Belonging in Practice: What Can We Learn from the DfE Research?
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.
Part 1 of 7 | Shaping Intention into Impact
Belonging is not a bonus. It is the foundation.
As educators return from the October half-term break, there is an opportunity to pause, reflect and reconsider what really matters in our schools.
On 16th October 2026, the Department for Education (DfE) published its School Belonging Case Studies Research, a 90-page report exploring how schools cultivate a strong sense of belonging while maintaining high standards of attendance and attainment.
Commissioned by the DfE and conducted by Ipsos in partnership with TONIC, Professor Kathryn Riley and the Anna Freud Centre, the research draws on qualitative case studies from 16 mainstream schools, eight primary and eight secondary.
For those of us who have spent years advocating for belonging to be recognised as central to educational culture, leadership and practice, this is a welcome and significant contribution to the national conversation.
Perhaps the most important message in the report is not that belonging matters – we already know that. The real question is: How do we move from knowing that belonging matters to ensuring that belonging is experienced by everyone?
At The Belonging Effect, this is the challenge at the heart of our work: Shaping Intention into Impact.
Belonging Is Not an Initiative. It Is a Culture.
One of the most encouraging findings from the research is the recognition that belonging cannot be delivered through a single intervention, programme or initiative:
- It is cultivated through the relationships we build, the environments we create, the behaviours we model and the decisions we make.
- It is experienced in classrooms, corridors, playgrounds, staffrooms and school gates.
- It is reflected in our curriculum, policies, language, leadership and expectations.
- It is revealed in how people experience our school culture, not simply how we describe it.
Schools can have beautifully articulated values, compelling vision statements and ambitious inclusion strategies, but these intentions only become meaningful when they translate into the everyday experiences of pupils, staff and families.
Belonging is not what we say we offer. It is what people experience.
This distinction matters because a school can be welcoming without everyone feeling welcome. It can be inclusive in its intentions while some members of its community continue to experience exclusion.
Cultivating belonging therefore requires more than goodwill. It requires curiosity, courage, consistency and accountability.
Understanding the Five Dimensions of Belonging
The DfE research identifies five interconnected dimensions through which school leaders, staff and pupils understand belonging:
- Safety and Security
Belonging begins with feeling physically and psychologically safe. Pupils need to know that they can ask questions, make mistakes, express themselves and seek support without fear of humiliation or judgement.
- Inclusion
Every pupil needs opportunities to participate, contribute and experience success. Inclusion is not simply about being present. It is about being meaningfully involved and valued.
- Collective Identity
A shared sense of community, purpose and pride can strengthen belonging. However, collective identity must create space for individuality rather than require conformity.
- Individual Recognition
Every child deserves to be known, understood and valued as an individual. Their identities, strengths, interests, experiences and needs should be recognised rather than overlooked.
- Positive Relationships
Relationships underpin belonging. Connections between pupils, staff, leaders and families create the trust, care and mutual respect that enable school communities to flourish.
These five dimensions offer a useful framework for reflection. They also remind us that belonging is both individual and collective. We need to feel connected to a community while retaining the freedom to be ourselves. We should not have to compromise our identities to experience belonging.
From Belonging to Attendance and Attainment
The research also explores the relationship between belonging, attendance and attainment. School leaders, staff and pupils described a reciprocal relationship in which these experiences can reinforce one another.
When pupils feel connected to their school community, they may be more motivated to attend. Regular attendance creates opportunities to participate in learning, develop relationships and experience success. Positive experiences can, in turn, strengthen belonging.
This is an important connection, particularly within the current educational landscape, where attendance, engagement and attainment remain significant priorities. However, we need to be careful not to reduce belonging to a strategy for improving performance indicators.
Belonging has intrinsic value – children deserve to feel safe, accepted, respected and valued regardless of their attendance record, academic attainment or behaviour. Indeed, some of the pupils who experience the greatest barriers to attendance and attainment may be those who most urgently need schools to understand their experiences of belonging.
We must also remember that this qualitative research offers valuable insights into school practices and participants’ perceptions. It does not establish that belonging interventions directly cause improvements in attendance or attainment.
The relationship is complex, contextual and deserving of continued exploration. Nevertheless, the findings reinforce an important principle: high expectations and a strong sense of belonging are not competing priorities. When high expectations are accompanied by appropriate support, compassion and a genuine belief in every child’s potential, they can communicate care rather than exclusion.
