The recent government white paper has brought the language of belonging closer to the centre of educational policy. Yet before we react to headlines or speculation, it is worth pausing to ask a mor…

This week I had the privilege of attending the Fully Human, Fully Alive conference hosted by the National Society of Education. It was a day dedicated to exploring the relationship between artifici…

A guest Blog by Dr. Lorena Franco Very excited to bring you a new guest Blog from educator Dr Lorena Franco, Arkansas. Lorena focuses on how individual empathy and connection can transform the lear…

A Guest Blog from Olly Jefferies – Headteacher. USJ is a small primary school in the heart of a coastal town. Half of our families are in receipt of the Pupil Premium grant, 54% of pupils are…

I have read a number of blogs recently, some by significant educational heavyweights, that equate relational behaviour management to ‘children only behaving for teachers that they like.’ This, over…

A short fable about relational education. A puppy, beaten and neglected, was brought at last to a rescue home. Its body healed, but its heart still trembled at every sound. One day, a man came to a…

A framework for securing belonging in your school or classroom.

This blog is the first in a two-part series exploring how SENCos and school leaders can work together to lead truly inclusive schools. In th...

With the government pledging to recruit 6,500 new teachers, it needs to focus on more flexibility and better representation, argues Dame Alison Peacock

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 relation…

Briefing seen by Tes shows Confederation of School Trusts is seeking policy review of government's regional improvement team plans

Helping students to find their sense of belonging is not all about test scores and performance outcomes. It is proven to impact these, as outlined in my previous blog The Belonging Bonus, but this …

It requires collective risk taking to effect change... It is designed by the community; it is done by the community, and it is sustained by the community.

WHAT DID PETER DRUCKER NEVER ACTUALLY SAY? ‘Culture eats strategy for breakfast.’ Peter Drucker (possibly, but probably not, more likely Steve Jobs or Jack Welch That is to say, belongi…

Last week, The Times ran a particularly interesting article on student belonging at Edinburgh University. The article, linked here, reports that the university has written to all of their students …

Ever since I can remember, I have loved music. That’s not unusual, we all have a deep, primal connection with sound and rhythm. It’s in our DNA, our neural systems are wired for sound. …

A blog focused on the research around belonging, connection and relationships in education and their impact on pupil performance and motivation.

As I am sure you will be aware by now, the UK Ofsted Inspectorate have been working on a new framework for some time now, well possibly not enough time for their own staff to feel that it is well r…

Shy pupils can easily, often unnoticed, slide to the sides of lessons. Supporting such pupils, who are nervous to talk with their peers or in front of the class, can be a tricky business but also vita...

At North Halifax Grammar School, the loud clanging school bell has been replaced with a melody better suited to their many neurodivergent students, who are noise-sensitive. Since last year, the unifor...

In my last blog, I talked about using a language of Love over Respect and Tolerance. Since then, I have been reflecting on the language of belonging in a more general sense. In schools, and life, e…

As the new term begins, it is vital that we get off on the right foot, making sure that from day one, all of our students, old and new, feel a connection with us that will activate their sense of b…

The value of Respect is one that you will find across cultures, across institutions and across countries. The United Nations identified it as one of the top 10 values shared across cultures and Goc…