Research

The Hidden Curriculum of Belonging

Written by Lorraine Kara

Early Years consultant, author and founder of Belonging in Practice. Leadership, Culture, Inclusion, Belonging.

Every nursery and school has two curriculums.

The first is the one we carefully plan.

The second is the one children experience.

The second curriculum is often the most powerful.

Children are constantly learning – not only through the activities we prepare, but through the relationships they observe, the words they hear and the way adults respond when emotions run high.

This is the hidden curriculum of belonging.

A reflection from practice

Recently, I witnessed an interaction at a school that stayed with me. A child was visibly distressed and crying while an adult, who also appeared emotionally overwhelmed, responded in a raised and angry tone. Other adults stepped in to help calm the situation.

As I watched, I found myself thinking less about behaviour management and more about what the child might have been learning in that moment.

Not mathematics. Not phonics. Not literacy.

Instead, perhaps the child was learning: “When I am overwhelmed, adults become overwhelmed too.” Or: “My feelings are too much.” Or even: “When I struggle, I may be publicly corrected rather than helped.”

None of those messages may have been intended. But intention and impact are not always the same. The experience a child has in a difficult moment can become part of the hidden curriculum they carry with them.

The curriculum we never write down

Children notice far more than the content of our planning. They notice how adults speak to one another, how mistakes are handled, whose voice is listened to, whether differences are respected and whether emotions are met with curiosity or punishment.

No curriculum document includes a learning intention that says, “Children will learn whether adults lose control.” Yet children learn this every day.

They also learn whether adults apologise, whether relationships can be repaired, whether behaviour is treated as communication and whether they remain worthy of care when they are having a difficult moment.

This is why the hidden curriculum matters. It quietly teaches children what power looks like, what safety feels like and whether belonging is conditional.

Belonging is experienced through relationships

Early childhood development is profoundly relational. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological view of development reminds us that children grow within interconnected systems of relationships and environments. Gerhardt’s work similarly draws attention to the importance of early relational experiences for emotional development.

When adults remain calm enough to help children regulate, children gradually learn that difficult feelings can be survived. When adults model empathy, children experience empathy. When adults repair after a rupture, children learn that relationships can be restored.

Belonging is therefore not created by a display board alone. It is experienced when a child discovers: “Even when I struggle, I still have a place here.”

What does this mean for educators?

The hidden curriculum invites us to look beyond what we planned and ask what children actually experienced.

What did my tone communicate?
Did my response preserve the child’s dignity?
Was I regulated enough to help the child regulate?
Did I respond to behaviour only, or did I remain curious about what might be underneath it?
If I got it wrong, did I repair the relationship?

This does not mean educators must be perfect. Early Years work is emotionally demanding and adults will have difficult moments too. It does mean that reflective practice must include the adult’s emotional state, not only the child’s behaviour.

The leadership responsibility

This is also a leadership issue. If staff are expected to co-regulate children, they need cultures that support their own regulation and reflection.

Leaders can strengthen this by creating psychologically safe supervision, modelling calm responses, allowing staff to ask for help, discussing difficult interactions without humiliation and treating repair as part of professional practice rather than evidence of failure.

The culture adults experience becomes part of the culture children experience. In that sense, workforce wellbeing, leadership behaviour and children’s belonging cannot be separated.

Reflection questions

What are children learning from the way adults respond when things go wrong?
Who receives patience in our setting – and who receives correction?
Do our behaviour approaches preserve children’s dignity?
Do staff feel safe enough to say, ‘I did not handle that well’?
What do our routines, relationships and reactions teach children about who belongs?

Read, reflect and act

This week, observe one interaction rather than one activity.

Ask yourself: What was the child learning about themselves, about adults and about belonging in that moment?

Sometimes the most important lesson was never written on the planning sheet.

Final reflection

Belonging is not only built in our easiest moments. It is revealed in our hardest ones.

Children may forget the activity we planned, but they can remember how an adult made them feel. Our responsibility is not to offer perfection. It is to keep reflecting, repairing and creating environments where children feel emotionally safe, seen and valued.

Perhaps the most powerful curriculum we offer children is not simply what we teach, but who we are while we are teaching it.

References

Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979) The Ecology of Human Development: Experiments by Nature and Design. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Edmondson, A.C. (2019) The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Gerhardt, S. (2015) Why Love Matters: How Affection Shapes a Baby’s Brain. 2nd edn. London: Routledge.

National Scientific Council on the Developing Child (2004/2020) Young Children Develop in an Environment of Relationships. Working Paper No. 1. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University.

Rinaldi, C. (2006) In Dialogue with Reggio Emilia: Listening, Researching and Learning. London: Routledge.

Siegel, D.J. and Bryson, T.P. (2011) The Whole-Brain Child. London: Constable & Robinson.

Understanding Why Mattering Matters for Black Teachers: A Qualitative Approach to Understanding Black Teacher Mattering

Written by Tara Elie

Tara Elie teacher, psychologist, lecturer and coach. Tara has diverse experience in education and Learning and Development spanning over decades. She is renowned for her engaging training delivery, both face-to-face and virtually. Her performance background, alongside her passion for supporting individuals and organisations to flourish and thrive, characterise her delivery style. Tara has completed research on Black Teacher Mattering which she is delivering in keynotes. She is passionate about teacher wellbeing and uses the theories of Positive Psychology to inform her work with all clients with a proven record of success. Tara stands for social justice and social change. She appreciates and celebrates the individual, their differing backgrounds, cultures, experiences, perceptions, and values.

