New research highlights key factors in school belonging in the transition to school 

New research has identified key factors helping Australian children develop a sense of belonging in their first year of school, including social engagement and familiarity of people, place and routines are key to developing a sense of belonging.

Time for play, connection to teachers or friends, and comforting spaces like book corners are among the key factors helping Australian children develop a sense of belonging in their first year of school, according to new research from Monash University.

In a survey of 108 five- to seven-year-olds who were asked to draw what made them feel like they belong to school, social engagement and familiarity emerged as central narratives for all students.

Almost half of students attributed belonging to social engagement, including structured and unstructured play, both independently and with friends, as well as building relationships with peers and teachers.

Almost three quarters pointed to familiarity with people, places and routines as helping them feel like they belong, with 40 per cent identifying particular spaces like playgrounds or book corners.

The findings, published in the Early Childhood Education Journal, will be used to help schools find ways to ease the transition to school.

Co-author Cassie Hudson, a psychologist who completed the Master of Educational and Developmental Psychology with the Monash School of Educational Psychology and Counselling, said developing a belonging in the first year of school is a critical developmental milestone and important for future success.

“This is an important period in a child’s life when they are starting to gain their own sense of self away from the family,” she said.

“In fact, there is a lot of evidence that their sense of belonging in that first year of school may influence outcomes that are central to their educational success and wellbeing later in life.

“That makes our research a really valuable insight for schools on how they can give their new students the best possible start.”

Many school programs already target opportunities to connect with others, through things like structured play time.

But the research finds not all students will benefit from these experiences, and many need other avenues to develop their belonging.

Hudson said the diverse experiences highlighted in the research reflect the many ways that children build connection and security.

“What came through very strongly was that students know exactly what they need to belong, and schools have a variety of ways to support them to seek those out,” Hudson said.

“We need to protect unstructured play time, because while both solitary and social play contribute to belonging, children need choice about how to participate.

“Designing spaces intentionally to acknowledge that students have different social intensities and need options for solitary retreat are also important.”

While many students develop belonging naturally through engagement with familiar people, places and objects, the research reminds schools that the best opportunities might be hidden where they least expect.

Co-author Kelly-Ann Allen, Associate Professor at Monash School of Educational Psychology and Counselling, said predictability and consistency were key.

“Timetables, consistent seating arrangements, and regular routines help children feel secure enough to take social risks,” Associate Professor Allen said.

“Just seeing the school building or performing their morning routine was the key to belonging for some students.

“We had a student who drew her teacher as a house-shaped figure with a heart on the front, because for her it was the teacher’s visible presence across the classroom that gave her a sense of security that translated into her feeling secure at school.”

Read the research paper here.

Fast facts: things that help students feel like they belong at school

• 73 per cent: Familiarity of known places, routines and people
• 43 per cent: Social engagement, including formal and informal interactions with others
• 61 per cent: Unstructured play
• 53 per cent: Social play (with others)
• 47 per cent: Solitary play
• 54 per cent: Relationships, including peer friendships and supportive connections with teachers and family members
• 40 per cent: Environment, highlighting specific school spaces like playgrounds and classrooms