The number of ethnic minority pupils in England's secondary schools rose by 57% in a decade, according to research from King's College London

The study looked at the changing demographics of schools between 1999 and 2009. In inner London, 67% of secondary pupils are from ethnic minorities. Gathering such data is important for understanding the future make-up of the population. The study, from the geography department of King's College London, reveals a very substantial shift in the population. The 57% increase in ethnic minority pupils contrasted with an overall secondary school population rise of 4.7% - and a slight decline in white pupils, a figure that also includes immigrants from eastern Europe. Across the country, the proportion of ethnic minority pupils has risen in a decade from 11.5% to 17% - and it is set to rise again to 20%. There is a pattern of an increasing proportion of ethnic minority pupils in big cities, particularly London. London as a whole now has an ethnic minority dominated secondary school system, akin to that of many large US cities. This is also true of a small number of other towns and cities with large ethnic minorities, notably Slough (64%), Leicester (58%), Birmingham (52%) and Luton (51%). Manchester and Bradford are not far behind with 43%. This is not about recently arrived children, these are children born in England. And patterns of birth rates indicate that the proportion of ethnic minority pupils will increase in the coming decades. Such changes have become a major feature of the ethnic make-up of England's population. It shows a picture of ethnic minority families moving out to towns and suburbs across England. This is particularly the case for Asian families. Among the biggest increases were areas such as Merton, Croydon and Enfield. There are also wide differences in the ethnic breakdowns of schools in different parts of the country. In places such as Knowsley, Cumbria and Durham, fewer than 2% of pupils are from ethnic minorities. In Brent, Tower Hamlets and Newham in London, the figure is above 80%.