Belonging Is Everyone’s Responsibility
Another important message from the research is that belonging cannot sit solely with the senior leadership team, the SENDCo, the pastoral team or the designated inclusion lead. It must become a shared responsibility.
Every interaction has the potential to strengthen or undermine someone’s sense of belonging:
- The way a teacher welcomes a pupil into a classroom.
- The way a teaching assistant responds to a child experiencing difficulty.
- The way a leader listens to a colleague who raises a concern.
- The way a school responds to discriminatory language or behaviour.
- The way families are invited to contribute to decisions that affect their children.
These moments matter – and while leadership establishes the conditions, culture is ultimately shaped by the collective behaviours of the whole school community.
This includes the adults – we cannot meaningfully cultivate belonging for pupils without considering the belonging of the staff who teach, support and care for them. If we expect educators to create psychologically safe, compassionate and inclusive environments, we must also consider whether they experience these conditions themselves. Staff belonging is not an optional extra. It is an essential part of whole-school belonging.
Six Areas of Practice Worth Exploring
The DfE research identifies six themes of practice that schools use to strengthen belonging:
- Relational practices: Intentionally building and sustaining positive, trusting relationships throughout the school community.
- Pupil voice and agency: Creating meaningful opportunities for pupils to influence decisions and contribute to their school culture.
- Celebrating diversity and challenging discrimination: Ensuring that identities, cultures and experiences are represented, respected and celebrated while actively challenging prejudice and exclusion.
- Cultivating a strong school identity: Developing shared values, traditions and communities that create connection and collective pride.
- Individualised approaches: Recognising individual needs and removing barriers to participation, engagement and success.
- Belonging beyond the school gates: Strengthening connections with families, communities and wider partnerships.
What strikes us is that these practices are not particularly revolutionary – many schools will recognise elements of their existing work within them. The challenge is not necessarily knowing what to do – it is understanding how consistently, equitably and effectively these practices are experienced across our school communities. And, perhaps most importantly, recognising who may still be excluded despite our best intentions.
Introducing Our Seven-Week Series: Belonging in Practice
Over the next seven weeks, The Belonging Effect will explore the findings from the DfE research and consider what they mean for school leaders, educators and wider school communities.
Each Monday, we will examine an area of practice, connect the research to the realities of school life and share practical questions to encourage reflection and action. We will celebrate promising practice, challenge assumptions and explore how belonging can be intentionally cultivated, strengthened and evaluated.
We believe there is no universal blueprint for belonging – every school has its own context, culture, history, community and challenges. What works in one setting may not transfer directly to another, but the underlying commitment should remain consistent: creating school communities in which everyone has the opportunity to feel safe, included, recognised, connected and valued.
Things to Consider This Week
As you return to school after half-term, we invite you to reflect on three questions.
- Who belongs?
When we say that everyone belongs in our school, what evidence do we have that this is genuinely experienced by all pupils, staff and families?
- Whose voices are missing?
Who might experience our school culture differently from how we intend it to be experienced? Whose perspectives have we not yet heard, understood or acted upon?
- What could we change?
What is one intentional action we could take this week to strengthen belonging within our sphere of influence?
Perhaps it is a conversation we have been avoiding, a relationship we need to repair, a voice we need to amplify or a practice we need to reconsider.
Small actions, consistently applied, can contribute to meaningful cultural change.
Final Reflections
The publication of this research provides an important opportunity for schools to revisit their understanding of belonging and reflect on the cultures they are creating, but research alone does not change culture. People do – through their leadership, relationships, language, behaviours, decisions and willingness to listen, learn and act.
Cultivating belonging is not a project to complete or a destination to reach. It is an ongoing commitment to understanding how our school communities are experienced and having the courage to respond to what we discover.
As we begin this series, perhaps the most important question is not simply whether belonging matters. It is whether we are prepared to make the changes necessary to ensure that everyone experiences it, because belonging should never be left to chance. It must be cultivated with intention, sustained through action and evaluated through impact.
Continue the Conversation
At The Belonging Effect, we support schools and organisations to cultivate inclusive cultures where belonging can be experienced, strengthened and measured by all stakeholders.
Our mantra is Shaping Intention into Impact.
Join us next Monday as we explore Belonging Begins with Relationships, considering how trust, psychological safety and connection shape the experiences of pupils and staff.
