Feeling Part of the School and Feeling Safe: Further Development of a Tool for Investigating School Belonging

A sense of school belonging has been associated with a number positive outcomes for young people Two core aspects are feeling part the school, and safe. This paper examines qualitative data from mixed methods questionnaire designed to inform schools on barriers supports participation in life relationship students’ feelings belonging. It contributes limited existing can be set alongside quantitative measures provide new insights. We explore responses 595 students, open questions survey. Students frequently mentioned relationships teachers peers, often context safe themselves, suggesting that intertwined. The comments reveal importance being recognised accepted not having their identity purely defined relation attainment narrowly curriculum.