At The 3-18 Education Trust, we have developed a Belonging Framework that focuses on five key areas to identify students at risk of losing their sense of belonging.
This enables us to provide appropriate support in a timely manner while also ensuring that students comprehend their personal responsibilities throughout their educational journey and broader life experiences.
If a student experiences barriers within their learning journey, they might struggle to find a sense of belonging. These barriers might be through a particular educational need or neurodivergence. It is our duty as a Trust to ensure our schools follow a graduated approach to ensure adaptive strategies and provisions are in place to enable the barriers to be broken down.
Factors such as learning barriers, poor support systems, safeguarding needs, and poor mental health and wellbeing can impact a child’s school attendance. Poor attendance not only affects academic progress but also reduces their sense of community and school belonging. Regular attendance is crucial to ensure every child receives the best possible opportunities, and our schools collaborate with all stakeholders to identify and address these barriers, implementing support plans to improve attendance, through meeting the needs of children and young people.
We share a vision for positive behaviour across our schools and ensure this is informed by evidence-based practice such as emotion coaching, restorative approaches and trauma-informed and attachment-aware practice. Often the behaviour presenting externally can be an indicator of an unmet need. By remaining professionally curious regarding a student’s behaviour, we can seek to understand the reason for any changes and implement the right support whilst providing healthy challenge to help a student be the best version of themselves.
Inclusion, with regards to health and wellbeing, means recognising and addressing the diverse needs of every child with empathy and understanding. It involves creating safe and nurturing environments where each child feels valued and supported, regardless of their background or experiences. By providing equitable access to resources, mental health support, and developing positive relationships, we help children build resilience and a strong sense of self-concept. This compassionate approach ensures that every child can overcome challenges and thrive, knowing they are an integral part of a caring community dedicated to their wider development and happiness.
A student’s security, in and out of school, significantly influences their sense of belonging. Data shows that children with Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) are more likely to face health issues and poor attendance, affecting their learning and identity. As a Trust, we work closely with our schools to provide support to all students and their families, ensuring protective factors are present through internal safeguarding practices and links with external agencies.