Reference
Department for Education (2026). School Belonging Case Studies Research. Research conducted by Ipsos in partnership with TONIC, Professor Kathryn Riley and the Anna Freud Centre.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-belonging-case-studies-research
Find out more about our work at www.thebelongingeffect.co.uk.
Beyond Visibility: How Black Teachers in London Experience Mattering in Schools
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 this blog of the series on, Understanding the Experiences of Black Teachers in London: Why Mattering Matters, I draw together what the study reveals about how Black teachers in London experience mattering, and the conditions that appear to shape it. What became increasingly clear to me throughout the analysis is that mattering is not fixed or linear. It is continuously negotiated through everyday interactions, institutional structures, and relationships within schools. Across the data, mattering emerged as deeply subjective and relational (Elliott, 2009), while also closely aligning with Rosenberg’s (1985) conceptualisation of being both valued and adding value.
Representation
Representation emerged as one of the most significant themes, and I found this particularly compelling in how consistently participants linked it to purpose, identity, and responsibility. Many described their presence in schools as meaningful not only for themselves, but for Black students who rarely see themselves reflected in teaching roles.
Participants often spoke about being role models. This was not framed as symbolic representation, but as something tangible and influential in shaping aspiration and self-perception among Black pupils. In this sense, their presence in education was experienced as actively expanding what students believed was possible for them. This aligns with Dinkins and Thomas (2016), who emphasise the importance of Black educators as relatable figures for Black students.
At the same time, I noticed a clear tension within this theme. While representation was experienced positively and with pride, it also carried emotional responsibility. Some participants described feeling positioned as representative of all Black experiences, which aligns with Elliott’s (2009) notion that reliance on individuals can become burdensome. Representation therefore existed as both affirmation and pressure, rather than a straightforward positive experience.
Authenticity also played a central role. Participants described feeling a stronger sense of mattering when they were able to bring their full selves into the workplace, including aspects of culture, identity, and communication style. This resonates with Deci and Ryan’s Self-Determination Theory (1985), particularly the importance of autonomy and relatedness. Where authenticity was supported, participants described stronger belonging and professional confidence.
Voice was equally significant. I was struck by how emotionally charged it was when participants felt genuinely heard by leadership. For some, being listened to after extended periods of invisibility was described as transformative. This connects with Baumeister and Leary’s (1995) argument that belonging is a fundamental human need, and in this study, voice appeared to function as a direct pathway into that sense of belonging.
Racism
Racism emerged as the most consistent and destabilising factor across all accounts. Participants described a wide spectrum of experiences, ranging from subtle microaggressions to overtly racist incidents involving both colleagues and students.
A recurring issue was racialised stereotyping, particularly being labelled “aggressive” when expressing themselves assertively or professionally. Many participants experienced this as “tone policing”, where communication was reframed through a racialised lens. This significantly undermined their sense of professional legitimacy and fairness, aligning with Sabbagh and Schmitt’s (2016) work on perceived injustice, particularly in relation to respect, equality, and voice.
Workload and expectation also featured strongly. Several participants felt they were required to work harder than white colleagues in order to receive similar recognition or progression. This was often experienced as systemic rather than individual, suggesting structural inequities in how contribution is evaluated and rewarded.
Access to leadership was another key issue. Participants described perceptions that promotion pathways were more accessible to white colleagues, often shaped by informal networks and relational dynamics rather than transparent criteria. Wallace’s (2020) work is particularly relevant here in highlighting how progression can be influenced by institutional gatekeeping and unequal access to mentorship and sponsorship.
Another important theme was the expectation that Black teachers take responsibility for managing behavioural issues involving Black students. This was often unspoken but persistent, creating a form of racialised role allocation that extended beyond formal job descriptions and contributed to uneven professional burden.
What stood out most strongly for me was the emotional labour involved in responding to racism itself. Several participants described exhaustion linked to having to educate colleagues about racial bias. This aligns with Kohli and Pizarro’s (2016) discussion of burnout, particularly emotional depletion and reduced sense of accomplishment. In this context, racism functioned not only as discrimination, but also as a sustained drain on energy, identity, and professional resilience.
Reinforcement
Alongside these challenges, reinforcement emerged as a crucial counterbalance in shaping mattering.
Recognition from colleagues and leadership was highly valued, particularly when it was specific, sincere, and explicitly linked to contribution. Participants often described surprise when their work was acknowledged, which I found particularly revealing. This aligns with Ryan’s (1985) Self-Determination Theory, where unexpected positive feedback enhances intrinsic motivation and supports psychological growth.
