Student level strategies
Sense of belonging can be fostered for individual students by building positive emotional connections to peers and teachers. Students feel a sense of belonging when they experience support and inclusion within the school environment.
Formal and informal mentoring programs help students feel connected to, and seen by, their peers and teachers. Peer mentoring and mentoring between students and teachers can be embedded in school routines to support belonging. Schools can facilitate belonging using mentoring programs such as:
- Vertical mentoring: Year 7 students can be allocated with a peer mentoring group with one other student from each year level (Years 8 to 12). The students stay in the same mentoring group until they finish school. When Year 7 students move on to Year 8, a new cohort of Year 7 students join the peer mentoring group, giving all students the opportunity to act as mentors.
- HSC mentoring: In small groups, classroom teachers can meet with students once a fortnight for approximately 15 minutes to discuss students’ progress and set goals for the HSC. Teachers are given the choice to focus on specific topics depending on students’ needs and interests. Topics covered during the mentoring sessions include exam tips and effective studying strategies.
- ‘Buddies’ programs: In primary school, younger students can be paired with older students to facilitate peer mentoring. Together, the buddies can complete activities such as discussing a Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) element, taking the younger students on a tour to different areas of the school, and talking about appropriate playground behaviour. The buddies can also participate in an informal peer tutoring system where the older students can lead simple literacy activities in collaboration with teachers.
The point of [the mentoring programs] is having a teacher that students connect with. The teacher might have a group of three students they catch up with at recess for 15 minutes. The Wellbeing team put together a slideshow of themes that teachers can mentor students on, like setting up a study environment, [and] getting enough sleep.
Girraween High School
We started up a Kindergarten system at the end of last year, then a much more structured program this year just to build that sense of ownership and responsibility. It has worked... you see [Stage 3 students] in the playground, helping the kids making sure they’re in all the right areas.
The Meadows Public School
Students feel a sense of belonging when they become active participants in shaping their school community. This engagement empowers them to have a voice and influence decisions around the school that impact them. Students can engage in advocacy and leadership in the following ways:
Structured leadership programs: In high school, students can earn leadership positions (e.g., School Captains, prefects) through rigorous selection processes. To be successfully selected as school leaders, students demonstrate a sustained contribution to the school across several domains such as participation in extracurricular activities, academic effort, and service to the school community (e.g., acting as a school photographer or participating in a fundraiser).
- Having a say in school decisions: Schools can consult with students about changes that have an impact on them. For example, students can suggest new playground equipment to be installed, or redesign the merit award system.
- Active dialogue with executive staff: When executive staff have an ‘open door’ policy and remain accessible by students, they can give direct feedback to executive staff. This feedback can be facilitated during fortnightly assemblies for each stage or other informal conversations.
Students are feeling a bit more connected to the school because it’s like you can’t help but be engaged in the school community if you want to achieve student leadership. It’s like an inbuilt system.
Girraween High School
We’re very big on the student voice aspect. It’s getting the students involved in the whole process, and we ensure that they’re actually getting actioned, and the students have to see that.
Epping Public School
What I think other schools could learn is providing those opportunities for students to have a really clear voice... [Telling students] that you have responsibilities and part of your responsibility is being active in communicating how you learn and what you need.
Macarthur Girls High School
Schools can embrace individual students’ strengths through the provision of extracurricular activities aligned with their interests. Students can feel a greater sense of belonging when they connect with staff through extracurricular programs outside of the traditional classroom environment.
Wide variety of extracurriculars: Schools can consider the needs and interests of students when providing extracurricular activities. Depending on the school’s capacity for equipment and staffing, activities offered could include cooking, clay molding, textiles and woodwork which can run on a regular basis in addition to offerings as electives.
Connection with teachers: Students can connect with teachers through extracurricular activities, such as sports clubs, debating, chess, band and dance. Schools can build on students’ interests while fostering supportive relationships between students and teachers who run the extracurricular activities.
Every student has to have something every week that they love... I think providing that really safe space for kids means that they’ve got a good sense of belonging.
New Lambton South Public School
We have different extracurricular activities in addition to sports because it was what our kids wanted. It was their interest and what they wanted to succeed in.
Temora Public School