Having interviewed many candidates, for many posts, over many years, when asked for advice on interview technique I have always said, if you are stumped for an answer, the answer is always relationships. How do you raise standards in a school? – Relationships. How do you improve student behaviour? – Relationships. How do you improve community engagement? – Relationships. How do you improve attendance? – Relationships. What is the most worthwhile accomplishment in your lifetime? – Relationships. I’m pretty confident it works every time.
As I have been studying Belonging however, I have begun to realise that the answer is more than relationships, the answer is Belonging.
Studies and research have begun to show us that an individuals sense of belonging can have a profound impact on all aspects of their life, from performance, to wellbeing and even long life. Finding your own sense of inner peace, contentment and worth, in any setting, will set you up for success.
Belonging in schools: can it fix attendance and behaviour? | Tes
Let’s examine the evidence and see. Underneath each question, I have posted links to research that supports these claims.
How can I raise student Attainment?
There is a great deal of evidence to show that the link between belonging and student performance is more than just correlation.
I think the the way to look at it is that, although there will always be outliers, the preconditions are the same, meaning that the majority of children who experience a strong sense of belonging, also do well in school academically. So what are those pre-conditions? According to Evans (2024):
- Teacher-student relationships.
- Peer relationships and support.
- Individual traits and personal characteristics.
- Parental support.
- Extra-curricular activities
- School climate and safety.
- Student aspirations.
- Academic achievement and attendance.
- Wellbeing and self-esteem.
Roeser et al (1996) examined the mediating role of belonging in relation to 8th grade student achievement. Their findings showed that positive teacher-student relationships predicted positive school-related affect, which was mediated by feelings of school belonging. This in turn was positively related to final term grades. Their sequential regression analyses gives a strong indication that belonging could be a key determining factor in the performance of students.
Cohen (2022) asserts that students who report a strong sense of belonging tend to be more motivated to learn, perform better academically, have better attendance, engage in less misconduct and fewer threatening behaviours and have higher self-esteem and mental health. Further, in a longitudinal study specifically implemented with African-American students, a sense of social belonging allowed students to rise above their immediate concerns and was linked to their long term motivation and academic success (Walton & Cohen, 2011). This study focused on students whom the study perceived would be negatively impacted by a poor sense of belonging and provided interventions to mitigate this. When measured against control groups, the interventions halved the achievement gap of this group. Whilst the authors’ initial perception of study group could be examined further, the longitudinal nature of the study allows for significant importance to be placed on its conclusions.
In PISA 2015 data, the assertion that a students’ sense of belonging has an impact on their academic performance seems to be validated as in the majority of countries and economies included in the study, students who reported a stronger sense of belonging at school scored higher in reading. In fact, only students in the United States opposed this norm, where students with a strong sense of belonging actually scored lower than those without. (OECD, 2018) On average across OECD countries, a one unit increase in a students’ sense of belonging, was associated with a four point increase in reading. Students who reported a stronger sense of belonging were also more likely to expect to complete higher education.
A study using PISA data in 2012 on gifted and talented students, within the EU, showed that the vast majority of gifted and talented students reported an equal to, or higher level of belonging, than their peers. (Godor& Szymanski, 2017)
Baysu et al (2022) study the impact of discriminatory school climates on academic performance using the PISA 2018 dataset, found that when adolescents perceived a discriminatory school climate, they reported lower school belonging and attached less value to learning and effort which, in turn, was associated with lower performance in maths and reading.
A brief social-belonging intervention improves academic and health outcomes of minority students.
How can I improve attendance?
There is increasing evidence to show that children who experience a strong sense of belonging in their school, have a higher rate of attendance. Education policy is increasingly encouraging schools to focus on this as a strategy for improving the current school attendance crisis.
An evaluation report linked below carried out research across 200 000 pupil data sets and survey returns from 30 000 pupils, making it a very significant study, and found that belonging was the number one driver in attendance across ALL academic contexts.
In many ways, this is just common sense, who wouldn’t want to spend time in a setting where they felt they were significant?
Breaking down the gap – Education Policy Institute
Build students’ sense of belonging in your school
How do I improve the life chances and engagement of disadvantaged students?
One of the student groups that can the most significantly impacted by a sense of belonging is our disadvantaged students. (I use that term out of familiarity to the reader, under resourced or under provisioned may be more appropriate) Students that have less access to support from home, funding to participate in extra curricular activities or buy learning resources, space to work at home, or the correct provision in school for their needs are less likely to feel a sense of belonging in our schools. Adjustments or adaptation do not engender a sense of belonging.
The Belonging Report – Durham University
Supporting disadvantaged learners… | Durrington Research School
SEND: Why we’re going beyond inclusion to belonging
How can I live a longer life?
Yes, there is also evidence to show that a strong sense of belonging and connection can help you live a longer and happier life. Pinker’s research, published in her book ‘The Village effect’ shows that face-to-face contact matters: tight bonds of friendship and love heal us, help children learn, extend our lives and make us happy. Looser in-person bonds matter, too, combining with our close relationships to form a personal “village” around us, one that exerts unique effects. Not just any social networks will do: we need the real, in-the-flesh encounters that tie human families, groups of friends and communities together.