In my study, I set out to understand how Black teachers in London experience mattering in their professional lives. Because there is limited UK-based research in this area, I chose a qualitative methodology. My focus was not on measuring experience, but on understanding meaning, interpretation, and lived reality.

I was drawn to qualitative research because it allows for depth and nuance when exploring complex social and psychological experiences (Hill et al., 1997).

It quickly became clear to me that Black teachers’ experiences are not uniform. They are shaped by intersecting factors such as race, gender, school context, and role. A quantitative approach would not capture this complexity, particularly in relation to more subtle or systemic experiences such as microaggressions or colourism (Holt, 1976).

Key Themes

From the analysis, three overarching themes emerged: Representation, Racism, and Reinforcement, supported by ten sub-themes. What stood out most strongly for me throughout the data was a persistent tension between visibility and value.

Many participants described being highly visible as Black teachers, yet not always feeling equally valued or recognised within their professional environments.

Representation

One of the strongest themes for me was representation. Participants often linked their sense of mattering to their visibility as Black teachers in schools and wider society. Many expressed pride in their role and recognised the importance of representation for Black students’ identity, confidence, and aspirations.

Several participants described themselves as role models. This was not framed as symbolic, but as deeply meaningful. They saw their presence as shaping what Black students believed was possible for them, and this gave their work a strong sense of purpose.

Authenticity also came through strongly. Participants described feeling most valued when they could bring their “whole self” to work — including aspects of culture, identity, and communication style. When they felt able to do this, their sense of belonging and mattering increased. When they felt they had to suppress parts of themselves, that sense often diminished.

Voice was another key element. I was particularly struck by how powerful it was when participants felt genuinely heard by leadership. For some, this was a turning point after long periods of feeling overlooked. Being listened to — and seeing that listening lead to action — was often described as affirming their professional worth.

Racism

Racism emerged as the most dominant and consistently experienced theme across all interviews. Participants described a wide spectrum of experiences, from subtle microaggressions to overt racism involving both colleagues and students.

A recurring issue was racialised stereotyping, particularly being labelled “aggressive” when expressing themselves assertively. Many participants described this as “tone policing”, where their professional communication was questioned or reframed in racialised terms. This had a clear impact on confidence and professional freedom.

Workload and expectation also featured strongly. Several participants felt they were expected to work harder than white colleagues to achieve the same recognition. Some linked this directly to inequities in pay, progression, and informal responsibility within schools.

Access to leadership was another key issue. Participants often felt that promotion pathways were less accessible to them, shaped by informal networks and organisational culture rather than transparent processes.

I was also struck by how often participants described being expected to take responsibility for managing behavioural issues involving Black students. This created tension between professional role expectations and racialised assumptions about identity and expertise.

Overall, racism was consistently described as undermining mattering by reducing fairness, recognition, and belonging.

Reinforcement

Alongside these challenges, participants also described powerful sources of reinforcement that strengthened their sense of mattering.

Recognition from colleagues and senior leaders was highly valued, especially when it was specific, sincere, and linked to professional contribution. In some cases, formal recognition such as pay progression was experienced as particularly meaningful, especially when explicitly connected to expertise and impact. However, what stood out most for me was the strength of student relationships.

Nearly every participant described deeply affirming experiences with pupils, including gratitude, affection, admiration, and long-term appreciation. These moments were often emotionally significant and acted as a powerful reminder of purpose.

Parents and carers also contributed to this sense of reinforcement, particularly when they actively expressed appreciation or sought out individual teachers because of their impact.

What I found particularly striking was how reinforcement and racism often coexisted. Participants could feel deeply valued in one context (for example, by students) while simultaneously feeling devalued in another (for example, by institutional structures). This created a complex and sometimes contradictory experience of mattering.

Overall, what emerged for me from this research is that mattering for Black teachers in London is not stable or uniform. It is something constantly shaped through the interaction of representation, racism, and reinforcement.

While representation and relationships can strongly enhance feelings of value and purpose, these are often disrupted by systemic and interpersonal racism that undermines fairness, recognition, and belonging.

Mattering, in this sense, is not simply about being present in schools. It is about whether Black teachers feel seen, heard, valued, and able to exist authentically within the profession they serve.

Understanding Why Mattering Matters for Black Teachers

Written by Tara Elie

Tara Elie teacher, psychologist, lecturer and coach. Tara has diverse experience in education and Learning and Development spanning over decades. She is renowned for her engaging training delivery, both face-to-face and virtually. Her performance background, alongside her passion for supporting individuals and organisations to flourish and thrive, characterise her delivery style. Tara has completed research on Black Teacher Mattering which she is delivering in keynotes. She is passionate about teacher wellbeing and uses the theories of Positive Psychology to inform her work with all clients with a proven record of success. Tara stands for social justice and social change. She appreciates and celebrates the individual, their differing backgrounds, cultures, experiences, perceptions, and values.

A Gap in the Research

As I explored the literature on mattering and education, one issue became increasingly clear: there is very little UK-based research exploring how Black teachers (BTs) experience mattering within schools. Existing research has focused on Black students (Howard-Vital, 1991; Scott, 1996), or on teachers in specific curriculum areas such as Physical Education (Gaudreault et al., 2018). Research specifically examining BTs has largely come from the United States (Milner, 2006; Love, 2016; Carey, 2019).

