A new national community cohesion framework is being developed to support students in colleges, universities, and student unions. This initiative aims to strengthen belonging and inclusion within education settings and the wider communities they serve.
The University of Salford, Department for Education (DfE), and National Union of Students (NUS) are partnering on the framework. It will bring together agreed principles to guide student conduct and engagement on issues affecting cohesion.
The development will initially focus on five areas: Greater Manchester; North West and North London; Bristol and Gloucestershire; Sunderland and the North East; and Derby and East Midlands. Following this, it will be rolled out for wider testing and implementation. An accompanying toolkit will help organisations develop local initiatives and monitor their effectiveness.
This work responds to the government’s Protecting What Matters policy paper and has been accelerated due to a rise in antisemitism and other forms of hatred. Students from diverse backgrounds are co-designing the framework, with their voices central to its implementation and evaluation.