Resources
Welcome to the resource page. This page is designed with a simple purpose - to translate the work I do with my colleagues into stuff that is useable, practical and (hopefully) helpful. I also don't want you to feel limited by barriers like journal subscriptions, paywalls or lack of time. So please, feel free to use what you need and I only ask that you give credit for the work if you use it (use a citation) and complete this extremely brief survey which has a couple of questions that allows me to track use and keep improving what I offer:
This online survey asks about your experiences and perceptions related to belonging and will take approximately 5 minutes. At the end of the survey you will receive your own belonging score and some tips and suggestions on how you can build or maintain your sense of belonging.
Your responses to this survey are completely anonymous and confidential and your participation in this survey is voluntary.
A belonging map is a personalised socio-ecological framework that individuals can use to understand and enhance their sense of belonging. It is constructed by answering a series of guiding questions that explore different domains of an individual's life and how these domains contribute to their sense of belonging. The belonging map includes considerations of personal skills, relationships, interactions with the environment, cultural norms, and significant life events.
Belonging isn’t about numbers. The people who live nearby matter.
So here’s a thought. Start small. Try the Know Your Neighbours challenge. See how many boxes you can tick!
Staff trading cards can be used to foster belonging by creating playful opportunities for connection with staff using them for activities like "Celebrity Head" (using headbands) or "Guess Who," these cards may help staff to learn about each other in a fun, interactive way.
They can highlight personal and professional details, sparking conversations and building familiarity. Teams can set goals to connect with colleagues they know less about, creating a purposeful and enjoyable way to strengthen relationships and collaborations. Use the template, add your logo and images and make them your own.
The cards provide deep and meaningful questions for student reflections about their experiences at school that have been found to link with feelings of school belonging. These cards could be used with students in upper primary/elementary to high school. They could be used with adults, school staff or university students - either to think retrospectively about their own sense of school belonging or to be adapted for a current learning context. Remind users of the cards that there are no right or wrong answers. You might also like to set limits around confidentiality if responses are shared in a group. People should be able to skip any question that makes them uncomfortable. The cards are presented in slides with instructions for printing.
These strategies could be used as recommendations to foster a sense of school belonging.
The purpose of this policy is to outline the shared responsibility of belonging for the whole school community inclusive of parents, staff, teachers, students, and school leadership. The policy emphasises that every individual within a school community has the right to feel a sense of belonging to school and has a responsibility to help others feel a sense of belonging to school also.
Also related is a brief plain-language piece that responds to the question do you need a school belonging policy. This could be used as an article to communicate to parents. Read the article here
The purpose of this policy is to outline the shared responsibility of belonging for the whole school community inclusive of parents, staff, teachers, students, and school leadership. The policy emphasises that every individual within a school community has the right to feel a sense of belonging to school and has a responsibility to help others feel a sense of belonging to school also.
After all you can have the best policy or intervention in the world, but if you don't have good implementation, it may not be effective.
This full free-to-download book contains 38 open-access free to use and adapt school policies that cover everything from inclusion to wellbeing. It's been downloaded by thousands of people, districts and departments all around the world. We'll be developing a second version of this book soon, so if this is a policy you would like to see in the future, please use this survey to let us know.
Unfortunately this book is not open-access, but it contains activities for promoting belonging in the classroom.
This systematic review summarises school-based interventions found to promote belonging.
These free-to-use slides summarise some of the research I have done with my students and colleagues. You are welcome to use them in your lectures, for your workshops, for your talks to staff or students. You will see I have divided the slides into sections: belonging (in general), school belonging and university level belonging. In the notes of each slide you will see the full reference.
Plain-language articles on belonging that could be used for school communities, parents or students. They could be used a prompt for an activity or a point of discussion or newsletters.
If you are measuring belonging in your research or educational context, these resources are worth considering:
Don't forget to keep an eye out for updates to the website under "Books'', ''Chapters'', and ''Publications."