Being present in five schools during the first two days of September 2023 I was able to experience several different “welcome backs” to students and staff as schools re-opened their doors for a new academic year.
It was a joy to hear the warm words of welcome and belonging that articulated the on-going challenge of education as well as the support on offer to ensure success.
One headteacher used the expression: “A second spring.” In these schools it certainly felt like a time of new beginnings, hope and optimism about what might bloom from the new growth on display.
The longer this sense of belonging and connection continues into the new year the more successful those young people will be. When young people feel safe and valued at school, they are much more likely to experience positive social connections, a confident sense of self and acceptance of their place in the school community, which will go a long way to ensuring their future success.
On the other hand, young people who find it hard to fit in and struggle to make those connections are more likely to experience barriers to their learning and unfortunately will likely experience a growing feeling of loneliness, alienation, and a negative sense of self.
This is where relationships at school, with teachers, other adults and their peers are not only vital for academic success but are also instrumental in a young person’s developing sense of identity and place in society.
A sense of belonging
To develop a sense of belonging in school, children and young people need to feel accepted and valued for who they are and to be offered a curriculum that feels relevant, meaningful, and accessible.
Schools work relentlessly to establish and maintain an inclusive community that has the flexible systems to ensure every young person can thrive, especially those who are vulnerable or at greatest disadvantage. There are many factors that may contribute to a child or young person developing feelings of disconnection from their educational community. School may not be seen as a priority or valued by some families. Then there are those who have experienced adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) or trauma and those with disabilities or additional learning needs.
Cultural differences, sexual identity, and poverty may also influence how a young person feels in a particular educational community.
A genuinely inclusive ethos is founded on trusting relationships with families, a culture of listening to the voice of the young person, and an ability to recognise and take responsibility for responding effectively to early signals that something is not going well for a young person.
Building belonging is something many schools do very well, it is part of their school culture, and it is simply “how things are done” in that school.
Through assemblies, class time, even on corridors and in social spaces the values and expectations are consistently reinforced by all staff and because of this, the relationship between the school and the student is built on a shared sense of meaning and purpose.
This sense of belonging also applies to the staff in the school – staff report being happy in their job when they are part of something and when their work feels like it has a deep and connected meaning.
So the wellbeing of staff and students is consolidated by belonging – put simply, being part of something “bigger than us” and being connected to others feels good.
Of course, and sadly, the reverse applies – not fitting in can fuel depression, anxiety and negative responses and some young people may seek belonging in unsafe, high risk or criminal groups.
The more we feel we belong to a school the more we invest in its goals and conform to its norms. Again, sadly, the opposite is also true and if we feel like we don’t belong, the less open we are to a school’s influence; it may even result in resistance and opposition to what the school advocates.
How can we generate belonging?
So, what can schools do to generate belonging? Above all, guard against “in” or “out” social or ability groups that are readily formed in schools, often with the best of intentions.
Then be intentional about building belonging. Below I present a list of 12 practical and easy-to-implement strategies that I have seen schools employ. And this is not a job list for pastoral staff, there are things that can be done by pastoral, teaching, and non-teaching staff, including senior leaders.
Reinforcing culture: Relentlessly reinforce the culture of the school so it is clear how “things are done around here”. Staff and leadership build systems in collaboration and consultation with students, parents, and the wider community. Communicate regularly and positively, shine a light on what is going well.
Visible consistency: Build a calm, safe, school environment. Ensure that teachers are “predictable and certain”. This can start with threshold greetings but can continue around school throughout the day and be reinforced with rewards and praise strategies. All this builds a positive culture of “catching students being good”.
Recognise talents: Recognise the unique abilities of all students, not just academic. Find out who plays a musical instrument, competes in a sport or who cares for a family member and celebrate where appropriate and possible.
Highlight contributions: In class highlight contributions made by students, especially those who are on the periphery or who typically hold back. Include everyone in class activities, discussion, and celebrations. Ensure there is vigilance over class jokes or “banter”.
Language: Use the language of “together”, “we”, and “us”. Emphasise shared, communal collaboration and community. Balance this against the use of individualism and competition, the “you”, “I” and “me” that highlights separation and can cause divisions.
Feedback: Feedback given by a teacher is an opportunity to emphasise this collaboration. Rather than feedback as criticism or even rejection by the teacher, reframe it as working together and pushing each other, because we care about getting better. This applies to feedback about learning but also on behaviour.
Collaboration: Talk about a unified goal, e.g. passing exams or making school work. Promoting the benefits of this ambition and providing the small steps towards achieving it will allow a collective move in the right direction.
Promoting common ground: Shared interests, shared activities, shared clubs, shared life experiences as young people, indeed the shared experience of being human in all its complexity.
The role of teacher: Adults in school can generate belonging while securing their own authority. Remind young people that we are here to help young people to learn and that we are experts and good at our job. Teachers should be proud and where possible showcase their accomplishments because for many they will have been earned through struggle and setbacks – a journey that young people are on themselves.
Show you care: Go out of your way to show you care. The saying goes that they “don’t care what you know until they know that you care”. Teachers can “show we care” in many different ways from personalised and responsive pastoral support to “Listening To You” cards for hard-to-reach students.
Opportunities for connection: There are further connection opportunities in breakfast clubs, house competitions, tutor time, school sports teams, creative performances. Connection can be built around service and responsibility too, such as prefects, volunteering at events, mentoring programmes, litter-picking, transition support, student ambassador programmes and more. And connection can come via extra-curricular clubs and activities or indeed extra support such as mentoring, counselling, restorative behaviour approaches and so on.
Parents and families: There are a range of ways to extend the feeling of belonging to families, or indeed to engage families in ways that help to ensure students feel they belong in school too. This can include social support (not least schools’ work to facilitate access to food banks or food vouchers during this cost of living crisis). What about parental access to pastoral leaders for one-to-one meetings, or student rewards that are family focused such as family days out.
Final thoughts
There are hundreds more ways of building and consolidating a sense of belonging within your school’s community. At a time of increasing disconnection in wider society, belonging is not only supportive of the positive academic performance of young people, but it also supports their growth as good people and as positive, active, and collaborative members of society.
- Mark Goodwin has 20 years’ experience as a teacher, school leader, trainer, and coach. He currently works with The Mercian Trust, a multi-academy trust in the Midlands. Find Mark’s previous articles via www.sec-ed.co.uk/authors/mark-goodwin