Today the Sutton Trust has published Social Selection on the Map, which provides an in-depth analysis of geographical patterns of socioeconomic segregation in the comprehensive school system.

Put simply, the research tells us which schools are adequately serving all social groups in their community and which aren’t, and what this means for social cohesion at a local authority and regional level.

Together with the accompanying publication of the School Admissions Dashboard, an interactive map, it provides unprecedented insight into the dynamics of secondary school admissions in England.

The map allows school leaders to look at how their intake compares with the local catchment area in terms of the proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals, and how it compares with other schools - be it neighbouring schools or similar schools in other areas of the country.

Socially segregated schools

The data allows us to rank all local authorities in England by the extent to which their comprehensive schools are socially segregated - i.e., how evenly students from different socioeconomic backgrounds are spread across schools.

In the most segregated area in England, Solihull, you would need to redistribute 32 per cent of pupils across schools to achieve an even spread of disadvantaged pupils. In Barking and Dagenham, the figure is just 8 per cent.

Looking regionally, the North East has the most socially selective schools in the country, and it has three local authorities in the top 10 most segregated: Newcastle upon Tyne, Stockton-on-Tees and North Tyneside.

The North West is the second most segregated, also with three local authorities in the top 10. London, the West Midlands and the South West have lower levels of segregation on average.

The factors associated with schools being more socially selective give some insight into how this phenomenon comes about, including through school admissions policies, parental choice or local demographics.

What causes segregation?

Residential segregation plays a significant role, but there many other factors, too.

Areas with more faith schools have more segregation, particularly Catholic schools. Areas with higher proportions of pupils with English as an additional language have lower segregation. And rural areas have lower segregation than urban areas.

This matters because pupils sorting into schools on the basis of their socioeconomic background is bad for social cohesion and creates a self-reinforcing vicious circle of schools with high grades and Ofsted ratings attracting middle-class parents and teachers seeking “less challenging” schools.

Breaking this cycle by improving the social mix across schools would produce a healthier system, and help to break the link between school performance and spiralling house prices.

But crucially, it could also help to narrow socioeconomic attainment gaps that remain the widest in a decade, which he education secretary has recently identified as a priority.

Areas with the highest segregation have gaps in the rate of passes in English and maths 27 per cent higher than areas with low segregation.

Inclusion benefits

Combined with the fact that there is no correlation between segregation and overall attainment levels, this suggests that gaps could be reduced without negative consequences.

We need to make sure that all state schools provide an excellent education, but one of the ways that can be achieved is with a greater social mix of pupils across schools.

This must start at the top, with oversubscribed schools that have substantial FSM gaps with their local area making changes themselves.

The Sutton Trust has been helping schools, multi-academy trusts and local authorities to look at the impact of their admissions policies, as well as recognising those that have made positive changes.

Our Fair Admissions Pledge is a scheme that, in its first year, has helped around 50 secondary schools interrogate their admissions data and review their policies, providing tailored support, resources and templates to take the first steps on a path towards greater inclusion.

And our Fair School Admissions Award, open to all state secondaries in England, gives recognition to schools, MATs and local authorities that have already made changes to their admissions policies to widen access.

Making change happen

Every school’s context is different, and things that could help may include adding pupil premium priority to over-subscription criteria, putting in place random ballots or banding tests, as well as reassessing whether catchment areas fully represent local communities.

But there are also other measures that could be taken, including making school websites and parent materials more accessible, and tackling the high costs of uniforms and other “extras” that can put lower-income parents off.

Changes in national policy could be transformative, including requiring schools to prioritise pupil premium-eligible applications, as well as tackling how the accountability system rewards schools with more advantaged intakes, in particular by recognising socioeconomic inclusion and holding schools accountable for their admissions policies in the new Ofsted report card.

But, with the vast majority of secondary schools now their own admissions authorities, schools and multi-academy trusts have the power, and the opportunity, to begin that change right now.

Carl Cullinane is director of research and policy at the Sutton Trust

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