This gap matters. Conversations about diversity in education often focus on recruitment statistics or representation targets, but much less attention is given to how Black teachers actually experience school environments once they enter the profession. For me, this raises important questions about belonging, recognition, and professional identity. Do Black teachers feel valued? Do they feel seen? Do they feel that what they contribute genuinely matters?

What Does “Mattering” Actually Mean?

Psychologically, mattering refers to the experience of feeling valued by others and believing that we add value to the lives of others. Rosenberg (1985) connected mattering to self-esteem, describing it as being treated with respect and having one’s value acknowledged. Elliott (2009) similarly described mattering as the belief that we make a meaningful difference.

What I find particularly powerful about these definitions is that mattering is not simply about praise or confidence. It is relational. It is about whether people feel psychologically significant within the spaces they occupy.

For Black teachers, however, this experience can become more complicated when viewed through the lens of race. Elliott (2009) identifies awareness — being noticed and distinguishable from others — as an important component of mattering. Yet Jensen’s (2011) research on Black men in Denmark suggests that visibility is not always experienced positively when connected to racial “othering”.

This feels especially relevant within education. Black teachers may be highly visible within predominantly white institutions whilst simultaneously feeling unheard, stereotyped, or professionally overlooked. Visibility alone does not create mattering. In fact, being visible without being genuinely valued may deepen feelings of marginality.

Dignity, Fairness, and Recognition

The literature repeatedly highlights dignity and fairness as central to mattering. Prilleltensky (2019) describes dignity as “the backbone of mattering”, whilst Perryman and Calvert (2020) connect worthiness to fair and just treatment.

I think this is particularly important when considering the experiences of BTs. If teachers experience stereotyping, inequitable treatment, or exclusion from opportunities, this can undermine not only confidence but also their sense of professional worth.

Recognition also matters deeply. Ryan (1985) argues that positive feedback strengthens motivation and well-being, whilst Prilleltensky (2014) suggests that feeling valued increases people’s confidence to contribute actively within their communities. In schools, acknowledgement from colleagues and leaders can reinforce a teacher’s sense that their work is meaningful. Conversely, a lack of recognition can contribute to invisibility.

Relationships, Belonging, and Authenticity

One theme that appears consistently throughout the literature is the importance of relationships. Gaudreault et al. (2018) found that relationships and support formed the foundation of teachers’ experiences of mattering. Although their research focused on Physical Education teachers, I believe the findings resonate strongly with the experiences of BTs.

Teaching is deeply relational work. The quality of relationships with students, colleagues, and leaders can shape whether teachers experience schools as places of belonging or exclusion.

Belonging itself appears closely linked to mattering. Warstadt, Daly and Bjorkland (2021) found that teachers with higher well-being often experience a stronger sense of belonging within their school communities. This supports Baumeister and Leary’s (1995) argument that the need to belong is a fundamental human motivation.

For BTs working in predominantly white educational spaces, belonging may carry even greater significance. Experiences of isolation or tokenism can weaken professional attachment, whilst authentic inclusion can strengthen resilience and professional identity.

I was also particularly drawn to Deci and Ryan’s Self-Determination Theory (1985), which suggests that people thrive when they experience competence, autonomy, and relatedness. For Black teachers, the opportunity to work authentically — without suppressing aspects of racial or cultural identity — may be central to experiencing mattering.

Mattering, Burnout, and Retention

The literature also suggests a strong connection between mattering, burnout, and retention. Barrenechea (2022) found that teachers who feel valued and able to add value experience higher levels of mental health and self-efficacy, reducing the likelihood of burnout. Conversely, Perryman and Calvert (2020) identify workload and work-life balance as key drivers of teachers leaving the profession. For BTs, however, these pressures may be compounded by experiences of racial marginalisation, limited recognition, or diminished belonging.

The racial dimension of mattering feels especially important in the context of the #BlackLivesMatter movement, which increased awareness of Black marginalisation and the importance of Black mattering more broadly (Carey, 2019). Within education, Kohli and Pizarro (2016) argue that BTs committed to social justice frequently experience structural and interpersonal racism, contributing to burnout and, in some cases, departure from the profession altogether.

Representation data reinforces this concern. The Department for Education (2023) reported that 85.1% of teachers in England were white British, despite significantly greater ethnic diversity within London. This underrepresentation potentially increases experiences of marginality for BTs and may undermine their sense of mattering within schools.

Progression and Professional Value

The literature also suggests that race can shape access to leadership opportunities. Miller (2016) argues that Black educators often require “white sanction” to progress professionally, whilst Wallace (2020) found that Black male teachers in London were frequently channelled into racialised roles yet blocked from senior leadership progression.

What I find striking here is the tension between praise and progression. Teachers may be valued symbolically whilst still being denied genuine access to power, influence, or advancement. Francis’ (2021) work on Black female teachers similarly found that race often had a more negative impact on professional experience than gender.

