Oxford is a city in which education is celebrated around the world. But growing up within sight of that reputation does not mean that every child feels that education belongs to them, or that they belong within it. A new report from Dr Luke Telford and Leonard Sackey asks us to look more closely at that gap, through the experiences of pupils, parents and school staff.
Views on belonging in schools in Oxford’s underserved areas forms part of the Oxford Cradle to Career Project’s listening exercise. It draws on conversations with 65 people across primary, secondary and special school provision. This is a small, qualitative study, rooted in particular school communities; it gives us experiences to consider carefully, rather than a verdict on every school in Oxford.
What comes through is how much the apparently ordinary things matter. Having friends. Being able to take part in something you enjoy. Knowing who will be teaching you tomorrow. Feeling that an adult understands you, and will notice when you are struggling.
As a former teacher, and through my work in Scouting and with Oxfordshire Youth, I recognise much of this. Young people need adults who take the trouble to know them. That means knowing more than their attainment, their attendance record or the last occasion on which they got into trouble. It means understanding what interests them, what worries them and what might lie behind the behaviour we see.
One teacher in the report describes how a pupil who struggles with literacy or numeracy can find a lesson overwhelming, become uncomfortable, misbehave and then miss more learning through sanctions. It is a troubling cycle. Schools need boundaries, and teachers need to be able to teach; understanding how a child has reached that point should help us respond more effectively.
The report also makes a strong case for continuity. Parents and teachers describe the difference made by familiar, trusted staff, particularly for children with special educational needs and disabilities. Relationships take time to build. Repeated changes of staff can mean repeatedly asking a child to begin again.
There is a responsibility here for those of us involved in governance and leadership. We can say that relationships matter, but we also have to consider whether staff have the time, training and support to build them. A commitment to belonging needs to influence decisions about resources as well as the words in a school’s prospectus.
Some of the most encouraging accounts come from parents describing what happens when their child finds the right environment. A child who had been isolated begins to make friends, joins in and comes home with stories about other children. The relief in those parents’ accounts is palpable. Being present in a school and being able to participate in its life can be very different experiences.
That distinction extends beyond the school gates. Families in the study describe limited opportunities for children with SEND to enjoy leisure activities, with sessions sometimes infrequent, difficult to reach or held at unsuitable times. An activity can exist on a timetable and still be inaccessible in practice. Those of us running community organisations should be willing to ask families whether what we offer actually works for them.
I was also struck by the discussion of parents’ relationships with schools. If someone’s own experience of education was unhappy, walking back through a school entrance as a parent may carry anxieties that staff never see. Before concluding that a family is disengaged, it is worth asking what makes engagement difficult, and whether a different conversation, setting or approach might help.
The Cradle to Career approach recognises that these responsibilities extend across organisations and across a young person’s life. Moving from primary to secondary school, or from school to college, can disrupt friendships, routines and trusted relationships. We should plan for those changes with young people and families, rather than assume they will find their own way through.
Throughout my year as High Sheriff, under the theme of “Hearing the Young Unheard”, I returned often to the importance of listening. This report offers a useful example of what that involves: asking pupils, parents and staff about their experiences, including the uncomfortable ones, and considering what should change as a result.
I hope it is read well beyond the schools involved. For governors, youth organisations, community partners and others working with young people, it offers plenty to reflect on. Most of all, it prompts a practical question: what would the young people in our own organisations tell us about belonging, if we took the time to ask and were prepared to hear the answer?
Read and download the full report by Dr Luke Telford and Leonard Sackey.
