There are a range of emerging strategies which offer a route map to building belonging. These centre around building a whole-school approach where leaders are building a deliberate and comprehensive strategy to developing wellbeing that supports thriving and belonging for all pupils.
Cultivating Empathy: Teach students to understand and appreciate the experiences and perspectives of others, fostering empathy and compassion for individuals from different backgrounds.
Promoting Inclusive Language: Encourage the use of inclusive language that respects and acknowledges the identities of all individuals, creating a sense of belonging for everyone in the classroom.
Creating Safe Spaces: Establish an environment where students feel safe to express themselves authentically without fear of judgment or discrimination, fostering a sense of belonging for all students.
Encouraging Collaboration: Emphasize collaborative learning experiences that require students to work together towards common goals, promoting teamwork and mutual support.
Celebrating Diversity: Incorporate diverse perspectives, cultures, and identities into the curriculum, highlighting the value of diversity and fostering a sense of belonging for students from all backgrounds.
Fostering Peer Support Networks: Facilitate opportunities for students to connect with their peers and build supportive relationships, creating a sense of community and belonging within the classroom.
Addressing Bias and Discrimination: Teach students to recognize and challenge bias and discrimination in themselves and others, promoting a culture of inclusion and belonging for all individuals.
Encouraging Active Listening: Emphasize the importance of active listening and respectful communication, creating space for students to share their experiences and perspectives while feeling heard and valued.
Providing Leadership Opportunities: Offer opportunities for students to take on leadership roles and contribute to decision-making processes within the classroom, empowering them to shape their learning environment and fostering a sense of ownership and belonging.
Did you know that children from disadvantaged communities in the UK are twice as likely as their more advantaged peers to feel they don't belong? Overall, about 1 in 4 young people (25%) in the UK feel they do not belong in school, and this figure is rising.
I was recently lucky enough to visit two federated schools – an infant and junior - which were both brilliant at building a sense of belonging. Both schools served a community of higher-than-average disadvantage and used a range of strategies to build a strong sense of belonging.
They offered a sensory start to the day, where children with additional needs could acclimatise to arriving in school. The staff were warm and welcoming, showing professional love to the children as they arrived. This included an opportunity to be wrapped up in fleece blankets and join in with meditation sessions. Pupils wouldn’t be sent to class until they were ready to learn.
All pupils were warmly welcomed by name as they entered the school in the morning, and throughout the school day.
Children with SEND or other vulnerabilities, received social skills and mental health interventions to enable them to navigate the complexities of relationships at school.
Staff weren’t afraid to put their arms around the children, to offer comfort and guidance and make pupils feel cared for.
Some children had important responsibilities in school – whether it was feeding the guinea pigs, showing visitors around, or getting the hall reading for assembly.
All children had access to the rich extra-curricular offer, as leaders had decided to fund it for everyone, thereby overcoming potential barriers.
Pupils were rarely excluded from class for interventions. Most support happened in class with their peers. When interventions had to be outside of the main lesson, they were short, and pupils were rotated so that they didn’t always miss the same activity.
Suspensions were used rarely, and when they needed to happen would offer be internal. Exclusions were hardly ever used.
How do you build a sense of belonging for your pupils?
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