From Curriculum to Connection: Embedding Belonging in the UK’s New National Curriculum
Written by Chloe Watterston
Chloe is an educator, athlete, and advocate for inclusive, curiosity-driven learning, dedicated to creating spaces where every young person feels safe, valued, and empowered. Her work across mainstream and SEND education, community projects, and curriculum reform is driven by a passion for amplifying marginalised voices and breaking down barriers to learning.
When the Department for Education announced a new national curriculum (to be implemented from 2028), headlines focused on oracy, digital literacy, and enrichment. Yet behind every subject reform lies a deeper question: Do our students feel like they belong here?
A sense of belonging – feeling seen, supported, and valued – is the heartbeat of learning. Without it, even the best-designed curriculum risks falling flat. For pupils who are neurodiverse, disabled, or marginalised, belonging isn’t a luxury; it’s the foundation of success.
This guide translates the government’s new framework, which centres on life skills, enrichment, and stronger foundations, into practical actions that put belonging at the centre of every classroom and corridor.
“Belonging isn’t an outcome of curriculum reform — it’s the condition that makes reform work.”
Curriculum Design: From Coverage to Connection
Goal: Build a curriculum that feels relevant, achievable, and identity-affirming for all.
- Audit representation: Ensure diverse identities, including disability and neurodiversity, appear meaningfully across units and texts.
- Chunk and scaffold: Sequence content clearly for learners who need structure; use visual roadmaps and checklists.
- Bridge knowledge with identity: Link new content to students’ own experiences and communities.
- Amplify oracy: Give pupils the language to share their thinking aloud, it builds both confidence and cognition.
Example: Pair Macbeth with The Hunger Games to explore power and morality through different cultural lenses.
Enrichment for All: Making the ‘Core Entitlement’ Inclusive
Goal: Deliver the new national “core enrichment entitlement” – arts, sport, nature, civic life – so that every pupil can take part meaningfully.
- Audit participation and remove barriers (costs, timing, accessibility).
- Offer sensory-friendly, shorter, or flexible versions of activities.
- Provide varied roles – performer, planner, designer – so every learner can contribute.
- Train staff to understand fatigue, sensory needs, and invisible disabilities.
Example: For civic engagement, let students design campaigns or social media projects if public speaking feels overwhelming.
Pedagogy & Climate: Making Belonging the Norm
Goal: Build classrooms that balance structure with humanity.
- Predictable routines reduce anxiety; flexible responses show care.
- Replace “behaviour management” with “community agreements.”
- Display student contributions publicly – belonging must be visible.
- Give feedback as conversation, not correction.
Example: Begin each lesson with a one-minute grounding question like “What’s one thing that made you smile this week?” Small rituals can anchor connection.
Staff Culture: Belonging Starts with Us
Goal: Equip teachers to teach through belonging, not just about it.
- Embed neuroinclusion in CPD: autism, ADHD, chronic illness, not as “issues,” but as perspectives.
- Hold peer reflection sessions: “Whose belonging have we strengthened this term?”
- Celebrate staff who champion inclusion.
- Model belonging in leadership – consistency, curiosity, compassion.
Example: Host a termly “Belonging Showcase” where staff and students co-present examples of inclusive success.
Measuring What Matters
Goal: Track belonging with the same intent as attainment.
- Use quick-pulse surveys: “Do you feel you’re understood here?”
- Cross-reference belonging data with attendance and enrichment participation.
- Form neurodiverse and SEND student panels to co-design improvements.
- Include belonging outcomes in school development plans.
Example: If ADHD students report low belonging, pilot flexible seating or movement breaks — then re-survey to measure impact.
Final Thought
Belonging is not a soft extra, it’s the soil that allows learning to take root.
As we rebuild the national curriculum for the next generation, we can decide what kind of classrooms our students inherit. Will they be systems of delivery, or communities of connection?
With intentional design, the new curriculum can become more than a framework of knowledge. It can be a map towards a society where every young person feels seen, capable, and connected – not just prepared for life, but part of it.
Supporting Neurodivergent Colleagues in Schools
Written by Laura Douglas
Laura is a Freelance 1:1 Study Skills Tutor and Specialist Mentor, working both locally and nationally to support neurodivergent students in receipt of Disabled Student Allowance (DSA) in higher education. Through her Education Consultancy, she supports curriculum development and neuro-inclusive practices, in both school and ITT settings. She is passionate about developing neuro-inclusive practice and in October 2026, she began the PhD (Prof) at The University of Lincoln, research focussing on the support given to neurodivergent teachers if this is linked to teacher retention.
Is there a relationship between the number of teachers who leave the profession and neurodivergence? How well supported are neurodivergent colleagues in school? How do we know?
These questions are of interest to me due to my experience of working in initial teacher training (ITT), supporting Early Career Teachers (ECTs), and when working with experienced class teachers and leaders in school. I have found that neurodivergent colleagues, whether formally diagnosed or self-diagnosed, face a range of barriers which impact greatly on their confidence, self-esteem and classroom or leadership practice. I have had many conversations with colleagues about the barriers they face, including a current lack of support and understanding in neuro-inclusive practice. I begin my PhD (Prof) at the University of Lincoln in October 2026 and am looking forward to undertaking research in this important area.
Disabled Student Allowance (DSA)
Since October 2025, I have worked part-time as a freelance 1:1 Study Skills Tutor and Specialist Mentor, supporting neurodivergent students in HEI in receipt of Disabled Student Allowance (DSA). I have supported students during the 2025-6 academic year on ITT programmes and have seen first-hand the difference such mentoring has made to these individuals. In my research I aim to raise the profile of specialist mentoring which is fully funded through DSA, which is available for, but not limited to, undergraduate, postgraduate, ITT and PGCE courses.
