Leading for School Belonging : How to Navigate the Way Ahead

In this open access book, international educator Kathryn Riley sends a powerful message: Whoever young people are, wherever they are from, however they learn, they deserve to be in schools where they feel safe, connected and have a sense of belonging.


School belonging is about well-being, quality education, and aspiring to social equality. It is created by just and strong institutions, and through partnerships. Drawing on the traditions of engaged scholarship, Inspiring School Belonging links research to practice, highlighting the principles of school belonging (how they shape intentions, guide behaviour, influence actions); the practice (the features of daily school-life which matter); and the pathways (the journeys which schools can take to build alliances for belonging).


The book presents a ‘theory of change for school belonging’ to guide readers to implement change in their own situations, along with vivid case studies to illustrate the process. The case studies include an international school exploring what belonging means for ‘third culture kids’; a group of special schools developing the voices of their students; and a secondary school in a challenging context, growing young people’s sense of agency. The book’s key arguments incorporate the findings of an international research study, The Bali 25 Global Leaders in Belonging Roundtable.


Leading for School Belonging will be indispensable reading for leaders committed to fostering truly inclusive school environments.

The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com