Research and analysis

School belonging case studies research: summary

Published 16 October 2026

Why school belonging matters

The Department for Education commissioned research to explore how mainstream schools in England successfully embed a strong sense of pupil belonging while maintaining high standards of attendance and attainment.

Against a backdrop of declining pupil belonging, this study identifies the key principles and practical strategies used by 16 case study schools (8 primary and 8 secondary), providing a rich evidence base to inform future guidance for all schools.

The research also shows that belonging is perceived as having a direct impact on academic engagement, attendance, and wellbeing. It is not achieved through a single initiative, but through a deeply embedded, whole-school culture.

Understanding and prioritising belonging

Across primary and secondary schools, a shared understanding of belonging emerged among leaders, staff and pupils, built on 5 core dimensions:

1. Safety and Security: A physically and psychologically safe environment where pupils feel secure and can make mistakes without judgment

2. Inclusion: Ensuring universal participation, providing every pupil a place and multiple pathways to feel successful beyond just academics

3. Collective Identity: Fostering shared pride in the school community, often described as a ‘family’ in primary schools or a ‘community’ with a strong house system in secondary

4. Individual Recognition: Genuinely knowing each pupil’s unique strengths and needs, celebrating their identity, and ensuring they feel safe to be themselves

5. Positive Relationships: Building a supportive web of interconnected relationships between leaders, staff, pupils, and families

The rationale

Schools prioritise belonging for:

• Direct impact on learning: Both professionals and pupils see belonging as a non-negotiable prerequisite for academic success, as it provides the psychological safety needed to ask for help, take risks, and build confidence
• Foundation for mental health: Belonging practices are seen as essential support infrastructure. By creating spaces for regulation (for example, calm corners, quiet rooms) and normalising emotional support, schools build resilience and foster wellbeing
• Preparation for life beyond school: Leaders view belonging as crucial for developing ‘future citizens’ by building the confidence, resilience, and collaborative skills needed for adulthood
• Educational equity: By broadening the definition of success to include more than just academics and removing barriers, belonging acts as a mechanism for social justice, ensuring pupils from all backgrounds feel valued and have the same opportunities

Embedding belonging in practice

Across the case study schools, 6 practice themes emerged for developing pupil belonging:

1. Relational practices: Intentionally building and maintaining positive, trusting relationships at all levels is the foundation: among staff, between staff and pupils, among pupils, and with families

2. Pupil voice and agency: Schools move beyond tokenism by giving pupils genuine input and influence over their experience (for example, student-led clubs, feedback systems), which then leads to visible change

3. Celebrating diversity and challenging discrimination: This involves meaningfully embedding pupils’ cultures and identities across the curriculum and school life, coupled with a compassionate, zero-tolerance approach to discrimination

4. Cultivating a strong school identity: A unifying ethos, reinforced in larger schools by creating smaller communities like house systems, provides a powerful anchor and ensures no pupil feels anonymous

5. Individualised approaches: Schools take a holistic, bespoke approach to each pupil using data and observation to provide tailored support that removes individual barriers, particularly for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)

6. Belonging beyond the school gates: Effective schools extend belonging into the wider community through partnerships and volunteering, building pupils’ confidence and cultural capital for the future

Belonging’s link with attendance and attainment

The research reveals a reciprocal relationship where belonging, attendance, and attainment reinforce one another, with leaders, staff, and pupils seeing them as intertwined because:

• when pupils feel they belong, they want to attend school
• regular attendance allows them to engage with learning, which, combined with the confidence to take risks, improves academic outcomes
• this success, in turn, reinforces their sense of belonging, creating a virtuous cycle

Crucially, leaders, staff and pupils felt that this does not mean compromising on standards - holding high expectations is an act of care that signals a belief in pupils’ capabilities, further strengthening their sense of belonging.

Key principles for schools

Based on the findings, several key principles emerge for any school looking to enhance belonging:

• Start with context: There is no one-size-fits-all model. Deeply understand your specific community and adapt practices to fit
• Begin small and be patient: Choose a few core principles and apply them everywhere. Authentic culture is built over years, not through a single initiative
• Make it everyone’s responsibility: Belonging is a whole-school effort, from the senior leadership team to every member of staff and the pupils themselves
• Prioritise staff wellbeing: Invest in staff first, supporting their own sense of belonging and professional development. Staff cannot offer or role model for pupils what they do not have themselves
• Give pupils genuine agency: Empower pupils to be co-creators of their school community. Ensure their voice leads to visible change
• Protect and sustain: Leaders need to protect belonging work from competing pressures and build structures and systems (such as policies and monitoring systems) that ensure practices sustain beyond individual champions
• Measure what matters: Use a range of indicators to track progress, including attainment data, attendance patterns, wellbeing surveys, staff retention, and pupil engagement

You can find out more by reading School belonging case studies report.

Authors: Kim Bohling, Lottie Hayes, Lydia Smith, Artie Blair, Ellie Mendez Sayer, Melanie Cohen (Ipsos UK), Amanda Carr (TONIC)