Workplace Support
Access to Work is a grant that funds practical support in the workplace for people with a disability or health condition; this grant seems very little known in the education sector. In order to be eligible for an Access to Work grant, there is no requirement to have a formal diagnosis with a condition to apply, with individuals having a disability, illness or health condition that means you need support to do your job. According to GOV.UK (2012), this includes, for example:
- a physical disability, for example if you’re hard of hearing or use a wheelchair
- a learning disability or related condition, for example if you have Down’s syndrome
- a developmental condition, like autism spectrum disorder
- having ADHD or dyslexia
- an illness such as diabetes or epilepsy
- a temporary condition, like a broken leg
- a mental health condition, for example anxiety or depression
Upon finding the grant and reflecting on the enormous number of colleagues in school that this could help, I contacted highly regarded and experienced educators via LinkedIn, including keynote speakers of neurodiversity and an Education Policy Government Advisor – none of these individuals had heard of the grant. This raised many questions, which again has supported my decision to undertake vital research.
Teacher Retention
According to the Department for Education (2024) and recent workforce analyses by City and Guilds (2023 and 2024) approximately 200,000 to 215,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) teachers left the state-funded sector in total over the last five years.
Teachers Leaving the Profession in England
| Academic Year | FTE Leavers (Approx.) | % of Workforce |
| 2023/24 | 40,813 | 9.0% |
| 2022/23 | 43,500 | 9.5% |
| 2021/22 | 43,900 | 9.3% |
| 2020/21 | 36,000 | 8.1% (Pandemic low) |
| 2019/20 | 33,000 | 7.4% (Initial lockdown period) |
| Total (Est.) | ~197,213 | — |
Over 90% of leavers in recent years have cited “non-retirement” reasons for leaving teaching. The most common factors reported in DfE surveys include high workload (84%) and stress/wellbeing (75%) (Maisuria, A., Roberts, N., Long, R. and Danechi, S: 2023).
Approximately 31% to 33% of teachers leave the state-funded sector within five years of qualifying, with an average size of recent qualifying cohorts (which typically range from 23,000 to 28,000 new entrants per year) with roughly 8000 to 9000 teachers from each annual cohort leaving before they reach their sixth year in the classroom. According the most recent studies, this has a cumulative impact, with 40,000 to 45,000 ECTs leaving teaching in the first five years:
| Years After Qualifying | Retention Rate | Estimated % Leaving in that Period |
| 1 Year | ~89.7% | ~10% leave immediately |
| 3 Years | ~76% – 80% | An additional 10-14% leave |
| 5 Years | ~67% – 69% | Another 7-10% leave |
I aim for my research to support an update in national policy to develop clear, systematic training across the education sectors in accessibility for neurodivergent teachers. I aim to develop knowledge and understanding for leaders in schools to understand the difference between reasonable adjustments and adaptations in the workplace, in addition to understanding the support available to neurodivergent teachers. This will, in turn, support teacher retention and support the inclusivity and representation of neurodivergence across the sector.
Bibliography
City & Guilds (2023) Neurodiversity Index Report 2023. [online] Available at: https://77f20764.flowpaper.com/CityandGuildsNeurodiversityIndexReport2023/#page=1 [Accessed 20 June 2026].
City & Guilds (2024). City & Guilds Neurodiversity Index Report 2024. [online] Available at: https://77f20764.flowpaper.com/CityandGuildsNeurodiversityIndexReport2024/#page=1 [Accessed 20 June 2026].
Department for Education (2024). School Workforce in England: report. [online] Available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england/2024 [Accessed 22 June 2026].
GOV.UK (2012). Get Support in Work If You Have a Disability or Health Condition (Access to Work). [online] GOV.UK. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/access-to-work [Accessed 23 June 2026].
Maisuria, A., Roberts, N., Long, R. and Danechi, S. (2023). Teacher recruitment and retention in England. commonslibrary.parliament.uk. [online] Available at: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-7222/ [Accessed 21 June 2026]
I Don't Want Representation to Be My Privilege - I Want It to Be Every Student's Reality
Written by Gemma Hathaway
EDI Trust Lead for Inspire Education Trust, Assistant Headteacher at Blue Coat School Coventry.
This blog is written by Cami Chan – a Year 13 Student from Blue Coat School, Coventry.
As EDI Lead for our school and Trust, I am proud to support student voices like Cami’s. Her article demonstrates the importance of giving young people opportunities to think critically about representation, identity and belonging within literature and media. Through thoughtful analysis, Cami challenges stereotypes and highlights why diverse perspectives matter within education today.
Creating psychologically safe environments in schools is essential to this work. When students feel safe to express ideas, question assumptions and share their experiences, they develop confidence, empathy and independent thought, skills that are vital both inside and outside the classroom.
My first encounter with literature from a POC’s perspective was in year 10, with Tanika Gupta’s play – The Empress. A historical drama set in the last 14 years of Queen Victoria’s reign, where we follow the main characters Rani Das, a young Ayah fresh off the boat from Kolkata and Abdul Karim, a soon-to-be servant of Queen Victoria into their personal journey within the Great British Empire. Gupta masterfully presents the themes of colonialism as well as showcases the interactions between the white British Empire, and the people of colour. The diverse cast of characters all have a sophisticated depth to them. Rani begins the journey as an ayah with blinding naivety and ends by becoming a school teacher, sharing her wisdom with the next generation. Her growth shows to the audience that even in a disadvantaged position within society, you can create a voice for yourself.