However, the most consistent and emotionally significant reinforcement came from students. Nearly all participants described deeply meaningful relationships with pupils, including gratitude, affection, admiration, and long-term appreciation. These interactions were frequently described as central to their sense of purpose and professional identity, reinforcing Rosenberg’s (1985) notion of being both valued and adding value.
Parents and carers also contributed to this sense of reinforcement, particularly when they actively expressed appreciation or sought out individual teachers due to their perceived impact.
What became especially evident to me is that reinforcement and racism often coexisted. Participants frequently experienced affirmation in one domain, such as the classroom, while simultaneously experiencing devaluation within institutional structures. This duality appears central to understanding the complexity of mattering, which is neither stable nor uniformly distributed across contexts.
Overall, what this study reveals is that mattering for Black teachers in London is not a fixed state but a dynamic and continually negotiated experience shaped through representation, racism, and reinforcement.
Representation provides visibility, purpose, and pride, but can also generate emotional and professional responsibility. Racism consistently undermines mattering through inequity, stereotyping, restricted opportunity, and emotional labour. Reinforcement, particularly through relationships with students and recognition from others, plays a vital role in sustaining and restoring a sense of value and belonging.
Taken together, these findings suggest that mattering is not simply about being present within schools. It is about whether Black teachers are able to feel seen, heard, respected, and able to bring their full identities into their professional lives without penalty.
Self Authorisation: What I Learned When Recognition Didn't Come
Written by Saiqua Hussain
Saiqua Hussain is a school leader and researcher passionate about supporting young women from global majority backgrounds into education and leadership. Her MA research (King's College London) explored how South Asian women build legitimacy as leaders in English secondary schools. She is a Trustee at a Grammar School and an elected member of the Chartered College of Teaching.
For a long time, people told me, kindly I think, that what I needed was more confidence. That if I just believed in myself a bit more, put myself forward a bit louder, the recognition would follow. I let that explanation sit for longer than I should have, because it was easier than the alternative. The truth was simpler and harder to say out loud: I already knew I was good. I was just as qualified, just as capable, often more prepared than colleagues who were moving ahead of me. I wasn’t missing self-belief. I was missing something else entirely, and it wasn’t mine to fix.
That question sat with me long enough that I eventually built a Master’s research study around it. How do South Asian women aspiring to headship, or in the early years of it, construct leadership identity and legitimacy in English secondary schools? Twelve headteachers and deputy headteachers later, what came back confirmed what I had lived. It wasn’t a confidence gap. It was a recognition gap.
Competent is not the same as recognised
One of the clearest findings to emerge was that competence, formal authority and recognised legitimacy are three different things, not one thing that automatically follows from the others. A woman could be highly competent and still not be seen as ready. She could hold a senior title and still find her authority wasn’t assumed the way a colleague’s was. Being right about your own ability isn’t the same as having that ability believed.
That’s what I’d been living without quite having the language for it. I did the work. I had the results. And still I found myself doing something extra that I don’t think my peers were doing. Building the evidence case before anyone asked me to. Saying yes to the harder, less visible tasks. Making sure there could be no question, because I already knew there would be a question anyway.
The women in my study described the same pattern in their own words. Some of it showed up as code switching, adapting how they presented themselves depending on the room, sometimes strategically, but sometimes protectively, to pre-empt being dismissed. And sometimes it meant quietly folding parts of themselves away, because the room hadn’t made space for the whole person. None of it was about building confidence. It was about surviving an environment that granted trust unevenly.
From waiting to be granted, to self authorisation
The most important thing the research gave me wasn’t a description of the problem though. It was a way through it. Leadership identity is often described as something you claim and others grant. You put yourself forward, and the people around you either recognise that claim or withhold it. What I found, repeatedly, was a third move that happens when that granting becomes too inconsistent to rely on: self-authorisation. At some point, the women I spoke with, and I recognise this in my own story too, stopped waiting for permission that wasn’t reliably coming, and started generating their own legitimacy from within.
I don’t think that’s an inspirational footnote. I think it’s a necessary adaptation to a system that hasn’t caught up, and it shouldn’t have to be necessary at all.
