Feeling part of the school and feeling safe: further development of a tool for investigating school belonging

Porter, J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8507-6260, McDermott, T., Daniels, H. and Ingram, J. (2021) Feeling part of the school and feeling safe: further development of a tool for investigating school belonging. Educational Studies. pp. 1-17. ISSN 1465-3400 doi: 10.1080/03055698.2021.1944063

Abstract/Summary

A sense of school belonging has been associated with a number of positive outcomes for young people Two core aspects are feeling part of the school, and feeling safe. This paper examines qualitative data from a mixed methods questionnaire designed to inform schools on the barriers and supports to participation in school life and the relationship with students’ feelings of belonging. It contributes to the limited existing qualitative data and can be set alongside students’ quantitative measures to provide new insights. We explore responses from 595 students, to the open questions of a survey. Students frequently mentioned relationships with teachers and peers, often in the context of feeling safe to be themselves, suggesting that feeling part of the school and feeling safe are intertwined. The comments reveal the importance of being recognised and accepted and not having their identity purely defined in relation to attainment on a narrowly defined curriculum.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/99097
Identification Number/DOI	10.1080/03055698.2021.1944063
Divisions	Arts, Humanities and Social Science > Institute of Education > Improving Equity and Inclusion through Education
Uncontrolled Keywords	Education
Publisher	Informa UK Limited
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