Ethnically mixed schools increase integration, study shows

Schools with a mix of pupils from different ethnic and religious communities have less anxiety towards different backgrounds, government research has shown.

According to research by the Department for Education - which looks at the extent, quality and consequences of mixing between White-British and Asian-British-Muslim pupils at state secondary schools in Oldham - mixed schools boost positive attitudes between pupils of different ethnicities.

However, the report also found that segregation is still apparent at lunchtimes.

The report also found that White-British pupils at mixed schools have lower levels of anxiety in terms of mixing with the other groups of pupils, but had more negative interactions.

Researchers observed seating across year groups in the canteen at lunchtime at two points in the school year at Waterhead Academy, a merger of a segregated Asian-British school and a segregated white-British school.

It was noted that pupils segregated by gender and, more commonly, ethnicity.