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Social Background, Ethnicity, School Composition and Educational Attainment in East London

Author

Listed:
  • Chris Hamnett

    (Department of Geography, King's College London, Strand, London, WC2R 2LS, UK, chris.hamnett@kcl.ac.uk)

  • Mark Ramsden

    (Department of Geography, King's College London, Strand, London, WC2R 2LS, UK, mark.ramsden@kcl.ac.uk)

  • Tim Butler

    (Department of Geography, King's College London, Strand, London, WC2R 2LS, UK, tim.butler@kcl.ac.uk)

Abstract

This paper discusses the effect of social background and ethnicity on educational performance in an area with traditionally poor levels of attainment. It begins by examining the variation in school performance for London and specifically east London. It shows how the disadvantaged nature of the area, as measured by such variables as Mosaic group and ethnic heritage, helps to explain the poor results at GCSE. The paper then changes the focus to schools within a seven-borough area of east London. Using the Pupil Level Annual School Census (PLASC) linked to the geodemographic Mosaic codes based on pupils' home postcode, the authors demonstrate that, although ethnicity accounts for some of the variation in performance, this is considerably less than that accounted for by pupil social background. In addition, they show that it is not simply the social background of the individual pupil that affects school performance at GCSE. The proportion of pupils from a given social background plays some role in boosting or diminishing the overall school performance and will influence the performance of individual pupils whatever their background. It is argued that these social background effects together with the school composition effects have a considerable impact on school performance.

Suggested Citation

  • Chris Hamnett & Mark Ramsden & Tim Butler, 2007. "Social Background, Ethnicity, School Composition and Educational Attainment in East London," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 44(7), pages 1255-1280, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:44:y:2007:i:7:p:1255-1280
    DOI: 10.1080/00420980701302395
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Chris Hamnett, 1994. "Social Polarisation in Global Cities: Theory and Evidence," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 31(3), pages 401-424, April.
    2. Steve Gibbons & Shqiponja Telhaj, 2006. "Peer Effects and Pupil Attainment: Evidence from Secondary School Transition," CEE Discussion Papers 0063, Centre for the Economics of Education, LSE.
    3. Chris Hamnett, 2003. "Gentrification and the Middle-class Remaking of Inner London, 1961-2001," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 40(12), pages 2401-2426, November.
    4. Ron Johnston & Deborah Wilson & Simon Burgess, 2005. "England's Multiethnic Educational System? A Classification of Secondary Schools," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 37(1), pages 45-62, January.
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    Cited by:

    1. Pierre Courtioux & Tristan-Pierre Maury, 2020. "Private and public schools: A spatial analysis of social segregation in France," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 57(4), pages 865-882, March.
    2. Wen, Christine, 2020. "Educating rural migrant children in interior China: The promise and pitfall of low-fee private schools," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    3. Martin Thrupp, 2007. "School Admissions and the Segregation of School Intakes in New Zealand Cities," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 44(7), pages 1393-1404, June.
    4. Smyth, Emer & Darmody, Merike & McGinnity, Frances & Byrne, Delma, 2009. "Adapting to Diversity: Irish Schools and Newcomer Students," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number RS8, June.
    5. Chris Hamnett, 2012. "Concentration or Diffusion? The Changing Geography of Ethnic Minority Pupils in English Secondary Schools, 1999–2009," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 49(8), pages 1741-1766, June.
    6. Chris Hamnett & Tim Butler & Mark Ramsden, 2013. "‘I Wanted My Child to Go to a More Mixed School’: Schooling and Ethnic Mix in East London," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 45(3), pages 553-574, March.
    7. Mark Hunter, 2010. "Racial Desegregation and Schooling in South Africa: Contested Geographies of Class Formation," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 42(11), pages 2640-2657, November.
    8. William Clark & Regan Maas, 2012. "Schools, Neighborhoods and Selection: Outcomes Across Metropolitan Los Angeles," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 31(3), pages 339-360, June.

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