Co-creating Schools of Belonging

A School of Education Event hosted by the Centre for Researching Inclusion and Social Justice in and through Education (RISE)

Senior leaders from across the region are invited to an event where we aim to set the regional agenda for ensuring inclusive approaches for all learners. We will explore how educational leaders and experts in related fields can shape an inclusive future for all learners in our region by co-creating Schools of Belonging.

Starting with a networking lunch, the afternoon will feature a series of short inputs from leading experts, young people, and individuals with lived experience. We will draw on academic and professional expertise in the following areas:
• Climate Refugees and Curriculum Making: How do we need to learn to secure a just future for all our pupils? Speaker: Professor Lizzie Rushton, Head of the Education Division, University of Stirling
• Neurodiversity and SEND: How can research on refugees and neurodiversity and SEND inform our approaches to inclusion for all pupils? Catherine Gladwell, CEO, Refugee Education UK (REUK)
• Human Flourishing in Schools: What strategies can support the mental health of young new arrivals to ensure all pupils experience positive well-being? Professor David Murphy, Professor of Psychology and Education, Centre Lead for Research in Human Flourishing, School of Education, University of Nottingham
• The Potential of Technology: How can we harness digital technology to foster a sense of belonging for new arrivals and all pupils? How can we support young people to navigate both the positive and negative impacts of online activity? Drs Jen Martin and Jo Lockwood, Institute of Mental Health, University of Nottingham

Each presentation will focus on creating schools of belonging for all, starting with the experiences of one of the most marginalized groups in society and education policy: refugee learners. Professor McIntyre’s research on the Art of Belonging in the region, and refugee education nationally, and beyond will serve as a starting point for considering how we can create schools that are places of safety, belonging, and succeeding for all.

The event also supports Nottingham City’s aim to become a UNICEF Child-Friendly city and is underpinned by a commitment to whole-school approaches to child rights and human rights education. Such approaches mean that pupils also learn about the importance of respecting the rights of others i.e., their responsibilities as global citizens. We will also be hearing from an important group of experts: children from Welbeck Primary School and young ambassadors from the charity Refugee Education UK about their views on education as a possible site of belonging for all.

Refugee education is an underdeveloped policy arena, and we believe that the region is well-placed to lead the way in creating policies that make schools spaces of belonging for all learners. This is a call to action for regional stakeholders ‘to construct educational policies that ensure families who have made the difficult yet optimistic decision to entrust their children to countries far away can do so with the secure knowledge that they will live ordinary lives, participate in all aspects of life on par with others, and contribute to a better world for all’ (McIntyre and Abrams, 2021, p. 172).

After each set of presentations, we will invite you to respond to the ideas presented and offer your thoughts on how the education sector in the region can shape policy through place-based inclusive approaches to co-create Schools of Belonging for all learners. The aim is to develop a ‘Schools of Belonging’ pledge similar to the city’s Art of Belonging pledge. Cathy Mahmood, from ChalleNGe helped to develop the Art of Belonging pledge and will be joining us to help shape this new schools-focused pledge.
Professor Toby Greany, co-author of the research study Belonging Schools will provide closing remarks for the afternoon session.
You are then warmly invited to stay for the evening session.

Refreshments will be provided as part of this event.

Please note that all that our food is prepared in kitchens that contain gluten, nuts and other allergens. We cannot completely guarantee that there is no risk of cross contamination.

Please ensure you have notified the event organisers of any specific dietary requirements in advance of the event.

To support our commitment to sustainability, we do not order bottled water for events. Instead, we ask that attendees bring a refillable cup and use the water stations located around the Dearing Building.

When registering for this event, we will collect personal data from you. This information will not be passed outside of the University of Nottingham. Please read our privacy information for more detail about how we use data.