https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-belonging-case-studies-research
Department for Education -commissioned research explores how 16 mainstream primary and secondary schools embed belonging while maintaining strong attendance and attainment. It draws on interviews, staff and pupil focus groups, and observations.
🤝 Belonging was understood through five dimensions: safety and security, inclusion, collective identity, individual recognition and positive relationships
🧭 Context shaped each school’s journey. Small rural primaries and large urban secondaries took different routes
🗣️ Six types of practice emerged, including relational practice, pupil voice and agency, and celebrating diversity
🔄 Leaders, staff and pupils described belonging, attendance and attainment as reinforcing one another
⚖️ Schools reported tensions with wider pressures, including staff capacity, attendance policies and budgets
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