As times change, we are finally able to see more nuanced representations of minorities in the media. Looking at the evolution of Katie Leung’s acting career, she began with playing the character of Cho Chang in the Harry Potter movies. The docile, pretty, smart Chinese girl who was Harry’s object of attraction – and only that. In the movies, Cho Chang’s main appearances were either by the side of Cedric Diggory or with Harry. Later on, the scene where she was dragged by Draco by the coat after “betraying” Dumbledore’s army made her look meek and powerless. The characterisation of Cho Chang in the movies was white male centric, as if her whole personality was based on the handsome, charming white men around her. Because of the small sample size of representation, it creates the idea that Chinese girls only can be like Cho Chang – quiet and powerless, especially to the young audience of the Harry Potter series. It stops people from rejecting and speaking against stereotypes, while forcing a specific view of Chinese people. In recent years, people have taken off their rose-tinted glasses and realised that such caricatures were actually harmful. Consider the release of Bridgerton season 4, a show that bypasses historical accuracies to uplift POC actors. Leung starred as Araminta Gun, the evil stepmother of House Penwood who acted as the antagonist against the main heroine. The character of Araminta is complex, she is seen to be cruel, but it’s what she had to do to keep her title and relevancy in society. In the scene where the Penwoods arrive at Lady Cressida’s ball, Araminta complains about how the party decor was “浮誇 (over the top)” in Cantonese. Rosamund responds in the same language whilst Posy only responds in English. This deliberate act of isolating her child emphasises her manipulation, keeping Rosamund as the “favourite daughter” and disregarding Posy. This portrayal of a malevolent matron who schemes her way in society shows that Chinese people aren’t just meek, math-loving caricatures, these people are real and have complexities to their personalities.
People of all races are nuanced and deserve to be represented. Whilst the works of Dickens and Priestley are well established in English Literature, they fail to reflect on the diversity within classrooms today. Britain has always been a multicultural country and will always be. Modern media such as Bridgerton have begun taking a step in showing the cultural diversity within society, yet at many schools the curriculum remains stuck in the past, focusing mainly on white perspectives. By introducing diversity in media, literature and the like, it inspires children to challenge the labels placed on them, allowing them to more freely express themselves. It’s been a privilege to be able to study literature from diverse perspectives, in GCSE and A-level. However, I don’t want this to only be my privilege, but a norm within school curriculums. Therefore, schools should aim to further widen the texts and material they give to students, not to just focus on one singular experience or perspective.
Cami’s reflections remind us that representation matters because young people deserve to see the full complexity of themselves and others reflected in the stories they study. A broad and inclusive curriculum helps students challenge stereotypes, develop understanding and recognise the value of different perspectives. As schools, we must continue creating cultures where every student feels heard, respected and able to contribute confidently. When young people are empowered to think critically and express themselves authentically, education becomes not only more inclusive, but more meaningful for everyone.
How do we Measure Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) in Schools?
Written by Hannah Wilson
Founder and Director of the Belonging Effect (formerly Diverse Educators).
Creating a truly inclusive school community goes beyond celebrating differences – it requires intentional measurement, reflection, and action. Schools that commit to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) understand that “what gets measured, gets improved.” But how can educators and leaders effectively measure something as complex and human-centreed as belonging or equity?
- Define What DEIB Means in Your Context
Before measurement comes meaning. Every school community is unique, and so are its DEIB priorities. Start by engaging key stakeholders – students, families, teachers, and staff – to define what diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging mean in your context.
- Diversity: Who is represented in your community?
- Equity: Do all students have access to the resources they need to succeed?
- Inclusion: Do all voices feel heard and valued?
- Belonging: Do individuals feel safe, accepted, and connected to the community?
Establishing shared definitions ensures everyone understands what you’re trying to measure and why it matters.
- Use Quantitative Data to Identify Gaps
Numbers tell part of the story. Collect and analyse demographic and performance data to identify patterns of inequity or exclusion.
Consider tracking by identity group:
- Student admissions and retention
- Staff recruitment, progression and attrition demographics
- Student attendance, behaviour and engagement
- Staff development and leadership opportunities
- Student progression rates
- Staff community involvement
- Student extra-curricular involvement
Use data disaggregated by subgroups to uncover disparities that may not be visible in overall averages.
- Gather Qualitative Insights to Understand Lived Experiences
Numbers reveal patterns; stories reveal impact. Use surveys, interviews, and focus groups to explore how students and staff actually experience school life.
Example methods:
- Climate and belonging surveys: Ask how safe, respected, and supported individuals feel.
- Student voice circles: Provide structured opportunities for students to discuss inclusion and school culture.
- Teacher and family feedback sessions: Capture multiple perspectives on equity and access.
Look for patterns in experiences – especially among groups historically underrepresented or marginalised.
- Evaluate Curriculum and Practices
A key dimension of DEIB lies in what students learn and how they learn it.
Audit your:
- Curriculum materials: Are diverse identities, histories, and voices represented authentically?
- Disciplinary policies: Are they applied equitably across student groups?
- Teaching practices: Do pedagogical methods support multiple learning styles and perspectives?
- Professional development: Are staff supported in building cultural competence and equity awareness?
- Measure Belonging Intentionally
Belonging can be the hardest – and most crucial – aspect to measure. It is about emotional connection and psychological safety.
You can measure belonging through:
- Belonging scales in climate surveys
- Social network mapping (e.g. how connected students feel to peers and teachers)
- Observation protocols (e.g. participation patterns, classroom inclusion)
Ask questions such as:
- “Do you feel accepted for who you are at school?”
- “Do you have at least one safe adult you trust at school?”
- “Do you see yourself reflected in what you learn?”
- Turn Data Into Action
Measurement is only meaningful if it drives change. After analysing results, share findings transparently with your community and co-create improvement goals.
For example:
- If certain groups feel less belonging, launch an intervention like student mentoring.
- If data show disparities in discipline, review policies and provide staff training on restorative practices.
- If representation is lacking in the curriculum, form a review committee to expand perspectives.
Progress should be tracked over time, with regular opportunities to celebrate growth and identify new challenges.
- Commit to Continuous Improvement
DEIB measurement is not a one-time audit – it is a continuous process of listening, learning, and leading with empathy. As your community evolves, so will your understanding of what inclusion and belonging mean.
By pairing data with dialogue, schools can create environments where every student and educator feels seen, valued, and empowered to thrive.
Key Takeaway
Measuring DEIB in schools is not about checking a box – it is about cultivating awareness, accountability, and action. When schools combine data with authentic voices, they build the foundation for equity and belonging that benefits every learner.