Despite these challenges, many BTs enter teaching because they genuinely want to make a difference. Perryman and Calvert (2020) identify this as a key driver for teachers, whilst Dinkins and Thomas (2016) found that some Black educators were motivated by their own difficult school experiences and a desire to become positive role models for future generations.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the literature suggests that mattering is central to understanding the experiences of Black teachers. Feeling valued, recognised, supported, and able to contribute authentically may influence not only well-being, but also retention, progression, and long-term commitment to the profession. For me, this is why mattering matters. If schools are serious about inclusion, then representation alone is not enough. We also need to ask whether Black teachers feel that they genuinely belong, whether their voices are heard, and whether their contribution is truly valued within the profession.

The LGBT Educators Report 2025

Written by Ashley Robyn Harker

Ashley Harker is a North London based Trans humanities teacher. She is a trustee of the national Woodcraft Folk and Vice-Chair of Epping Forest District Museum.

The LGBT+ Educators report highlights the prevalence of othering and discriminatory treatment of LGBT+ and particularly trans teachers working in England and Wales’s education sector.

From a survey of over 50 LGBT+ educators in the National Education Union (NEU) 78% had seriously considered leaving the teaching profession as well as 60% believing queerphobia to be on the rise in their schools and half believing that it was treated as a lesser form of discrimination by their school leadership.

Major issues found are a lack of support, trust or respect for LGBT+ educators’ identity, experiences or contributions in schools as well as repeated cases of targeting and poor treatment of LGBT+ individuals.

In terms of recruitment and retention:

85% of cis LGBT+ educators reported they felt they faced greater difficulties in getting a job compared with straight cis teachers.
40% of LGBT+ educators believed that school employers negatively considered LGBT+ candidates.
A third of LGBT+ (40% of trans) educators had the role they applied for changed after it was offered (most usually going from a permanent role to temporary).

Trans and Black educators on average had to interview for nearly 3 times as many roles compared with white and cis LGBT+ educators and Trans Women often have worked in more than 3 times as many schools as cis LGBT+ educators.

57% of binary trans educators had started their current role in the past 12 months and 80% of LGBT+ educators leaving or potentially leaving their school at the end of the academic year were trans (with 66% not securing a role).

In terms of treatment in schools:

45% of LGBT+ educators believed they were treated differently in the workplace, with 1/3 stating they were treated differently by colleagues including being told not to come out or hide their identity by SLT.
90% of LGBT+ educators had heard homophobic and transphobic language used in schools. Educators were more likely to hear and be subjected to Transphobic language than Homophobic language from colleagues.
Only 47% of LGBT+ educators had received any form of training on LGBT+ topics in an educational setting, with only a third who had requested such training for their school having it delivered.
Only 33% of trans educators stated they were able to use the toilets and changing facilities that aligned with their gender. 78% of trans educators had had to argue for access to school toilets.
93% of LGBT+ believed that how their schools acknowledged LGBT+ topics had little to no impact and 50% of educators who had attempted to include LGBT+ topics in their curriculum had been ignored or told not to.
18% of LGBT+ educators had not been included in school trips or residentials because of or in part because of their LGBT+ identity.

The report also highlights the impact recent and historic decisions against LGBT+ equality have had on the education sector:

50% of LGBT+ educators believed that their school was still impacted by Section 28 and 100% believed something similar could be put in place in the near future.
88% of LGBT+ (including all trans) educators reported that their mental health had deteriorated following the For Women Scotland Supreme Court ruling with 44% stating that this had impacted their ability to work. 50% reported the decision had had a negative impact on pupils.
Only 25% had been approached or supported by colleagues following these decisions. A quarter stated that their schools had already made changes such as removing gender neutral toilets, amending pupil’s school data or denying trans staff access to toilets following the Supreme Court ruling.

The survey for the LGBT+ Educators report was carried out between May and August 2025.

The research was led by Ashley Harker and covered LGBT+ Educators experiences of recruitment, perception, policy, curriculum, bullying, training and opportunities in education.

https://forms.gle/PE2x94m2DnY7fF1B8

Nurturing the "Healthiest Generation": Tackling the Dual Crisis in Childhood Wellbeing

Written by Elizabeth Iheoma

Elizabeth believes that the best leadership happens when passion meets purpose. With a career spanning 20 years in Further Education, Elizabeth has mastered the art of leading through uncertainty by staying rooted in her core values. She isn't just a leader in the office; she is a deeply invested member of her community, serving on a local governing board and partnering with health experts to bring preventive wellness into schools.

The numbers are in, and they paint a sobering picture of the “silent crisis” facing our children. Recent data from over 1.1 million children in England (2024-2025) reveals that while many children are maintaining a healthy weight, a significant portion is falling through the cracks. By the time children reach Year 6, over 22% are living with obesity.

In response, the government has launched a robust package of preventative measures, including junk food advertising restrictions and the expansion of free school meals and universal breakfast clubs. The goal? To foster the healthiest generation of children ever.

More Than Just Physical Health

Physical fitness is only one side of the coin. The mental health of our young people is reaching a critical tipping point. Consider these statistics:

A 50% increase in the likelihood of young people developing mental health problems over the last three years.
5 in 30 children in an average classroom are now likely to struggle with their mental wellbeing.
Two-thirds of young people prefer seeking support outside of a traditional GP setting to avoid stigma and long waiting lists.

As specialist services become overstretched, the need for early support services has never been more urgent. These services provide the “breathing room” children need to build resilience and navigate the stresses of growing up before they reach a crisis point.

