Sharing Student Projects

This study sought to understand the experiences of educational professionals in relation to the development of school belonging in students with SEND. The principal research questions for this project were: RQ1: How do secondary school staff promote school belonging in students with SEND? RQ2: What are the identified barriers to development of school belonging for students with SEND? The research’s target population was mainstream secondary school staff across four LAs within the CGMA who had sufficient experience working with students with SEND. The participant sample consisted of seven participants, four male and three female, from four LAs within the CGMA. Their schools reflected student population sizes ranging from 800 to 1300, and measures of deprivation from 1st to 7th Index of Multiple Deprivation decile. The study received ethical approval from the University of Manchester Ethics committee (Appendix F) and informed consent was obtained from all participants. All identifying participant information was removed from transcripts and participants were referred in accordance with identification codes which are used in Chapter 3 to evidence quotations. The research used semi-structured interviews conducted online via Zoom. Interviews took place across a period of 24 days, with each interview lasting between 48 and 70 minutes. Interview audio was recorded for transcription purposes, before being securely deleted from encrypted storage. Nvivo-14 was used to host the dataset and support organisation of analysis. The data were coded with a hybrid approach using reflexive thematic analysis without attempting to shape it into pre-existing frameworks. Analysis was guided by Braun and Clarke’s (2013; 2022) recommended steps to reflexive thematic analysis. The research took a constructionist epistemological approach in assuming that data is influenced by those active in the research process, including researchers and participants (Willig, 2022). This study took the Big Q approach to data interpretation, acknowledging the role of the researcher in determining what the data represents in terms of themes (Braun & Clark, 2013; Willig, 2022). From a constructionist paradigm, the data were analysed with the aim of understanding the complex world of lived experience from those within it (Mertens, 2020; Schwant, 1994). Data were analysed as a process of meaning making, rather than of truth seeking, in accordance with the study’s epistemological position. Findings highlighted school staff efforts in promoting feelings of school belonging for students with SEND. Two key themes were central to this: acceptance and identity, and culture, community and relationships. Staff attitudes and trusting relationships were found to be particularly influential in determining the school’s culture of inclusion and belonging for those with SEND. Feeling safe in school was also recognised as crucial to fostering school belongingness. Participants reflected on barriers to the development of school belonging for students with SEND. These barriers were primarily rooted in resource demand challenges, both on the school and LA level, which limits access to sufficient and appropriate SEND provision. Findings also indicated that an evolving landscape in terms of SEND identification and increasing student need was an additional barrier to school belonging. This study’s findings broadly align with pre-existing literature on the topic of school belonging for students with SEND. Perhaps most noteworthy to consider alongside this study’s findings is Allen et al.’s (2016) socio-ecological framework of school belonging (Figure 1) which uses Bronfenbrenner’s EST (1979) as a basis for understanding how students develop a sense of school belonging. These findings build upon pre-existing definitions of school belonging to include recognition of deep connection with trusted adults, alongside connection with social groups, physical places and individual collective experiences (Allen et al., 2021). The barriers to developing school belonging identified in this research are also consistent with earlier findings, particularly in relation to the influence of staff training, staff attitudes and teacher-student relationships (El Zaatari & Maalouf, 2022; Mulholland & O’Connor, 2016; Pit-ten Cate et al., 2018). These findings indicate the importance of staff competency and confidence in recognising SEND-related behaviour and responding to this appropriately, which echoes pre-existing discussions regarding the usefulness of behavioural sanctions and the value of suspensions and PEx as a behaviour management strategy (Allen et al., 2021; Lehane, 2016; Pyne, 2019; Williams et al., 2018). This study reiterates the importance of staff attitudes and stakeholder relationships in enabling students with SEND to feel accepted and understood in their school setting. Findings indicate the pressures experienced by mainstream secondary schools in including students with SEND in school communities within day-to-day practice. This research raises further questions regarding how those with SEND can be supported to develop school belonging, given the identified challenges. Future research which sought first-hand student views would be particularly valuable to examine this.

The findings of this study can be applied to various stakeholders, perhaps most notably senior leadership teams, SEND staff and class teachers working in mainstream secondary schools. It also has relevance for LA professionals who closely liaise with mainstream secondary schools. This study could have tangible educational impact on inclusive practice, behaviour policy, alongside teaching and learning strategies to enable students with SEND to feel a sense of belonging within the classroom. These findings also indicate the need for reflection at the level of senior policy making in relation to the resource difficulties discussed and the long-lasting societal impact of this on the development of inclusive school communities, as called for by Salamanca (UNESCO, 1994) and the Warnock Report (Warnock Committee, 1978).