Beyond The Bookshelf: Creating Change Through Activism
Written by Maria Oprea
Maria Ariana Oprea is a Year 9 student at Caterham High School who wishes to have a future career in Law. She was part of Every Future Foundation 2026, Activism Academy.
When I first joined Activism Academy, I never imagined how much it would change me. I signed up because I cared about making a difference, but I came out with so much more: confidence, new friendships, valuable skills, and the opportunity to create real change in my school community.
My project is called Beyond the Bookshelf. The idea came from the simple question: Does everyone in our school feel represented in our school curriculum? I wanted to make our school curriculum more diverse, starting with the library.
For me, diversity in books is way more than just numbers. It means having authors from different ethnicities, cultures, and backgrounds. It means books with characters that people feel reflected in, whether it’s through experiences or identities. It means exploring stories, histories, and perspectives from around the world so that every student has the opportunity to learn from people who may be different from themselves, while also seeing their own experiences reflected in what they read. It also means helping others develop the same genuine love for reading that I found myself having from a very young age.
Through surveys, research, book sales, and presentations, I gathered the views of students and explored ways our library could become more inclusive. Seeing other students engage with the idea and recognising that their opinions mattered was one of the most rewarding parts of the project. It showed me that positive change can begin with listening, understanding different perspectives, and taking action. No matter how young you are, or how small the change may seem at first, every positive action has the potential to make a real difference.
One of the biggest things I learned is that activism does not always have to be loud or dramatic. Sometimes it starts with asking questions, listening to others, and finding practical ways to improve something that matters. Through Beyond the Bookshelf, I discovered that small changes can have a lasting impact.
I am incredibly grateful to Activism Academy and my amazing mentor, Hannah Wilson, for giving me this opportunity and supporting me every step of the way. This has helped me grow as a person, develop confidence in my voice, and understand that I can help shape the world around me. Most importantly, it showed me that when people come together with a shared purpose, positive change is possible.
Beyond the Bookshelf started off as a project about books, but it became a journey of learning, friendship, and empowerment – and one that I will always be proud of and grateful for.
Literacy matters: From Mirrors and Windows to Voice and Participation
Written by Amy Wilby
I am an experienced senior educational leader, currently serving as an Assistant Headteacher with responsibility for Curriculum, as well as a Trust-wide DEIB Champion, edublogger, and proud mum to a 21-year-old son. Since qualifying as a teacher in 2009, I have built a career rooted in both academic excellence and strong pastoral care. I bring extensive experience across middle and senior leadership, including roles as a Specialist Leader of Education (SLE) and Associate Assistant Headteacher. I hold an NPQSL and a master’s degree in educational leadership, and I am deeply committed to evidence-informed practice, drawing on educational research to enhance teaching, learning, and curriculum design.
Walk into most classrooms and you’ll see literacy everywhere, embedded in reading tasks, writing activities, and assessment criteria. It’s carefully planned, structured, and aligned to curriculum goals.
But there are deeper questions we don’t ask often enough:
- Who can actually access it, use it, and shape it, and who can’t?
- Does the ability to decode mean that students can fully understand the context?
- How can literacy build social and cultural capital?
- Does literate signal included?
In the same way that an inclusive curriculum depends on mirrors and windows, an inclusive approach to literacy depends on something equally powerful:
Access, voice, and participation.
If ‘Mirrors and Windows’ help students see, literacy determines whether they can engage, respond, and belong.
From mirrors and windows to literacy as power
The idea of mirrors and windows gives us a strong foundation:
- Mirrors: students see themselves reflected
- Windows: students understand others
But there’s a crucial next step.
Seeing is not the same as participating.
A student might recognise themselves in a text (a mirror), or learn about another perspective (a window). But without the literacy skills to interpret, question, and respond, their role remains passive.
Literacy is what turns:
- mirrors into validation
- windows into understanding
- classrooms into spaces of participation
Without literacy, inclusion risks staying at the level of representation. With it, inclusion becomes something students actively experience.
Literacy as access: who gets in?
Just as curriculum design asks whose stories are told, literacy asks:
Who can access those stories in the first place?
Who is advantaged and disadvantaged by the choices of text and the metaphorical language that is frequently used in education?
When literacy is secure:
- Students can engage with the full curriculum
- They can navigate complex texts, instructions, and ideas
- They can move confidently across subjects
- If they truly understand the text, they begin to understand the subtext, the meaning and the inference.
When it isn’t:
- The curriculum becomes partially inaccessible
- Learning is fragmented
- Students may disengage, not from lack of ability, but from lack of access and from cognitive overload!
This is where literacy builds directly from curriculum thinking. It ensures that mirrors and windows are not just present, but reachable.
Literacy as voice: who gets heard?
Mirrors validate identity, but literacy enables expression.
In an inclusive classroom, it’s not enough for students to see themselves reflected. They need opportunities to:
- articulate their thinking
- share their experiences
- challenge ideas
- contribute to discussions
This is where literacy becomes deeply connected to belonging.
Because belonging isn’t just about recognition, it’s about being heard and taken seriously.
Expanding literacy here means valuing multiple forms of communication:
- spoken language
- storytelling
- debate and discussion
- digital and visual expression
When these are embedded into classroom practice, more students find ways to participate meaningfully.
Literacy as participation: who gets to shape the learning?
Windows help students understand the world.
Literacy allows them to interact with it.
Through literacy, students:
- question what they read
- connect ideas across topics
- collaborate with others
- form and defend their own viewpoints
This shifts them from consumers of knowledge to contributors.
And this is where belonging becomes tangible.
A classroom is not inclusive because of what is displayed on the walls or listed in the curriculum. It becomes inclusive when students can actively take part in the learning experience, when they can influence it, respond to it, and see their role within it.
‘Without enough language – a word gap – a child is seriously limited in their enjoyment of school and success beyond’. (Harley, 2018, p. 2)
The risk: when literacy is overlooked
There’s a parallel here with the ‘add and stir’ approach to curriculum.
