Education is full of words that we know are important to improving the life chances and outcomes of young people, but that can be hard to pin down in practice: things like aspiration, belonging, celebration. There is no one correct way to do any of this, and so the purpose of each book in this series is help school leaders reflect and create tangible plans for action in their own context, by sharing both research and practical case studies from across the UK.
The books will highlight and celebrate the many ways that the themes can be explored. In this book, we will get to the heart of belonging in schools and colleges: readers will explore why it matters, what the research says, what colleagues in different settings have tried, and will be given space to consider what actions they may want to take to strengthen the sense of belonging in their setting.
Dr Alex Fairlamb FHA, Educational Consultant and Trust T&L Coach
"'How Do You Do Belonging?' is a powerful book that explores the multifaceted, interconnected aspects of belonging. Costanzo seamlessly blends together research, insights and an impressive range of case studies from differing contexts to bring to life and exemplify how belonging can realistically be fostered within schools and colleges. If you are looking to explore building a meaningful culture of belonging in your school or college, this is the book for you!"
Matt Renshaw, Headteacher, Sir John Thursby Community College
I absolutely loved reading it. The authenticity of stories from such a wide range of providers brings a real focus to the idea of belonging and strengthens our understanding of why this is such an important aspect of what we all do in schools. I loved the "time to think" sections and these really focus attention on the idea of how this might work for the reader in their setting. The whole thing is beautifully curated and pulls together with the common thread. There is real continuity and the stories flow together to create a tapestry of narrative from a wide range of really inspirational leaders.