Our Solution: A “Tried and Tested” Approach

To support national efforts, we have developed an innovative Children’s Wellbeing Programme. We believe that learning about health shouldn’t feel like a chore. Our approach turns essential principles—like regular exercise and balanced nutrition—into engaging, fun, and constructive experiences for children.

By presenting these life skills in an “informative and innovative” way, we aim to reverse deteriorating health trends and give children the tools they need to flourish both physically and mentally.

We Need Your Insight

We are currently conducting vital market research into wellbeing programs specifically designed for children (ages 3–18) and their caregivers.

If you work with parents and infants or children in the 3–18 age bracket, we want to hear from you. Your professional perspective is essential to ensuring these programs are as effective and accessible as possible.

Would you be open to answering a few brief questions to help inform our research? Please click on the link to share your thoughts. Together, we can build a more resilient future for our children.

For Professionals in an Early Years Setting

For Professionals in a Primary School Setting

https://forms.gle/gc6TQkXGKhPusTo39

For Professionals in a Primary School Setting

https://forms.gle/X93f3D1rVKbg8TbMA

Sources

The Children’s Society

https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/what-we-do/our-work/well-being/mental-health-statistics

GOV.UK

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-acts-to-tackle-rising-childhood-obesity-epidemic#:~:text=Shocking%20new%20childhood%20obesity%20figures,health%20interventions%20have%20taken%20effect.

Understanding the Experiences of Black Teachers in London: Why Mattering Matters

Written by Tara Elie

Tara Elie teacher, psychologist, lecturer and coach. Tara has diverse experience in education and Learning and Development spanning over decades. She is renowned for her engaging training delivery, both face-to-face and virtually. Her performance background, alongside her passion for supporting individuals and organisations to flourish and thrive, characterise her delivery style. Tara has completed research on Black Teacher Mattering which she is delivering in keynotes. She is passionate about teacher wellbeing and uses the theories of Positive Psychology to inform her work with all clients with a proven record of success. Tara stands for social justice and social change. She appreciates and celebrates the individual, their differing backgrounds, cultures, experiences, perceptions, and values.

Introduction

Understanding the experiences of Black teachers is essential if we are serious about improving well-being, retention, and professional fulfilment in education. Conversations about diversity in schools often focus on pupils, yet far less attention has been given to the psychological experiences of teachers themselves. One concept that offers a powerful lens for exploring this is mattering – the sense that we are valued and that what we contribute has value.

Psychologist Morris Rosenberg (1985) described mattering as an individual’s belief that they are important to others and able to make a meaningful contribution. When applied to the experiences of Black teachers in London, this idea moves the conversation beyond statistics and into the lived realities of belonging, recognition, and professional identity. Understanding whether teachers feel that they matter – to colleagues, to leaders, and to the wider system – may help explain why some remain in the profession while others leave.

Why Representation Still Matters

The relative scarcity of Black teachers makes this question particularly important. Representation in education is not only about fairness in employment; it also has wider implications for students, schools, and communities. The Black Teachers in London report, commissioned by London Mayor Ken Livingstone, highlighted a clear relationship between the success of Black teachers and positive outcomes for Black pupils. In some London boroughs, nearly half of pupils were Black, yet only a small proportion of teachers shared that heritage. Increasing diversity across all levels of education – from classroom teachers to leadership and governance – was identified as essential for improving representation, aspiration, and achievement.

However, addressing the shortage of Black teachers requires more than recruitment initiatives. It requires a deeper understanding of how teachers experience their professional lives, how valued they feel, and whether they believe their presence makes a difference. Without this understanding, efforts to improve diversity risk focusing only on entry into the profession rather than on belonging within it.

A Gap in UK Research

Much of the existing research on mattering in education has focused on students, particular subject areas, or the education system in the United States. In the United Kingdom, despite ongoing concerns about a lack of diversity in the teaching workforce, relatively little research has explored the experiences of Black teachers themselves.

This gap is especially significant in London, where teacher shortages have historically been higher than in other parts of the UK and where the student population is among the most diverse in the country. Exploring the lived experiences of Black teachers in London can help build a clearer picture of what supports – or undermines – their sense of belonging, confidence, and professional fulfilment. Understanding these experiences is essential if diversity efforts are to be meaningful rather than symbolic.

A Positive Psychology Perspective

This research approaches the topic from a Positive Psychology perspective, the scientific study of individual, group, and community flourishing (Hefferon & Boniwell, 2011). Rather than focusing only on problems, Positive Psychology asks what enables people to thrive. Applying this perspective to teaching allows us to consider how feeling valued influences motivation, self-esteem, and commitment to the profession.

When teachers experience a strong sense of mattering, they are more likely to feel engaged, resilient, and able to sustain their work over time. For Black teachers, the experience of mattering may be shaped by factors such as representation, recognition, relationships with colleagues, opportunities for progression, and the extent to which their perspectives are heard. These factors are closely linked to recruitment and retention, but also to well-being and professional identity.

Beyond Recruitment: The Importance of Belonging

Teacher shortages are often explained through workload, accountability pressures, and working conditions. While these are important, psychological factors such as belonging and value may be just as significant. Exploring mattering offers a way to understand inclusion at a deeper level. Policies can increase diversity, but they cannot by themselves create environments in which teachers feel respected, listened to, and able to contribute fully.

Listening to the lived experiences of Black teachers in London can help develop a more nuanced understanding of what supports their flourishing and what undermines it. This understanding is essential if schools are to move beyond representation alone and towards genuine inclusion.