Just as representation can become tokenistic, literacy can become:
- overly focused on technical skills in isolation
- detached from meaning and purpose
- assessed more than it is lived
- Focused on written rather than oral assessment
When this happens:
- Students may decode text without truly engaging
- Writing becomes performative rather than expressive
- Participation is limited to those already confident
- Those with a word gap are continually disadvantaged, this is not inclusive; this does not increase a sense of belonging.
And again, students notice.
They can tell when literacy is something they do for school, rather than something that gives them power within it.
What this looks like in practice
Building on mirrors and windows, schools can strengthen inclusion through literacy by being equally intentional.
- Make literacy visible across the curriculum
Ask:
- Where are students reading, writing, speaking, and thinking deeply?
- Who is thriving in these moments, and who isn’t?
- Is there a large focus on extracts rather than rich and extended reading? This may feel more inclusive, however appropriately scaffolded pieces, allow all learners to build their vocabulary and feel more confident in their linguistic ability.
- Connect literacy to meaning, not just mechanics
- Use texts that matter
- Create purposeful writing opportunities
- Prioritise discussion and dialogue
- Focus on metaphorical language as well. Idioms and common metaphors, where not understood, can create a sense of isolation and ‘otherness’.
- Plan for participation, not just completion
- Build in structured talk across all subjects
- Use collaborative tasks
- Create space for multiple perspectives
- Scaffold up, don’t recue the reading to support students
- Value different starting points
- Recognise that students arrive with different literacy experiences
- Scaffold without limiting
- Maintain high expectations with appropriate support
- Keep student voice central
Just as with curriculum:
- Do students feel confident contributing?
- Do they feel listened to?
- What helps them engage—and what holds them back?
Expanding inclusion beyond representation
Mirrors and windows ensure that students can see.
Literacy ensures that they can:
- access what they see
- respond to it
- participate in shaping it
Without literacy, inclusion can remain symbolic.
With literacy, it becomes functional, lived, and sustained.
What you can do tomorrow
To build on your work around mirrors and windows:
- Review a lesson or scheme and ask: Where is the literacy demand here? Who might struggle to access it?
- Add one structured opportunity for student voice (discussion, reflection, or debate)
- Adapt a task so students are not just reading, but responding, making inferences, questioning, or creating. Do this in a subject other than English or the Humanities.
- Plan which common idioms can be used in different units, this may feel outdated, however they are often used in History, English and other GCSE and A level exams as we as in common discourse. Not knowing these can disadvantage and disengage!
Small shifts here can have a significant impact on participation and belonging.
Final thought
If the first question of an inclusive curriculum is:
“Do students see themselves and others?”
Then the next question must be:
“Can they do something with what they see?”
Because true inclusion isn’t just about visibility.
It’s about access, voice, and participation.
And that’s what makes literacy a superpower.
Further reading:
Harley
Harley, J. (2018) Foreword. In: Why closing the word gap matters: Oxford language report. Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 2.
Burnett, Merchant & Neumann
Burnett, C., Merchant, G. and Neumann, M. (2020) ‘Closing the gap? Overcoming limitations in sociomaterial accounts of early literacy’, Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 20(1), pp. 111–113. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/1468798419896067
Global Equality collective
Global Equality Collective GEC KnowHow Bookshop. Available at: GEC KnowHow Bookshop
Global Equality Collective 6 books to diversify your bookshelf (NCAFF). Available at: https://www.thegec.education/blog/6-books-to-diversify-your-bookshelf-ncaff
Kara
Kara, B. (2020) A little guide for teachers: diversity in schools. London: Sage Publications Ltd.
Quigley
Quigley, A. (2018) Closing the vocabulary gap. London: Routledge.
Wilby
Wilby, A. (2024) ‘Privilege, knowledge, and access: navigating education through cultural capital’, Global Equality Collective Blog, 12 September. Available at: https://www.thegec.education/blog/privilege-knowledge-and-access-navigating-education-through-cultural-capital
Worth-it (2021) How to build positive relationships in school, Worth-it Blog, 17 May. Available at: https://www.worthit.org.uk/blog/positive-relationships-school
Supporting Religiously Diverse Staff to Feel Safe and Included in Teacher Training
Written by Belonging Effect
Belonging Effect is committed to shaping intention into impact and supporting people with their Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging strategy and training needs.
As schools and teacher training providers continue to build more inclusive environments, conversations about supporting staff from diverse religious backgrounds are becoming increasingly important. While much attention is rightly given to supporting pupils, creating a culture where trainee teachers and school staff feel safe, respected and able to bring their whole selves to work is equally vital.
Recently, a teacher training provider approached us seeking advice on how best to support a trainee teacher who has chosen to wear a niqab. Their question was thoughtful and proactive: how can we ensure she feels welcomed and supported, particularly when there are currently no colleagues within our school communities who wear a niqab?
The answer begins with a simple but often overlooked principle: inclusion is not about making assumptions. It is about creating conditions where people can tell us what they need and trusting them as experts in their own experience.
Start with the Individual
Every person’s experience of faith and religious expression is different. While some women who wear a niqab may choose to remove it in certain professional settings, others may not. Some may require specific adjustments, while others may not need any additional support at all.
The most effective starting point is a respectful conversation with the trainee herself. Rather than focusing on what challenges might arise, ask open questions about what would help her feel comfortable, safe and supported throughout her training journey.
This approach not only avoids assumptions but also demonstrates trust, respect and partnership.
Focus on the Environment, Not Just the Individual
When organisations think about support, attention often centres on the individual who may be perceived as “different”. However, in many cases the greatest opportunity lies in preparing the wider environment.
Religious literacy and awareness training can help colleagues better understand different forms of religious dress and practice. This is not about requiring staff to become experts in every faith tradition. Rather, it is about building confidence, reducing misconceptions and creating a culture where curiosity is respectful and inclusion is everyone’s responsibility.
Small actions can have a significant impact:
- Ensuring all staff engage with the trainee as they would any other colleague.
