New Department for Education research highlights the importance of school belonging. But are we measuring what actually makes a difference?
The Department for Education's new School Belonging Case Studies report explores how 16 schools across England are creating environments where children feel safe, included, connected and valued.
Its findings reinforce something we've been championing at Drawing and Talking for years: children's emotional wellbeing, relationships and sense of belonging are fundamental to their ability to engage with education.
We're delighted to see these priorities receiving greater national attention, particularly alongside Ofsted's renewed focus on inclusion, identifying needs and evaluating the impact of support.
But this raises an important question:
How do schools know whether the support they're providing is actually creating meaningful change?
The DfE research identifies five important dimensions of school belonging: safety, inclusion, positive relationships, individual recognition and collective identity.
When children feel safe and connected, they're better placed to engage with learning and school life.
But attendance alone doesn't tell us whether a child feels they belong.
A child might attend every day while experiencing significant anxiety or isolation. Equally, a child struggling with emotionally based school avoidance may be making important progress in their confidence and emotional regulation before their attendance improves.
If we only measure the final outcome, we risk missing the progress happening along the way.
Schools are already managing increasingly complex emotional needs, attendance challenges, SEND provision and demanding workloads.
The last thing staff need is another expectation without the tools to meet it.
But there's a crucial difference between measuring outcomes and understanding what produces them.
An attendance percentage tells us whether attendance has changed. It doesn't necessarily tell us why.
Similarly, knowing that 20 children received an intervention tells us what was delivered, not whether it addressed their needs.
The real value of measurement isn't simply proving success. It's understanding what to do next.
Imagine a child experiencing anxiety, struggling with friendships and finding school increasingly difficult.
The long-term aim might be for that child to feel safe, develop positive relationships and participate confidently in school life.
If the first intervention doesn't produce the expected progress, should that aim change?
No. We need to examine what we're measuring, understand what the evidence tells us and consider what needs to change about the support we're providing.
Perhaps the child needs a different intervention, additional support or more time. Perhaps there are barriers within the school environment that haven't been addressed.
Effective measurement helps schools make these decisions with confidence.
It's not about declaring an intervention a failure. It's about adapting our actions while keeping sight of the meaningful outcome.
Ofsted's renewed inspection framework places importance on how schools identify pupils' needs, remove barriers, plan appropriate support and evaluate its effectiveness.
The DfE's school belonging research reinforces the value of understanding individual school communities and listening to pupils.
Together, they highlight an important principle:
Schools should be able to explain not just what they're doing, but why they're doing it, what they hope to achieve and how they're responding to the evidence.
This shouldn't be about producing paperwork for inspection. It should be about helping schools make informed decisions that genuinely benefit children.
At Drawing and Talking, we believe assessment should be the beginning of a process, not the end.
Tools such as the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) can help identify patterns in children's emotional, behavioural and social needs.
Combined with professional observations, parent perspectives and pupil voice, they help schools build a fuller understanding of each child.
From there, schools can select appropriate interventions, establish long-term aims, monitor progress and adapt their approach.
And these principles extend beyond individual children, supporting whole-school improvement across wellbeing, inclusion and leadership.
Our Measure What Matters: A Whole School Approach to SEMH and Beyond training puts this philosophy into practice.
Designed for Senior Mental Health Leads, SENCOs and school leaders, this practical one-day course helps schools:
Participants leave with practical tools, a development plan for a child in their setting and a framework they can begin applying across their school.
We welcome the growing national recognition of school belonging and the importance of evidence-informed decisions.
But we also recognise the extraordinary work schools are already doing.
This isn't about asking exhausted staff to do more. It's about helping them understand what's working, what needs to change and how to make their efforts count.
Every child deserves more than an intervention. They deserve a thoughtful plan, a meaningful aim and adults who understand how to help them get there.
Don't change the aim. Change the activity. Keep working towards what matters.
Discover how our one-day training can help your school move from assessment to meaningful progress and whole-school improvement.
EXPLORE OUR MEASURE WHAT MATTERS TRAINING
Further reading: DfE School Belonging Case Studies report