Why This Matters for the Future of Education

Improving diversity in education is not simply about numbers. It is about creating professional cultures where teachers feel that they matter – where their presence is recognised, their work is valued, and their contribution is meaningful. When teachers experience this, the benefits extend beyond the individual to pupils, colleagues, and the wider school community.

Understanding mattering is therefore not only a psychological question, but an educational one. If we want a teaching profession that is diverse, sustainable, and capable of supporting all young people, we must pay attention to whether those within it feel that they truly belong.

The forty year apology: My biology was never the problem

Written by Ashtrid Turnbull

Ashtrid Turnbull is a biologist, a deputy head, and a mother of neuro-distinct twin daughters. Over thirty years in education, she has witnessed how high-achieving, neuro-distinct women across all sectors trade their physical health for professional and personal acceptance.

I have spent twenty seven years as a biologist and a senior leader. For nearly three decades I have lived a double life. In public I am the composed executive navigating the high stakes complexity of professional leadership. In private I have been the woman perpetually apologising for the mess of her own mind.

I have watched countless women like me, the high fliers, the multi taskers, the chaos wizards who can stabilise a company in a crisis but lose their keys while they are still in their hand, be told they are faulty.

We were told that our brains lacked the hardware for focus. We were told our spontaneity was a lack of discipline. We spent years accruing a staggering amount of shame while we tried to squeeze our expansive, electric brains into a dull grey box of neurotypical expectations. I am part of the system that helped build that box. For that I am truly sorry.

The December Revelation

In December 2025, a landmark international study was published in Psychological Medicine by researchers from the University of Bath, King’s College London, and Radboud University (Hargitai et al., 2025). It did the one thing no one has bothered to do in forty years of clinical research into neurodiversity. It stopped looking only for what is wrong with us. Instead, for the first time in a study of this magnitude, they looked at our strengths.

The researchers found that traits like our spontaneity and our ability to hyperfocus are not just personality quirks to be managed. They are biological protective factors. They are linked to higher creativity and a type of psychological resilience that the world desperately needs.

This is the flipping of the script we have waited for. The science finally proves that we are not broken. We are simply a collection of immense strengths that have never been capitalised on properly because the system was too busy trying to medicate them away.

The Metabolic Cost of the Mundane

As a biologist this finding wrecked me. It confirmed that our brains are not generalists. They are specialists. We are built for the high signal and the high stakes. We do not have an attention deficit. We have a biological refusal to waste our life force on the mundane.

When we are forced to operate in environments that prize compliance over brilliance, we pay a massive metabolic cost. We are high definition systems being forced to run on a less than optimised dial up network. The exhaustion you feel is not a character flaw. It is the result of a high torque system being forced to idle for too long. Understanding how to integrate this knowledge into a world that still values the grey box is how we begin to explore the uncomfortable middle ground.

The Ownership of the Middle Ground

I am done with the two extremes of this conversation. I am tired of the ‘ADHD is a superpower’ fluff that ignores the daily struggle. I am equally tired of the ‘just try harder’ boardroom culture that ignores the reality of our biology. The truth is found somewhere in the middle.

Empowerment is not about waiting for the world to become completely ADHD or autism friendly. That is highly unlikely to happen. Real empowerment, the ultimate unmasking, is about taking ownership of your own biology and the energy ledger that comes with it. This requires a three way pact of responsibility.

What we owe ourselves: We owe ourselves self knowledge. We must understand that our rapid scanning of a room is actually a high speed search for a signal. We owe ourselves the bravery to say that while we can solve a crisis in ten minutes, we cannot sit in a two hour meeting without a total exhaustion of our internal resources.

What we owe others: We owe the world clear communication about how we operate. We owe them the effort to find systems that actually serve our high signal hardware, rather than pretending that yet another paper planner is going to save the day.

What others owe us: Others owe us a willingness to adapt and a recognition that focus looks different in a neuro distinct brain. They owe us the space to be brilliant even if it comes with the beautiful, creative mess that often follows in our wake.

Driving the Hardware

The 2025 research is our scientific permission to stop pretending. It is our evidence that our traits are the very things that make us capable of the brilliance the world so desperately needs right now.

We are the ones who stay calm when the atmosphere reaches boiling point, but lose our minds over a tax return. We are the ones who see the patterns others miss because we are looking at the whole sky, while they are staring at the pavement.

We are the ones who can synthesise a thousand disparate data points into a single visionary strategy in an afternoon, but forget to eat because our internal focus is so absolute. We are the architects of the unconventional and the first responders to the impossible. Our brains do not lack order. They simply operate on a frequency that a linear world has forgotten how to tune into.

I am done with the narrative of the broken woman. I am finished with the idea that our worth is measured by our ability to perform administrative gymnastics in an environment that drains our batteries to zero before lunchtime.

It is time we stopped apologising for our hardware. It is time we stopped trying to patch a system that was never actually glitching. We are not a problem to be solved. We are a biological resource to be understood, respected, and finally, driven with the skill and the pride that this incredible machinery deserves.

Call to Action: If this resonates, I want to hear from you.

Whether you are a woman in leadership navigating your own metabolic debt, or a mother supporting a neurodivergent daughter through the triple jump years of Year 10 to university, you are not alone in the mess. It is time we stopped apologising for our hardware and started driving it with pride.

