Rees Centre highlights belonging importance

The Belonging in Education Research Network, led by the Rees Centre at the University of Oxford, published a statement on May 13 arguing that belonging should be treated as a core part of school design rather than a loose aspiration. The statement says children and young people who feel they belong at school have better academic, social and mental health outcomes, with benefits that can continue into adulthood. It also says pupils facing disadvantage are less likely to feel that they belong, and more likely to experience absence and exclusion. The network said schools and policymakers should use whole-school approaches built around relationships, inclusion and supportive routines rather than relying mainly on sanctions and compliance. ### Which children does the statement say are least likely to feel they belong? The May 13 statement names pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, children living in poverty, children with experience of social care, and some ethnic minority groups as among those less likely to feel that they belong in school. The network says those groups are also more likely to experience school absence and exclusion. (education.ox.ac.uk) The Rees Centre’s project page says the network was set up to bring together practitioners, system leaders and academics across education, children’s social care, special educational needs and disabilities, and youth justice. That work, it says, is intended to support more equitable and inclusive education systems with belonging as a guiding principle. (education.ox.ac.uk) ### What evidence is the network relying on? The Oxford statement says it draws on UK and international evidence linking school belonging with attendance, attainment, wellbeing and engagement. It says relational and inclusive whole-school approaches can increase children’s sense of belonging, in contrast with punitive or highly behaviorist models that depend heavily on compliance and sanctions. (education.ox.ac.uk) The U.S. Institute of Education Sciences’ Regional Educational Laboratory Midwest says students with a strong sense of belonging are more likely to be engaged in school and perform well academically. Its January 2025 overview also says positive student-teacher relationships, caring school environments and culturally responsive practices are associated with stronger belonging. (education.ox.ac.uk) The National Children’s Bureau said in a recent literature review that only three-fifths of pupils feel a sense of belonging at school, citing 2023 government research. Its review said belonging is linked to academic engagement, motivation, achievement, self-esteem, mental health and wellbeing, and said disabled children and pupils with special educational needs can be especially vulnerable to exclusion. (ies.ed.gov) ### What does “designing belonging” into school life look like? The statement frames belonging as something schools build through everyday practice. Rather than treating it as a slogan, the network points to routines and environments that make inclusion visible and repeatable across the school day. (ncb.org.uk) The evidence base cited by the network and related research points to concrete practices: greeting pupils, creating consistent opportunities for every student to participate, building caring classroom communities, and making students’ identities and contributions visible in the school environment. The Institute of Education Sciences says teachers can strengthen belonging by communicating high expectations, building respectful classroom communities, drawing on student backgrounds and encouraging student agency. (education.ox.ac.uk) ### What did Teresa Williams say about the policy debate? Teresa Williams, a senior research fellow at the Rees Centre, said the “increasing focus” on belonging in education policy and practice documents, including proposals for special educational needs and disabilities reform, was welcome. She said practical implementation needed to be supported by the best available evidence. (ies.ed.gov) Williams said the network’s statement summarizes recent evidence from research and practice and highlights relational approaches centered on trust, inclusion and supportive relationships. That places the document in the middle of a policy discussion about attendance, exclusion and inclusion, while keeping its claims tied to published evidence and practice examples. (education.ox.ac.uk) ### What comes next from the network? The Rees Centre said the network is developing a shared Practice Framework for Belonging in Education to help schools embed evidence-informed relational approaches. The statement also identifies gaps in the evidence base, including how belonging should be measured, how relational approaches can be implemented across different settings, and how schools can better support children least likely to feel they belong. (education.ox.ac.uk) The project page says the network also plans a common approach to analyzing existing data to provide an initial assessment of effectiveness, and it is inviting researchers and practitioners to contribute evidence through its contact process. (education.ox.ac.uk 1) (education.ox.ac.uk 2)