Susan Pinker: The secret to living longer may be your social life | TED Talk
How can I improve my mental health?
Our need to belong can greatly impact our mental health and wellbeing. It is in fact one of the most prevalent needs in people who experience anxiety and depression. The fear of being socially ostracised, embarrassed or judged for our mistakes is enough to limit our interactions and prevent us from living the life we might choose.
Developing a deep sense of belonging in a positive social setting helps us to find our true self, and avoids the ‘fitting in’ factor that negatively impacts our own self image.
Here’s why belonging is so important for your mental health — Calm Blog
Perceived Belongingness | Psychology Today
Is a sense of belonging important? – Mayo Clinic Health System
The Mental Health Impact of Cultural Identity and Belonging
Belonging in Schools: The Foundation of Mental Health and Wellbeing – All About Amazing People
How can I stop my child engaging in risky behaviours?
There are many studies that show belonging to be one of the most protective factors in supporting adolescents in engaging in ‘Risky Behaviours.’ We know that social belonging is especially important in adolescence, which makes young people highly motivated to avoid social risk, which heightens the impact of peer influence. That is to say, the need to belong to a social group will encourage adolescents to engage in behaviours that may not be the norm for them.
Samuel (2024) draws upon the research of Weeda Mehran who has investigated the dynamics of online radicalisation and the logic that reinforces extremist ideology amongst the youth. She found that recruitment to extremist groups is often driven by the need for acceptance, respect and shared meaning. She describes how recruiters for the Islamic State, as an example, prey on the sense of an individual not feeling belonging, or not sharing values. They are actively looking for individuals experiencing social isolation to fulfil that need. This is reinforced by the OECD (2011) research looking at social cohesion, which asserts that terrorism within countries is correlated to the levels of social cohesion, stating that ‘A “cohesive” society works towards the well-being of all its members, creates a sense of belonging and fights against the marginalization within and between different groups of societies.’ It is this marginalisation where we begin to see the ‘shadow world’ of belonging. The steps that individuals are willing to take in order to meet that unfulfilled need. Samuel relates this to the reasons why students attending university for the first time are a fertile recruiting ground for extremist organisations.
In order to avoid this, we need to ensure that adolescents are able to find belonging in healthy environments such as their home, schools, youth clubs and extra curricular activity.
School Belonging Today, Better Substance Choices Tomorrow | Psychology Today Australia
The importance of belonging and the avoidance of social risk taking in adolescence – ScienceDirect
How do we reduce the repeat offending of prisoners?
I love this article on how a belonging project in prisons actually helped to improve behaviour and reduce reoffending. Belonging is for everyone. By finding a healthy way to satisfy our need for belonging, we can reduce anti social behaviour and promote positive outlets for our need to connect and find value.
Social bonds improve behaviour and wellbeing in prison: Twinning Project football results – YouTube
How can I get the most out of my staff?
In the words of Richard Branson, ‘Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don’t want to. If you look after your staff, they’ll look after your customers. It’s that simple.’
Building an organisation on a culture of belonging brings loyalty and dedication. Seth Godin’s ‘Song of Significance.’ presents the case that by making your employees feel significant to the organisation they will turn up when they feel under the weather, they will work late, they will go the extra mile, they will give great customer service, not because you pay them, but because it is important to them to do so. People work hard when they think they matter, when they think people notice and when they work alongside people colleagues who they know more about.
Creating a Culture of Belonging: Inclusive Leadership | Psychology Today United Kingdom
Why Belonging Is The Key To Authentic Leadership
The Value of Belonging at Work
Why Leaders Need To Increase Organizational Belonging During Workplace Disruption
Fostering Belonging: Inclusive Leadership Strategies for Thriving Teams
How can I get my school budget to balance?
Ok, so there are limits to the super powers of belonging. What I would say however is that, when making difficult decisions about where to make cuts and rationalise spending, working in a strong culture of belonging will help people to realise and validate the decision making progress.
In a culture where everyone feels a sense of significance to the organisation, cuts can be made with honesty, transparency and openness and staff will continue to work hard and feel like they are important. When these decisions are made behind closed doors, in a culture of fear and misunderstanding, they lead to organisational meltdown.
Summary
Ultimately, creating a culture which engenders a strong and deep rooted sense of belonging in its members has benefits way above and beyond those which we might intend, but it isn’t easy. Creating a culture like this requires continued and ongoing commitment from all members, but most significantly those at the top. Leaders make the weather in an organisation and a sense of belonging is built in drops, but lost in bucketloads. This means that every interaction, every decision and every communication needs to signal the significance of individuals to the success of the organisation. Your presence here matters, by being here you make a difference, you belong here. If you want some ideas on how we can build a sense of belonging in schools, read my blog ‘My Best Bets for Belonging.’
Building a sense of belonging is not just an organisational benefit, but a civic duty. We owe it to society to look after each other and value the contributions of all. The future is built on belonging.
The Belonging Collective 