- Addressing questions or misconceptions through education rather than leaving individuals to explain or defend their choices.
- Encouraging respectful conversations about diversity and inclusion.
- Challenging stereotypes when they arise.
These everyday behaviours often have a greater impact on belonging than any formal policy.
Consider Practical Adjustments
As with any member of staff, there may be practical considerations that support comfort and wellbeing.
Potential adjustments could include:
- Access to well-ventilated spaces during warmer weather.
- Private or discreet spaces if required for personal comfort.
- Consideration of uniform or dress expectations where relevant.
- Opportunities to discuss placement-specific considerations before entering a new school environment.
The key is flexibility and dialogue rather than assuming that particular adjustments will be required.
Representation Matters
Inclusion is reinforced when people can see themselves reflected in their environment.
Schools and training providers may wish to review resources, displays, library books and curriculum materials to ensure they reflect a diverse range of religious identities and experiences. For example, when discussing Muslim communities, representation can extend beyond images of the hijab to include the diversity of ways Muslim women choose to express their faith.
Visible representation helps communicate an important message: you belong here.
Preparing for Questions from Parents and Communities
Inclusion sometimes involves preparing for questions from the wider school community. While most interactions are likely to be positive, schools may occasionally receive enquiries from parents who are unfamiliar with certain forms of religious dress.
Having clear, values-based messaging prepared in advance can help staff respond confidently and consistently. Responses should focus on professional standards, equality, respect and the school’s commitment to creating an inclusive environment for both staff and pupils.
Importantly, the burden of responding to concerns should never fall on the trainee herself.
Cultivating a Culture of Belonging
Ultimately, supporting religiously diverse staff is not about creating special treatment. It is about ensuring that everyone has equal opportunity to thrive.
For teacher training providers, this means moving beyond compliance and towards genuine inclusion. It means recognising that diversity within the teaching workforce enriches schools, broadens perspectives and provides valuable role models for young people.
When organisations focus on listening, representation, religious literacy and everyday respect, they create environments where all trainees can flourish—not despite their identity, but with it fully recognised and valued.
The question is not simply how we support one trainee teacher. The question is how we build school communities where every member of staff feels they belong from the moment they walk through the door.
Final Thoughts
Creating inclusive workplaces requires more than good intentions. It requires curiosity, listening, and a willingness to examine the systems, cultures and assumptions that shape people’s experiences. By taking proactive steps to support religiously diverse staff, schools and training providers can help ensure every educator feels valued, respected and able to thrive.
Call to Action
Please do get in touch if you have worked on an inclusive dress policy and would like to share best practice or if you have lived experience of wearing the niqab at work and would be willing to share your experiences.
Representation Starts Here: Developing Student Leadership Through a DEIB Lens
Written by Dwight Weir
Dwight is a Deputy Headteacher and Life Coach. He is also an inspector for British Schools Overseas. Dwight has a passion for coaching and leadership development.
Walk into many schools and you will see student leaders everywhere. Head students. Prefects. Ambassadors. School council representatives. The question is: who gets to lead?
Too often, student leadership reflects the same patterns we see elsewhere in society. The confident voices are heard. The popular students are selected. The pupils who already fit the image of a “leader” are given the opportunities. Representation starts here.
If we are serious about Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB), we must rethink how we identify, develop and celebrate student leaders.
Leadership Is Not a Look
Many schools unintentionally reward visibility over potential. Students who are articulate, academically successful or naturally outgoing are often first in line for leadership opportunities. Meanwhile, quieter pupils, students with SEND, disadvantaged learners, multilingual pupils and those from underrepresented backgrounds can be overlooked.
The result?
Student leadership becomes exclusive rather than inclusive.
A DEIB approach asks a different question: Whose leadership are we missing?
Expanding the Definition of Leadership
Leadership is more than standing on a stage or speaking into a microphone.
Leadership can be:
- The student who welcomes a new classmate.
- The pupil who advocates for accessibility.
- The young person who challenges injustice.
- The learner who quietly supports others every day.
- The student who demonstrates resilience in the face of adversity.
When schools broaden their definition of leadership, more students can see themselves reflected in leadership roles. And when students can see it, they can believe it is possible.
Equity Over Equality
Giving every student the same opportunity is not always enough. Some students need encouragement, coaching, mentoring or targeted development before they feel confident enough to step forward. An equitable approach recognises that leadership pathways should not simply be open; they should be accessible.
This might mean:
- Creating leadership programmes for underrepresented groups.
- Actively encouraging applications from students who would not normally put themselves forward.
- Providing coaching and mentoring.
- Removing unnecessary barriers to participation.
Equity is not lowering standards. It is widening access.
Representation Matters
Students are constantly scanning their environment for signals.
- Who gets chosen?
- Who gets listened to?
- Who gets celebrated?
- Who gets promoted?
When leadership teams reflect the diversity of the student population, powerful messages are sent. Students begin to see that leadership is not reserved for a particular gender, ethnicity, social background, ability level or personality type.
They see possibility…They see belonging…They see themselves…
Moving Beyond Tokenism
Representation alone is not enough. A diverse student leadership team without influence changes very little. Student leaders must have genuine opportunities to shape decisions, influence policy and improve school culture. Their voices should not simply be heard. They should be acted upon.
The most effective schools move from student voice to student influence.
The Leadership Legacy
Student leadership is not just about organising events or leading assemblies. It is about preparing young people for the world they will inherit. When schools develop leadership through a DEIB lens, they cultivate empathy, courage, advocacy, collaboration and social responsibility. They create young people who understand that leadership is not about power over others. It is about creating opportunities for others. Because representation does not begin in the boardroom. It does not begin in parliament. It does not begin in the workplace.
Representation starts here.
In our classrooms. In our corridors. In our student leadership programmes.
And in the belief that every young person has the potential to lead.
Belonging in Schools: From Staff Culture to Pupil Experience
Written by Belonging Effect
Belonging Effect is committed to shaping intention into impact and supporting people with their Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging strategy and training needs.