What I’d want other women to take from this
If you’ve been told your problem is confidence, and it hasn’t sat right with you, trust that instinct. You may not be missing belief in yourself. You may be doing accurate, clear-eyed work in an environment that hasn’t yet learned to see it without being made to look twice. Naming that correctly doesn’t undo the extra labour it’s cost you. But it means you stop trying to fix something in yourself that was never broken.
History’s Warning: Section 28 and the Fight for Future Educational Inclusion
Written by Dr Kayden J. Schumacher
Dr. Kayden J. Schumacher (they/he) is a Research Fellow at Coventry University working across all work packages on the Horizon Europe-funded YOUROPE project, which focuses on strengthening youth participation in European democracy, particularly among underrepresented groups. With a multidisciplinary background spanning psychology, education, health, and social policy, their work explores the intersections of mental health, physical wellbeing, gender diversity, and democratic participation across educational and community settings.
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
(Santayana, 1905, p. 284)
In 1988 the then Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher and her Conservative Government responded with a moral panic to a same-sex couple in children’s book taking things out of proportion and aiming to pass legislation known as Section 28 (Lee, 2019). Section 28 was part of the Local Government Act (1988) and on paper, it was framed as a safeguard against “promoting homosexuality” in schools. But, in reality, it was a direct state-sanctioned silencing of LGBTQ+ people, specifically students and educators. Passing Section 28 made it against the law for any local authority to “(a) intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality; (b) promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship” (Local Government Act, 1988).
Looking back, it is staggering to think that such a discriminatory law ostracising an already marginalised group could take root in a country of people who had just been through the AIDS epidemic, where “Silence=Death” (Kerr, 2017) was not just a protest slogan but a daily reality. The 1980s moral climate in the UK was steeped in fear and stigma. Tabloid headlines fuelled homophobia, framing LGBT+ people as a public threat (Collins, 2025; Lovelock, 2018). Thatcher’s government leaned into “traditional family values,” capitalising on public anxieties about social change (Somerville, 1992). The moral panic around LGBT+ visibility in schools was amplified by broader conservative backlash against feminist gains, multiculturalism and what was labelled “political correctness” (Baker, 2022; Duffy, 2025; Weeks, 1990). Conservative MPs used the rhetoric of “protecting children,” but what they were really protecting was cisheteronormative dominance.
Resistance to laws like Section 28 did exist, as it always has. In a now-iconic example, a group of lesbian activists broke into the BBC during the 6 o’clock live news broadcast to protest Section 28 and the harm of this legislation. Their message beamed into living rooms and pubs across the country and was widely noticed, but ultimately did not stop the law from passing, thereby cementing a culture of silence, bullying, and marginalisation in schools across England. For the next 15 years, Section 28 legitimised an environment where LGBT+ students and staff were erased, and where conversations about identity, consent, or healthy relationships could be construed as illegal. For trans and gender-diverse people, whose identities were barely recognised in mainstream discourse, the law meant complete erasure.
When I arrived in England in September 2022, the very day Queen Elizabeth II passed away, I was beginning a PhD exploring trans and gender-diverse experiences in English schools from 1988 to 2023. As someone who grew up in a small, homogeneous Catholic town in the US, hiding my pansexual and transgender identity for fear of backlash, I felt an immediate resonance with what my participants told me about their school years under Section 28. Their stories carried the same themes I had known of silence, shame, and the need to fragment oneself, being one person in school and another in private. But unlike my own experience, their marginalisation was explicitly legislated.
Even after Section 28’s repeal in England in 2003, my participants described school as having a sort of “shadow” of Section 28, where there was an institutionalised culture of cisheteronormativity that persisted in school structures, policies and everyday interactions, despite the repeal of the law. There were still rigid binaries enforced in areas like PE, sex education, toilets, and classrooms. Mental health was rarely openly discussed, LGBT+ teachers often concealed their identities and bodies were policed according to narrow norms without affirmation or recognition of diversity.
The 2010s gave the impression of progress. The Equality Act 2010 legally protected people against discrimination based on “sexual orientation” and “gender reassignment” (Equality Act, 2010, s.7). Ofsted began inspecting for homophobic bullying in 2012 (Ofsted, 2012). The first Trans Pride was held in Brighton in 2013 (McConnell, 2014). Same-sex marriage became legal in England and Wales in 2014, and media representation of trans people increased (BBC’s Boy Meets Girl, Lavern Cox on the Cover of Time, Jazz Jennings’ reality show), there was a perhaps naïve sense that visibility and policy change were working together to build a more inclusive future.
