across Local Schools: Exploring Group Dynamics
Language: English
Authors: Yiyang Gao (ORCID 0000-0003-0421-7760)
Source: British Educational Research Journal. 2026 52(1):591-619.
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 29
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Secondary Schools, School Segregation, School Demography, Population Distribution, Ethnic Groups, Public Schools, Religious Schools, Cluster Grouping, Racial Relations, Group Dynamics
Geographic Terms: United Kingdom (England)
DOI: 10.1002/berj.70026
ISSN: 0141-1926
1469-3518
Abstract: This study examines ethnic clustering patterns across English secondary schools from 2010 to 2018 using National Pupil Database data and multilevel modelling. Despite concerns about increased segregation following educational reforms, findings reveal a general decline in ethnic concentration across all groups during this period. Analysis of 150 local authorities shows significant variation in clustering patterns, with Bangladeshi and Other White students exhibiting the highest between-authority variation. Multilevel models demonstrate that higher proportions of same-ethnic populations in local areas correlate with more dispersed school distributions for most groups, a counterintuitive finding suggesting complex dynamics of white avoidance and ethnic community strategies for navigating educational markets. Faith schools consistently increase ethnic concentration across all groups, while academies show mixed effects by ethnicity. Case studies of Birmingham and London reveal concerning patterns of institutional segregation, with different ethnic groups concentrated in different school types, potentially limiting meaningful intergroup contact. While declining clustering suggests improved opportunities for intergroup contact, persistent institutional variations raise questions about whether school choice policies inadvertently create parallel educational systems that undermine social cohesion. The study contributes to international debates about balancing parental choice with integration objectives, offering lessons for diverse democracies grappling with similar challenges in an era of increasing ethnic diversity and political tensions around immigration.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1499049
Database: ERIC
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  Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Secondary+Schools%22">Secondary Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Segregation%22">School Segregation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Demography%22">School Demography</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Population+Distribution%22">Population Distribution</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ethnic+Groups%22">Ethnic Groups</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Public+Schools%22">Public Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Religious+Schools%22">Religious Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cluster+Grouping%22">Cluster Grouping</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Racial+Relations%22">Racial Relations</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Group+Dynamics%22">Group Dynamics</searchLink>
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  Data: This study examines ethnic clustering patterns across English secondary schools from 2010 to 2018 using National Pupil Database data and multilevel modelling. Despite concerns about increased segregation following educational reforms, findings reveal a general decline in ethnic concentration across all groups during this period. Analysis of 150 local authorities shows significant variation in clustering patterns, with Bangladeshi and Other White students exhibiting the highest between-authority variation. Multilevel models demonstrate that higher proportions of same-ethnic populations in local areas correlate with more dispersed school distributions for most groups, a counterintuitive finding suggesting complex dynamics of white avoidance and ethnic community strategies for navigating educational markets. Faith schools consistently increase ethnic concentration across all groups, while academies show mixed effects by ethnicity. Case studies of Birmingham and London reveal concerning patterns of institutional segregation, with different ethnic groups concentrated in different school types, potentially limiting meaningful intergroup contact. While declining clustering suggests improved opportunities for intergroup contact, persistent institutional variations raise questions about whether school choice policies inadvertently create parallel educational systems that undermine social cohesion. The study contributes to international debates about balancing parental choice with integration objectives, offering lessons for diverse democracies grappling with similar challenges in an era of increasing ethnic diversity and political tensions around immigration.
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