Creating a school where every individual feels they truly belong is one of the most transformative goals a leadership team can pursue. But what does “belonging” actually mean in practice, and how do we move past buzzwords to build genuine, inclusive communities?
In a recent webinar hosted by Iona Kelliher, the Managing Director of Edurio and The Belonging Effect, experts Hannah Wilson and Zahara Chowdhury dug deep into these exact questions. Drawing from their extensive work with schools, they shared practical, actionable insights on how to transform school culture from the staffroom to the classroom.
- Navigating the Biggest Challenges in School Belonging
When it comes to cultivating belonging, school leaders often face roadblocks on two fronts: workforce demographics and communication barriers.
- Workforce Diversification & Retention: Hannah says, recruiting, developing, and retaining a diverse cohort of staff, leaders, and governors remains a major challenge. To overcome this, schools must move toward active listening. Hannah Wilson emphasizes the need for regular feedback loops, structured listening activities, and thorough exit interviews.
- Courageous Conversations: Zahara points out that many educators struggle with having uncomfortable conversations and knowing exactly what to say (and when to say it) in both classrooms and staffrooms.
The Solution: Overcoming these hurdles requires deep consistency. Schools must build a shared language, routine, and approach to belonging so that all students and staff feel secure within the school’s overarching identity – and their own individual identities within it.
- Extending Belonging Beyond the School Gates
Schools do not exist in a vacuum; creating a sense of belonging for children means engaging with families and the wider local community.
- Meet Communities on Their Terms: Zahara advises school leaders to physically step into the community. Go to community strongholds, local environments, or even the supermarket to engage with families where they feel safe and on their terms.
- Co-Create Solutions: True collaboration means enabling what the community actually needs, rather than what school leaders think they need.
- Celebrate Diverse Identities: Highlighting local initiatives that champion diversity can bridge the gap between home and school. For instance, looking at local community projects – like Bristol’s Black Joy Trail – can provide beautiful blueprints for celebrating diverse identities and fostering joy.
- First Steps to Take Right Now
If you want to immediately shift your school’s culture toward greater belonging, the experts recommend starting with these two tangible steps:
- Implement a Shared DEIB Calendar: Build a shared Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) calendar for all staff. Review your current assemblies and celebrations against it to see what might be missing, ensuring a healthy balance of focus across various awareness days, weeks, months, and religions.
- Just Ask (and Listen): Be explicit with your school community. Send a clear message stating that you want to ensure everyone feels included, and humbly acknowledge that you might not always get it right. Establish clear, transparent communication lines detailing how you will gather feedback, what you will do with it, and the timelines for action. Whenever possible, look for opportunities to co-create policy with your community, or experiment with frameworks like reverse mentoring.
- Designing a Neuro-inclusive Environment
Many neurodivergent pupils find themselves “tolerating” or masking at school rather than genuinely thriving. Because the traditional school model is highly systemic, reasonable adaptations alone are often not enough.
To address this, schools must look at neuro-inclusivity through a wider lens:
- Consistency in Adjustments: Staff and pupil training on neurodiversity is essential. Any reasonable adjustments made for pupils must be clearly communicated and clarified across the board so that application is consistent.
- Shift from the Individual to the System: Instead of focusing purely on modifying the minoritised student, look at the environment, the people, and the student experience around them. Investigate what everyone needs to learn and do to adapt, with the goal of creating a classroom and community that is universal by design.
- Investigate the “Toleration”: Don’t be afraid to ask students and parents exactly what they are tolerating. Examine the nuances – from transition periods and email communications to clubs and curriculum materials.
- The Danger of “Inclusion Bases”
Many schools utilise inclusion bases or separate spaces for specific pupils, but how does this impact a child’s sense of belonging?
Hannah warns that we must critically examine whether our inclusion efforts are actually forms of hidden segregation or exclusion – such as placing students in a different building, room, or table. Leaders need to act as their own “critical friends” and ask hard, reflective questions: Why are these pupils in that base? Have they been excluded? Do they actually feel more included there? Addressing these systemic questions is incredibly powerful when embedded directly into a school’s strategic development plan.
- Aligning Belonging with Inspection Frameworks (Ofsted)
Belonging is not just a pastoral nice-to-have; it sits squarely within modern inspection expectations. Under current inspection frameworks, Ofsted assesses belonging through the lenses of inclusion and personal development. Inspectors look past simply providing a “seat in the classroom” to evaluate several core areas:
- Curriculum Representation: Does what you teach reflect the diversity of your school’s community? Minority groups, pupils with SEND, and disadvantaged children should feel visible and respected in the curriculum.
- Relational Inclusion: Moving away from a strict reliance on rigid reward and sanction charts, inspectors look at how staff actively build trusting, emotionally safe relationships with pupils -particularly those struggling with behaviour or attendance.
- Pupil and Parent Voice: Evidence is gathered through surveys and discussions to check if learners truly feel they matter, have a voice, and are treated fairly.
- Safe Spaces for Dialogue: School leadership must demonstrate how they handle difficult conversations regarding discrimination and equality to foster peer-to-peer respect.
- Measuring Progress and Overcoming Pushback
How can school leaders ensure that their belonging and anti-harm work is genuinely shifting staff behaviour and building pupil trust?
- Track the Data: Utilising weekly pulse surveys provides a quick, regular check-in on school climate. Interestingly, after robust training, schools often see a temporary spike in reported incidents. Do not panic – this is usually a positive sign of increased consciousness and staff confidence in noticing and naming harm.
- Gather Qualitative Insight: Set up dedicated email inboxes and compile staff case studies to capture the nuances of the student experience. Remember, a wealth of research confirms that belonging and inclusion directly correlate with improved student outcomes and academic progress.
Navigating Community and Staff Pushback
When introducing topics like Pride or LGBT identities, leaders occasionally encounter friction from staff or students. While student voice is vital, areas that impact student safety and prevent harm cannot be ignored.