But if history teaches us anything, it is that progress is never linear. The current climate in the UK carries unsettling echoes of the past. Today the UK is seeing the re-emergence of very rigid gender binaries in public discourse, something that harms not only trans people, but everyone whose life does not neatly fit the “trad wife” (Bower, 2024) or “manosphere” (Ging, 2019) mould (More in Common, 2022). There is an increasing disregard for diversity across race, gender, sexual orientation, and religion. Emotional expression is again being boxed in with boys allowed anger but not vulnerability, and girls allowed fragility but not power. And while the internet boom was just beginning in the 1980s, it promised connection and organising for change, it is now equally capable of isolating, surveilling, and policing interactions, echoing Section 28’s original aim: control.
The slogan, “Silence = Death” (Kerr, 2017), born from AIDS activism, still echoes with urgent clarity. Then, it was a rallying cry against government inaction during a health crisis, now, it is a warning, a reminder, and a call to resist the erasure of trans and gender-diverse lives in education and beyond. My research traces these legacies through the stories of trans and gender-diverse students and educators, showing that the repeal of Section 28 did not erase its shadows and its repeal cannot undo systemic harm. Laws can change, but cultures of silence linger, shaping classrooms, policies, and hearts. Section 28 teaches us that silence harms the most marginalised first, but its ripples reach everyone. Representation without structural change leaves the door open for backlash. We must be vigilant: attentive to how quickly silence can return, how rigid binaries can reassert themselves, and how appeals to “protecting children” can be wielded as instruments of control.
The work before us in our democratic society, especially in education is quiet but urgent, we must name injustice where it festers, nurture spaces for complexity, and ensure that trans and gender-diverse students and educators never again endure the sanctioned invisibility that once passed for law. Visibility alone is not enough. Genuine inclusion demands action, care, and relentless attention so that the lessons of the past guide us, the voices of the present are heard, and the future is shaped by courage rather than fear, only then can we ensure we all have remembered the past and are not condemned to repeat it.
References
Baker, P. (2022). Outrageous!: The story of Section 28 and Britain’s battle for LGBT+
education. Reaktion Books.
Bower, L. J. (2024). The thorn in feminism’s side: black feminist reconceptualization and
defence of #tradwives and the #tradwife movement. Journal of Gender Studies, 1–17.
https://doi.org/10.1080/09589236.2024.2423198
Duffy, S. (2025). Moral panics and legal projects: echoes of Section 28 in United Kingdom
transgender discourse and law reform. Gender and Justice, 1(1), 78-99. Retrieved
Aug 15, 2025, from https://doi.org/10.1332/30333660Y2024D000000008
Equality Act 2010, s. 7. (2010). Legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved from
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/7
Ging, D. (2019). Alphas, betas, and incels: Theorizing the masculinities of the
manosphere. Men and masculinities, 22(4), 638-657.
Kerr, T. (2017 June 20). How Six NYC Activists Changed History With ‘Silence =
Death’. The Village Voice. https://www.villagevoice.com/how-six-nyc-activists changed-history-with-silence-death/
Lee, C. (2019). Fifteen years on: the legacy of section 28 for LGBT+ teachers in English
schools. Sex Education, 19(6), 675–690.
https://doi.org/10.1080/14681811.2019.1585800
Local Government Act 1988, c. 9, s. 28. (1988). Legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved from
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/9/section/28
Lovelock, M. (2018). Sex, death and austerity: resurgent homophobia in the British tabloid
press. Critical Studies in Media Communication, 35(3), 225-239.
McConnell, F. (2014, September 8). Trans Pride Brighton defines key year for emerging
community. The Guardian. Retrieved from
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/sep/08/-sp-trans-pride-brighton-lgbt-equality
More in Common UK. (2022). Britons and gender identity: Navigating common ground and
Collins, M. (2025). “Gays in Your Living Room”: LGBTQ+ television, homophobia, and the
birth of Channel 4 in 1980s Britain. Journalism History, 51(1), 5-23.
Ofsted. (2012). School inspection handbook: handbook for inspecting schools in England
under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 (as amended) from September 2012.
Somerville J. (1992). The New Right and family politics. Economy and society, 21(2), 93
Weeks, J. (1990). Coming Out: Homosexual Politics in Britain from the Nineteenth Century
to the Present. Quartet Books.
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.
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
https://forms.gle/PE2x94m2DnY7fF1B8
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
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.