I am currently developing a framework to help chaos wizards move past the narrative of disorder and towards a model of cognitive efficiency.

References: Hargitai, L. et al. (2025). Playing to your strengths improves wellbeing in ADHD. University of Bath. Read the study summary here.

Cultivating Belonging in Schools

Written by Hannah Wilson

Founder and Director of the Belonging Effect (formerly Diverse Educators).

It has been a busy month/ start to the year but in the middle of juggling multiple commitments and activities, this week I received a delivery of 200 copies of my new book – A Little Guide for Teachers: Cultivating Belonging in Schools (SAGE 2026).

After all of the time and energy it took to write it, it is quite a small book, but I hope it will be a helpful addition to the conversation and give educators practical ideas of things to do for themselves, for their peers and for their learners. It is great that this contribution to the series sits alongside work by Bennie Kara, Amjad Ali, Yamina Bibi and Emma Kell.

This is how I have structured the book:

Introduction: Why should we care about DEIB?
1 Belonging in Society: How do we develop it?
2 Belonging in Schools: How do we change it?
3 Belonging in the Staffroom: How do we disrupt it?
4 Belonging in the Classroom: How do we foster it?
5 Call to Action: What do we do next?

In the opening I state:

“Belonging is the feeling that is created as a result of the work we do on DEI. I thus present it as an equation:

Diversity + Equity + Inclusion = Belonging

Why does this book use the word ‘cultivating’? I used to talk about building, creating and growing belonging, but for me ‘cultivating’ captures that there is ongoing work needed and that there are different variables that we need to pay attention to. DEIB is not a ‘one and done’ approach, belonging takes time and ongoing work in the form of commitment/investment.

So, let’s start peeling back the different layers of things to consider when it comes to belonging. And I apologise in advance if you are left with more questions than answers by the end of the book, but that is the nature of the work. It is not a clean nor a linear journey, we will never be done, we will never know it all”.

Our Work on Belonging:

I wrote a blog last term about why I rebranded my business from Diverse Educators to the Belonging Effect. You can read it here. In short:

“Belonging is the bridge between diversity, equity and inclusion – it is the emotional outcome of equity in action. It is the moment when people stop trying to fit in and start being fully themselves.

We chose The Belonging Effect because belonging is not just a concept; it is a ripple. When one person feels they belong, it impacts their team, their classroom, their community. It is an effect that multiplies”.

I also wrote a blog at the end of term about Belonging becoming a buzzword, a band wagon and at times a plaster being put on the problem of DEI to conceal it. It caused a bit of a fallout so it clearly hit a nerve! You can read it here. This was/is my provocation:

“There’s no denying the emotional resonance of belonging. Everyone wants to feel seen, valued, and part of a community. The word signals care and connection – qualities deeply needed in our schools.

Yet belonging, in its current popular use, carries a kind of neutrality that makes it especially attractive to those uncomfortable with conversations about race, power, and privilege. It sounds universal and non-political. It doesn’t demand that we ask who has been excluded, whose histories have been erased, or whose comfort is prioritized”.

So if this theme is of interest and you would like to find out more please see below my signposting to events, training, toolkits, books and blogs you can engage with. And if you do get your hands on a copy of the book, I would love to know what you think!

Our Book Launches:

In-person: 31/1/26 in person in Bath, 1.30-3.30pm. You can book to join us here.
Virtual: 9/2/26 virtual, zoom or Streamyard dependent on numbers, 4-6pm. You can book to join us here.

I am delighted to be joined by friends from the region (Domini, Edel, Tanisha and Will), academics from Bath University (Alison and Ceri) and members of my team (Amy, Bennie, Jo and Yamina) for both of these conversations as it is important to unpack belonging through multiple lenses to appreciate how it is impacted by different lived experiences.

Our Belonging Training:

I have designed a session that can be delivered as a keynote or as a workshop which really provokes reflections and discussions on what belonging means to different people. Find out more here. We have sessions on Belonging in the Classroom and Belonging in the Curriculum designed and delivered by the BE team.

Our Belonging Toolkit:

Our BE Associate Zahara Chowdhury collated a toolkit on Belonging which I have been updating as I spot new resources and research. Find out more here.

Our Bookshelf:

Check out Zahara’s book on Belonging in the Classroom and the other DEIB titles our team have published which explore belonging for different identity groups and in different spaces: https://www.thebelongingeffect.co.uk/our-books/

Our Reflections on Belonging:

Check out these 10 blogs on Belonging from members of the BE network:

Andrew Morrish: https://www.thebelongingeffect.co.uk/belonging-on-purpose/
Chloe Watterston: https://www.thebelongingeffect.co.uk/belonging-empathy-and-a-curriculum-that-sees-every-child/
Erin Skelton: https://www.thebelongingeffect.co.uk/belonging/
Hannah Wilson: https://www.thebelongingeffect.co.uk/when-belonging-replaces-equity-the-silence-of-white-male-educators/
Jennifer Johnson: https://www.thebelongingeffect.co.uk/getting-to-the-heart-of-inclusion-and-belonging/
John Doyle: https://www.thebelongingeffect.co.uk/unsettling-deficit-narratives-race-identity-and-belonging-in-english-schools/
Sarah Pengelly: https://www.thebelongingeffect.co.uk/building-belonging-in-primary-schools-with-human-values/
Tricia Taylor: https://www.thebelongingeffect.co.uk/seen-valued-and-able-designing-classrooms-for-social-and-academic-belonging/
Yasmina Kone: https://www.thebelongingeffect.co.uk/celebrating-esea-heritage-month-building-belonging-for-every-student-and-why-it-matters-right-now/
Zahara Chowdhury: https://www.thebelongingeffect.co.uk/belonging-in-the-classroom-responding-to-a-divided-world/