To move past “complicit compliance” or a snail’s pace, look at pushback with genuine curiosity. Ask yourself: Why is there pushback? Is it due to a lack of inclusion literacy, media influence, high workloads, or a feeling that other areas are being ignored? Often, friction is projected when staff or students feel a lack of belonging and wellbeing themselves. Introducing intersectional role models (such as showcasing that someone can co-exist within multiple identities, like being both LGBT and Muslim) can humanise these conversations and bridge cultural divides.
Looking to Deepen Your Practice?
Cultivating true belonging requires a continuous commitment to training, reflection, and structural change. For school leaders, governors, and trustees looking to further their development, The Belonging Effect offers a wealth of tailored toolkits, books, job boards, and specialised training frameworks – spanning inclusive recruitment, neurodiversity awareness, and governor DEIB oversight.
If you missed Part 1 of the series you can catch up here: Edurio – Belonging in Schools: From Staff Culture to Pupil Experience
Ready to take the next step in measuring culture across your school network? Stay tuned for Part 2 of the series: How to Measure Belonging in Your Trust on 6th July.
Maslow’s Hierarchy Was Never Just a Pyramid
Written by Hannah Wilson
Founder and Director of the Belonging Effect (formerly Diverse Educators).
Every educator has seen it. The pyramid – at the bottom sit physiological needs: food, water, shelter, sleep. Above that come safety, belonging, esteem, and finally – at the peak – self-actualisation.
For decades, Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs has shaped educational thinking. It appears in teacher training, wellbeing frameworks, behaviour support models, and school leadership presentations around the world. The message is straightforward: children cannot learn effectively if their basic needs are unmet.
And that insight matters;
- Hungry children struggle to concentrate,
- Unsafe children struggle to trust,
- Disconnected children struggle to engage.
But there is a part of the story many educators have never been told.
Maslow’s ideas were influenced by time spent with the Blackfoot Confederacy in 1938, where he observed a society deeply grounded in community, belonging, collective responsibility, and cultural continuity. In later years, scholars and Indigenous educators have pointed to the similarities between Maslow’s developing ideas and Blackfoot understandings of human wellbeing.
What is especially interesting is that Maslow himself never actually drew the famous pyramid we all recognise today. The pyramid – with its upward climb toward individual success – became a Western interpretation of his theory. And perhaps in that interpretation, something important was lost because many Indigenous worldviews do not see human flourishing as an individual journey upward. They see it as relational.
The Problem With the Pyramid
The modern version of Maslow’s hierarchy is often presented as a ladder:
- First survival…
- Then safety…
- Then belonging…
- Then achievement.
Eventually, if all goes well, a person reaches self-actualisation – becoming the fullest version of themselves. But schools have absorbed this framework in ways that often reinforce individualism rather than connection.
Once students’ basic needs are acknowledged, education systems quickly shift focus toward:
- academic performance,
- achievement,
- productivity,
- competition,
- outcomes.
The underlying message becomes: Now that your needs are met, it is time to succeed.
Yet human wellbeing is not linear:
- Children can experience creativity while carrying trauma,
- Students can achieve highly while feeling lonely,
- Young people can comply academically while feeling culturally unseen.
Many First Nations perspectives understand wellbeing not as a hierarchy, but as an interconnected system of relationships – between self, community, identity, spirit, land, and purpose. Belonging is not a stage to move through. It is foundational.
What Indigenous Wisdom Offers Education
One of the most powerful distinctions in Indigenous understandings of wellbeing is the shift from individual fulfilment to collective flourishing.
In many Western systems, the highest goal is personal achievement:
- reaching your potential,
- standing out,
- becoming successful.
But Indigenous perspectives often place greater emphasis on:
- contribution,
- responsibility,
- kinship,
- cultural continuity,
- community wellbeing.
The question changes from: “How do I become my best self?”
To: “How do I strengthen the wellbeing of the community around me?”
That difference has profound implications for schools because schools frequently reward independence while undervaluing interconnectedness.
We celebrate high achievers, but often overlook:
- kindness,
- emotional safety,
- cultural identity,
- collaboration,
- service,
- belonging.
And yet these are the very things that allow human beings to flourish.
What Would Schools Look Like If We Truly Understood This?
If schools genuinely embraced a more holistic understanding of human needs, education might begin to look very different.
We might prioritise:
- relationships before results,
- connection before compliance,
- identity before standardisation,
- wellbeing before performance.
Students would not simply be prepared for exams or careers – they would be prepared for life in community.
Teachers would spend less time asking: “How do we improve outcomes?”
And more time asking: “Do our students feel seen, safe, valued, and connected?”
Because children learn best when they experience belonging.
Not performative belonging…Not tokenistic inclusion…Real belonging.
The kind that says: “You matter here.”
Beyond Achievement
Many schools today are facing rising levels of anxiety, disengagement, loneliness, and behavioural complexity among young people.
We often respond with interventions, data tracking, wellbeing programs, and behaviour systems, but perhaps part of the deeper issue is that modern education has become disconnected from fundamental human needs.
Not just physical needs – but emotional, relational, cultural, and spiritual ones too. The Indigenous perspectives that influenced Maslow remind us that wellbeing cannot be separated from connection.
A child’s sense of identity matters…Community matters…Purpose matters…Relationship matters…And perhaps the greatest misunderstanding of the pyramid is that human flourishing was never meant to be a solo climb to the top.
A Different Vision for Education
What if success in schools was measured not only by grades, but by:
- empathy,
- contribution,
- resilience,
- belonging,
- cultural strength,
- and the ability to care for others?
What if education was not simply about producing successful individuals, but nurturing connected human beings?
Long before modern psychology attempted to define human motivation, First Nations peoples already understood something essential: people thrive through relationships and belonging to a community.
Perhaps schools have been looking at the pyramid for so long that we forgot to look around us. So perhaps the future of education depends not on climbing higher, but on reconnecting more deeply – to ourselves, to each other, and to community.