The power of belonging: The secret ingredient to student success

Kylie Briggs, Primary Learning Enhancement Teacher, Highly Accomplished Teacher

Stroll through any thriving school and you will immediately sense a lively energy with students chatting in hallways, greeting teachers by name, and an atmosphere where everyone, even the quietest of students, truly feel they belong.

School connectedness and belonging are foundational for student wellbeing, resilience, and academic success. It is a key factor contributing to the resolute engagement of students in school; however, for many learners, developing a sense of belonging can be challenging and may present as school refusal. When students feel a disconnect from their school community, they are more likely to avoid school and experience exacerbated feelings of isolation. School refusal stems from a variety of reasons like anxiety, peer conflict, family issues, school environment, health problems and neurodevelopment conditions (Headspace, 2025). Schools can support students by adopting a proactive approach to creating inclusive rich learning environments that foster respect for diversity, equity, and connection.

What is school connectedness?

There are various definitions for the term school connectedness, but most centre around the belief by which students feel that they belong, the degree to which they feel they are accepted by their peers and teachers, and the feeling that they are supported in their learning environment (Goodenow, 1993; Bowles, 2018). Additionally, school connectedness is a protective factor characterised by belonging, attending, engaging, and being involved in various aspects of school life. The Wingspread Declaration on School Connection offers a similar definition whereby students believe that their peers and adults within their school environment care about them, their welfare, and their learning (CDC, 2018). How connected a student feels to their school is a direct reflection of how strongly they feel like they belong there. To better grasp the concept of school connectedness, it is helpful to define it through four main elements: relationships, belonging, inclusion and active participation (Lezar, 2018).

Relationships: based on warmth, empathy, and respect.

Belonging: connection for both students and staff socially and academically.

Inclusion: based on acceptance and valuing diversity.

Active participation: contributing meaningfully and positively to the school community.

When schools combine all four elements, they cultivate an inclusive, engaging, and equitable environment that benefits both students and staff.

The power of belonging

When students feel connected, they are more likely to thrive academically, develop positive social relationships and build resilience. Feeling like you belong to a school community is important for all students, but especially for those who are atypical learners and at risk of feeling isolated, disconnected, and alienated (APA, 2014). There is a strong link between risky behaviours, delinquency, mental health, wellbeing, academic success, and school connectedness (Saggers, 2016). All play a major role in lifelong learning (APA, 2014), so it is vital for teachers and schools to adopt a whole school community approach to foster belonging, promoting an inclusive environment that values all members with respect for diversity (Lezar, 2018). A welcoming school community with strong pastoral care and clear school values is key to supporting acceptance, inclusiveness, warm relationships, equity, and good practice (Shochet et al., 2016). Therefore, empowering students to connect can help create an environment where they discover a sense of belonging, connection, and purpose.

How can schools make a difference?

A sense of belonging is foundational to student attendance, engagement, and wellbeing. Creating this is not accidental. It develops as the result of intentional and inclusive practices. In the recent Raising Her Voice study (ICGS, 2024), it was identified that a school’s intentional policies and practices can foster meaningful relationships and a sense of community for students. Schools that prioritised connection witnessed gains in both engagement and resilience. Research indicates that it is the dedication and actions of school staff that lay the crucial foundation for cultivating trust and meaningful connections with their students (CESE, 2024). Through consistent care, empathy, and support, staff can help each learner feel seen, respected, and genuinely valued, fostering a sense of self-worth and belonging that can significantly impact both academic success and personal growth. Schools play a vital role in nurturing a culture of belonging by upholding strong core values and promoting classrooms that are respectful, inclusive, and reflective of diverse backgrounds (CESE, 2024). Each school operates within its own unique context and employs tailored wellbeing strategies to empower belonging. An increasing body of research (CDC, 2018) indicates that schools can strengthen protective factors to support student attendance and reduce engagement in risky behaviours by:

• creating inclusive and respectful classrooms – ensuring students feel safe and valued

• building positive teacher-student relationships –intentionally create supportive spaces where students feel safe and more engaged

• encouraging peer relationships – embedding principles and practices into pastoral care that nurture social skills and peer mentoring to build connections

• integrating social-emotional learning (SEL) into the curriculum – teaching essential skills like self-awareness, emotional regulation, and relationship-building, the key ingredients for school connectedness (CASEL, 2017)

• maintaining mentally healthy school communities – the Be You initiative (2018) found that schools who prioritise inclusion, social-emotional learning, and mental health awareness see improvements in student wellbeing.

