Peer-reviewed article

‘School for Everyone’: An exploration of children and young people’s perceptions of belonging

Tara Midgen, Theodora Theodoratou, Kirsty Newbury, Matt Leonard · 1 Jun 2019

Abstract

The Aim Following the Children and Families Act (2014) Local Authorities must involve children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in reviewing the special educational provision in their area and planning future provision. As part of one council’s review of its special educational provision, the views were sought of children and young people with a range of needs to explore the factors influencing their sense of belonging within their educational settings. Research suggests that children’s sense of belonging has significant implications for schools, as it is likely to be positively associated with important outcomes such as engagement with learning, mental health and happiness. Method/Rationale A two phase project was delivered using exploratory and emancipatory mixed-methods with 84 children and young people, aged 3 to 16 with a range of SEND. Young people’s sense of belonging was collected using the Belonging Scale and School Connectedness Scale, alongside individual or semi-structured group reflection sessions, which allowed for a detailed understanding of participant perspectives. Key themes were identified and quantitative data from the questionnaires was analysed. Findings Four key themes were identified as important in supporting children’s sense of belonging in school: Relationships, School Environment, Teaching and Learning and Extra Curricular Activities. Children and young people also ranked the emerging themes to create a list of Top Ten tips for inclusion and belonging. Limitations Participants comprised a small number of children across a wide range of ages/needs from each setting limiting the possibility of any generalisability. Conclusions Results provided an understanding of how children and young people perceive and feel a sense of belonging in their schools. Perspectives will help influence the local authority’s future educational provision and inclusion strategy.