Snapshots of practice
Read about strategies used to support the belonging of specific student groups in different school contexts across NSW.
Fostering belonging for students in rural and isolated areas: Dubbo School of Distance Education
Dubbo School of Distance Education is on the lands of the Tubbagah People of the Wiradjuri Nation, located about 300 kilometres north-west of Sydney. The school provides educational services for students from Preschool to Year 12 who reside across New South Wales communities, often in isolated geographical areas. The school facilitates a sense of belonging from the very beginning of the school term by setting up a personalised induction program for each student. The induction involves a classroom teacher hosting online meetings with students one-on-one. Students have the opportunity to connect with a friendly face and raise questions before settling into their learning.
The school encourages all students to visit the school in person during the term by organising residential camps and workshops. The school runs a primary and secondary school camp each term, where students can stay at the on-site residential motel. During camp, the staff run activities that promote friendship between peers. For HSC students, the school runs specialised overnight camps focusing on Key Learning Areas. For example, students can attend Creative Art camps to complete major works while being guided by their teacher, or Agriculture camps to learn about riding the tractor. The school has recently introduced a four-night camp known as a ‘muster’ for all students from Preschool to Year 12, which concludes with a special presentation assembly on the last day. These opportunities to meet and connect support students to feel that they are part of a community of learners and increase their sense of belonging.
Fostering belonging for students with complex needs: Cook School
Cook School is a School for Specific Purposes (SSP) located on the lands of Dharawal people in Sutherland Shire, NSW. The school provides support for students who have previously found mainstream classroom settings to be challenging. The school has separate streams according to student needs. At Cook School, the staff employs various strategies to foster a sense of belonging among the diverse student population. All staff practise holding students in unconditional positive regard. This principle is underpinned by the belief that individuals should be shown complete acceptance and support for who they are. Every day, students know they are valued and respected by staff. When students initially enter the classroom, teachers dedicate the first 20 minutes for easing students into the school day. They connect with the teacher during this time with relationship building activities, such as board games or conversations about what they did on the weekend. The school also works closely with families to support students. Communication books are updated daily by both families and classroom teachers with details about how the school day went, any changes in students’ home or school routines and any other issues that may impact the student. In the book, families may request the student to work on their preferred activity in the morning or have additional time to settle into the day. These supportive and inclusive approaches help students to understand that they are an important and valued part of the school and help ensure that they feel like they belong.
Fostering belonging for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students
Sense of belonging at school has been declining for all equity groups, but Aboriginal students are one of the groups that have experienced the largest declines along with students from low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds and girls.
The following resources may assist in fostering a positive sense of belonging for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students at school:
Stronger Smarter Institute offers strategies that can be used at the classroom and school level, including Yarning Circles, embedding Indigenous perspectives across the curriculum, and intentionally supporting families to build trusting relationships.
Strong Strides Together provides evidence-based themes on how to create high-quality learning environments that support education goals for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students.
The Australian Educational Researcher presents findings from focus groups with 58 young Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander participants. They reveal the importance of recognising students’ aspirations, addressing challenges and celebrating their cultural identities within the education system.