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Children’s Mental Health Week, run by charity Place2Be, is just around the corner. This year’s theme, This is My Place, focuses on belonging.
Many children still do not feel a strong sense of belonging in our schools. Data from the 2023 International Maths and Science Survey (TIMSS) demonstrated that by the time children reach fifteen, one in three feel like they don’t belong – one of the steepest drops in any OECD country. A 2024 report from London’s Violence Reduction Unit, produced not too dissimilar results – a third of primary aged students and 44% of secondary students in London did not feel a secure sense of belonging in school.
This Children’s Mental Health week, we’re supporting the many schools and professionals who have been tirelessly trying to to reverse this trend, with the aim to help every child feel happier in school.
We’re taking things back to basics with some simple activities that can help pupils understand and connect to each other and their school community a little better. With a focus on connecting, collaborating and contributing, take a look at our creative activities and games below.
A sense of belonging, as Maslow identified, is a prerequisite for self-esteem, achievement and finding our sense of purpose in the world. When children feel accepted and valued in school, the sense that “I can be myself here,” and that “I belong here“, they gain the secure foundations to learn and achieve. Not only does this improve their chance of success in a purely academic context, but also as rounded young people with the resilience to persevere and fulfil their passion.
Research shows us that the extent to which students feel like they belong in school has a marked effect on motivation, engagement and academic performance (Korpershoek et al.,2019) as well as anxiety and depression (McMahon et al.,2008). Children with a higher sense of belonging in school are also much less likely to engage in behaviour such as drinking and smoking (Bonell et al., 2016). There may even be a link between how strongly students feel like they belong in their secondary school and later mental health outcomes as young adults. (Allen et al., 2024).
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This week, Manor Fields Primary School in Bishop’s Stortford welcomed a special guest; the Minister for School Standards in the Department for Education, Catherine McKinnell MP. The visit showcased the positive impact of the Level 5 Specialist Teaching Assistant Apprenticeship, delivered by Educational and Sporting Futures (ESF), on school staff and pupils.
Teaching assistants have the opportunity to build close bonds with the pupils they support and play a highly significant role in shaping their experience of learning. In this article, we take a look at how TAs can provide the best support to dyslexic pupils, not only in terms of developing reading and writing skills, but also helping to build self-confident, independent learners.
We are pleased to share with you the news that our recently released product the Test of Retrieval Efficiency (TORE) has been approved by SASC, and is now included on the approved list of tests on their website! Becoming SASC-approved marks a significant milestone in the launch of this new product. If you have been thinking about taking the plunge and ordering TORE, then there has never been a better time to enhance your assessment battery with this new innovation!
What do you think?