Unsettling Deficit Narratives: Race, Identity and Belonging in English Schools

Written by John Doyle

I am a PhD candidate in Sociology at Sheffield Hallam University, having previously conducted research with the Roma-Slovak community entitled 'So much to offer: an exploration of learning and cultural wealth with Roma-Slovak post-16 students'. I have had a career in the public sector, including education, and I am committed to inclusion and a strengths-based approach for all students.

Last week, the final report of the Francis Review was released, promising to address diversity in teaching, curriculum and assessment. The report is comprehensive, and it reinforces the principle that the national curriculum must reflect the diversity of modern Britain. Crucially, it says diversity in the curriculum is not an optional enhancement.

But the report is advisory, and we need evidence that the Department for Education will act on these recommendations.

Two days after reading the report, I attended the Belonging Effect (formerly Diverse Educators) one-day event and was inspired by all the presenters who demonstrated the breadth and depth of thinking and practical ways forward to address diversity and equity in education. If we are to enable more children to see themselves in the curriculum, we need the insights and expertise of these presenters and other activists to inform educational development at national and local levels.

Curriculum diversity cannot be optional

The Francis Review suggests that subjects such as English must include “alternative” texts. Yet this is already possible within current policy. If take-up remains marginal, it is because diverse texts are treated as supplements. It is time to recognise that cultural capital goes beyond Shakespeare and Dickens, and that new texts contribute to building the cultural capital recognised and valued in a diverse Britain.

As The Belonging Effect has noted, the report makes no mention of structural racism. This weakens the development of diversity and lacks a consideration of the impact of racism on students within the education system.

My research: challenging deficit narratives

My research, Unsettling Deficit Narratives: Race, Identity and Belonging in English Schools, examines how everyday school practices—curriculum choices, behaviour systems and informal interactions—can reproduce structural racism in subtle but powerful ways. This aligns well with The Belonging Effect’s aims to ensure that everyone feels they truly belong in their place of learning. As they have stated, belonging is the moment when people stop trying to fit in and start being fully themselves.

The research aims to unsettle deficit assumptions that problematise racially minoritised students and frame their cultures as barriers to achievement. The study illuminates how everyday practices, relationships, and policies embody what Paul Warmington (2024) terms a ‘vanishingly small’ space for recognising racism in education, and how what Kalwant Bhopal (2024) defines as a ‘discourse of denial’ shapes teachers’ and leaders’ responses. The framing of education as a race-neutral, knowledge-rich approach endorses Eurocentric models and exclusionary practices. It marginalises attempts at anti-racism through curriculum reform, teacher development, or recognition of the social and cultural capital that racially minoritised students bring to the learning context. The research explored how educational institutions can value the skills, knowledge, and experiences of students from ethnically diverse and marginalised communities.

Students thrive when the curriculum sees them

There are individual teachers and school leaders who are open to change and to explore a more diverse curriculum. The students themselves thrive in settings that reflect their heritages and identities and demonstrate informed and critical approaches to knowledge, with a strong sense of Britain’s historical and contemporary global position. The institution of education, however, remains resistant in its policies, practices, and commitment to a knowledge-rich curriculum in both local and broader contexts. All of which points to the need for a stronger national direction to realise local potential in our schools.

The emphasis in education needs to shift from a deficit-based approach to one that values and builds upon students’ heritages and identities. If there is a deficit, it is the deficit in the education offer, which fails to consider the context of the young person, their fluid and intersectional identities and the racialised aspect of their lives now and in their futures. As one teacher described, we “fit kids into schools, not us looking outward”. Similarly, the students eloquently articulated the issues of an education system that needs to be, “… not just looking at England but how other countries saw us.” This was not a call to reject British identity, but to enrich it—to see themselves as part of the fabric of what Britain is today: globally connected and ethnically diverse.

As a school leader told me, their previous school, a predominantly White British school had embarked on a decolonisation of the curriculum led by the head teacher, which “…really opened my eyes as to how our curriculum is not reflective of the world or our communities”. These words capture the crux of the issue. A diverse curriculum is not only for multicultural schools; it is essential for all schools in a globally connected country.

What needs to change

Belonging is when every student sees themselves reflected in the curriculum and feels engaged in and contributes to their learning. Some educators are already doing this work, and organisations like The Belonging Effect are leading the way. But without policy backing, progress will remain isolated to the passionate, not embedded in the system. Challenging structural racism also means changing curriculum content and delivery, and it is time for this to be acknowledged in our pedagogy. The Francis report may be advisory, but action must be taken, and there is not enough in the report to be clear how this will take place. Progressing a more diverse curriculum must be reflected in the accountability frameworks of education and school leaders. Our understandings of knowledge-rich education need to reflect the commitment to diversity and belonging. A curriculum adapted to our 21st-century world requires us to acknowledge that structural and institutional racism are features of our education system. We can move from a deficit model to engage students and foster a sense of belonging, and this deserves a national directive.