Schools that strive to make every student feel like they matter are not just growing great learners, they are growing happier, healthier, and more resilient people for life. Embedding inclusive practices within high-quality teaching is a powerful recipe for lasting, positive change.

Implications for teachers

To fully understand the importance of school connectedness, teachers must first recognise that schools have a responsibility to nurture student wellbeing. Additionally, teachers are instrumental in building positive relationships, which are crucial for the social development and competence of all learners (Marshall, 2004). Inclusion is not merely about creating opportunities for students to connect; it is also about valuing and celebrating the unique differences each learner brings to the community. For students to feel connected and experience a sense of belonging, teachers need to employ strategies that foster connectedness throughout both primary and secondary education, while also embedding innovative ways to mitigate life’s daily challenges and support students’ social emotional development. By building our capacity to understand potential impact, we can then explicitly promote valued relationships, establish beneficial routines, and offer enriching school experiences.

Moving forward

It is important for learning communities to explore ways of promoting school connections and a sense of belonging for all learners, particularly atypical learners or those experiencing school refusal. This requires educators to deepen their understanding of how school connectedness is conceptualised for these students, as well as how to foster social competencies, resilience, and positive mental health. It is equally important to recognise that the ‘secret ingredient’ of belonging does not end in Year 12. Students who feel connected during their time at school often carry those experiences and benefits with them into their adult life. In a world where disconnection is increasingly common, fostering a sense of school belonging may be one of the most powerful tools we have.

References

American Psychological Association. (2014). School connectedness https://www.apa.org/pi/lgbt/programs/safe-supportive/ school-connectedness

Bowles, T., Scull, J., & Russo, D. (2018, December 19). Why is school connectedness so important? The University of Melbourne. https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/why-is-schoolconnectedness-so-important

Bowles, T., & Scull, J. (2019). The Centrality of Connectedness: A Conceptual Synthesis of Attending, Belonging, Engaging and Flowing. Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools, 29(1), 3-21. https://doi.org/10.1017/jgc.2018.13

CASEL. (2018, December 14). What is social and emotional learning (SEL) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=4YxyAcV9QXc

Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018). School Connectedness. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/ protective/school_connectedness.htm

CESE (Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation). (2024). Macarthur Girls High School: Sense of belonging research series. NSW Department of Education. International Coalition of Girls’ School (ICGS). (2024). Raising Her Voice. https://girlsschools.org/research/icgs-studies/ Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning. (2017). Social and emotional learning (SEL) competencies. https://casel. org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/CASEL-Competencies.pdf

Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL). (2020). What is SEL? https://casel.org/what-is-sel/ Department of Health and Human Services USA. (2009). School connectedness: Strategies for increasing protective factors among youth. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/protective/pdf/ connectedness.pdf

Goodenow, C. (1993). The Psychological Sense of School Membership among adolescents: Scale development and educational correlates. Psychology in the Schools, 30(1), 79–90. https:// doi.org/10.1002/1520-6807(199301)30:1<79::AIDPITS2310300113>3.0.CO;2-X

Headspace. (2025). Understanding school can’t https://headspace.org.au/ explore-topics/supporting-a-young-person/school-cant/ Lezar, C. (2018). School connectedness. https://autismteenwellbeing.com. au/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/School_Connectedness_ Infographic.pdf

Marshall, S. (2004). Strengthening learning through a focus on wellbeing. Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). Supporting Student Wellbeing: What Does the Research Tell Us About the Social and Emotional Development of Young People? (Conference Proceedings). https://research. acer.edu.au/research_conference_2004/2

Saggers, B., Macartney, B., & Geurin, A. (2016). Developing relationships that support learning and participation. In S. Carrington & J. MacArthur (Eds.), Teaching in inclusive school communities (pp. 209-236). John Wiley & Sons Australia.

Shochet, I. M., Saggers, B. R., Carrington, S. B., Orr, J. A., Wurfl, A. M., Duncan, B. M., & Smith, C. L. (2016). The Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC) Conceptual Model to Promote Mental Health for Adolescents with ASD. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 19(2), 94–116. https://doi.org/10.1007/ s10567-016-0203-4