Colleges and universities get a new framework for building belonging
What happened
On 9 September 2026, the Department for Education set out a new community cohesion framework for colleges, universities and student unions in England. The framework has been co-designed with students. Its aim is to agree a set of shared principles for how students conduct themselves and engage with each other on the issues that either build cohesion or, if left alone, damage it. In practical terms, it is meant to help institutions do four things: review and strengthen the policies they already have, encourage positive relationships and civic participation among students, develop local charters or initiatives of their own, and set up ways to monitor whether any of it is working. It is being rolled out in phases. The first phase covers five areas: Greater Manchester, the North West and North London, Bristol and Gloucestershire, Sunderland and the North East, and Derby and the East Midlands. A first draft of the framework and an accompanying toolkit are expected by the end of 2026, with wider testing and implementation to follow. The department says the work sits within the government's 'Protecting What Matters' policy, and that it was accelerated in response to a rise in antisemitism and other forms of hatred.
Why this matters
Colleges and universities are one of the few places left where large numbers of people from very different backgrounds spend time in the same room, on purpose, for years at a time. That makes them unusually important for cohesion, and unusually exposed when it breaks down. Campuses have been the site of some of the sharpest disagreements of recent years, and institutions have often been left to work out on their own where the line sits between free expression, which universities are legally required to protect, and harassment, which they are legally required to prevent. That is a genuinely difficult line, and getting it wrong in either direction has consequences. Too restrictive, and legitimate debate is shut down. Too permissive, and some students stop feeling safe enough to take part at all. There is also a wellbeing angle that is easy to overlook. Loneliness and disconnection among young people are strongly linked to poor mental health, and a sense of belonging in an institution is one of the better predictors of whether a student stays on their course. Cohesion work is not only about preventing the worst outcomes. It is also about the ordinary business of people feeling they belong somewhere.
What the evidence actually says
It is worth being straight about what has actually been announced. This is a framework, at draft stage, in five pilot areas, with a toolkit due by the end of the year. It is not new law, it is not new funding, and no funding amounts were disclosed in the announcement. Nor were any supporting statistics published alongside it. That does not make it meaningless. Frameworks of this kind do shape what institutions prioritise, particularly when regulators and inspectors start asking about them. But the gap between publishing principles and changing what happens on a campus is wide, and it is usually filled by staff time that has to come from somewhere. On the underlying evidence about what actually builds cohesion, the research is reasonably consistent on one point: sustained, structured contact between people from different backgrounds, working towards something together, tends to reduce prejudice more reliably than awareness campaigns do. That points towards joint projects, shared activities and mixed teaching groups rather than posters and statements. The honest assessment is that co-designing with students is a promising sign, five pilot areas is a sensible way to test something rather than impose it, and the thing to watch for is whether the monitoring and evaluation part survives contact with reality. That is usually the first element to be quietly dropped.
Practical advice
If you are a student, or the parent of one, here is what is worth knowing. Your institution already has policies covering harassment, bullying and behaviour, and you are entitled to see them. If something happens, knowing the reporting route in advance makes a real difference to whether people use it. If you are in one of the five pilot areas, there will be opportunities to shape the local charter. Co-design only works if people actually turn up, and student input in the early stages counts far more than a complaint after the fact. If you are starting college or university this term and finding it hard to connect, that is extremely common and it is not a sign that something is wrong with you. Societies, course groups, volunteering and part-time work are the ordinary routes in, and the students who join something in the first month tend to settle faster. If you or someone you know is struggling, every college and university has a student support or wellbeing service, and it is free. Using it early is far more effective than waiting until things reach a crisis. And if you experience or witness harassment, report it. Institutions can only act on what they know about, and patterns of behaviour usually only become visible once several people have spoken up.
What to know
The Department for Education has published a community cohesion framework for colleges, universities and student unions in England, co-designed with students. It asks institutions to strengthen existing policies, encourage positive relationships and civic participation, create local charters, and monitor the results. Phase one covers five areas: Greater Manchester, the North West and North London, Bristol and Gloucestershire, Sunderland and the North East, and Derby and the East Midlands. A draft framework and toolkit are expected by the end of 2026. No funding figures were announced. The research suggests sustained joint activity between different groups works better than awareness campaigns, so watch what institutions actually do rather than what they publish. Sources: GOV.UK, 'Education to play a vital role in building belonging in divided communities', 9 September 2026, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/education-to-play-a-vital-role-in-building-belonging-in-divided-communities ; Department for Education news and communications, https://www.gov.uk/search/news-and-communications?organisations%5B%5D=department-for-education&order=updated-newest This article is for general information and does not replace advice from a doctor, pharmacist or other qualified healthcare professional.
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