Celebrating ESEA Heritage Month: Building belonging for every student – and why it matters right now

School shapes our values. They’re places where young people learn how to treat one another, how to build community, how to agree and disagree respectfully, and how to challenge prejudice when they see it. At a time when division dominates the headlines, schools can help to foster understanding and empathy, creating safety and belonging.

With East and South East Asian Heritage Month underway and Black History Month around the corner, this is a timely opportunity to help every student to feel that they belong.

This is what belonging feels like: being seen, celebrated, included and proud of who you are. Research consistently highlights four key areas where belonging makes a measurable difference to outcomes:

• Attainment: Pupils who feel they belong are more motivated, engaged, and achieve stronger grades.
• Wellbeing: Belonging boosts self-esteem and resilience while supporting better mental health.
• Attendance: Pupils with a sense of belonging are less likely to disengage, miss school, or drop out.
• Harm reduction: Belonging protects against bullying and social exclusion, helping pupils feel safe and valued.

Source: “School Belonging: A Literature Review” (March 2024). Commissioned by the National Children’s Bureau and conducted by researchers at Goldsmiths, University of London. A review of international and UK-based evidence on school belonging that synthesises research on how belonging is defined, measured, and influenced.

Belonging isn’t built by policy alone; it comes from understanding the specific experiences of different pupil groups. Small changes in everyday practice can make a powerful difference to pupils’ sense of belonging.

Hemisphere’s latest programme explores how you can support students of Chinese ethnicity to feel that they belong. The British Chinese population encompasses vast cultural, linguistic, socioeconomic, and generational differences. It includes people descended from mainland China, Hong Kong (‘Hong Kongers’), South East Asia, the Caribbean, and elsewhere. People who were born in the UK, and people who migrated here.

We share key insights from our research – and the simple actions you and your staff can take – below.

Research insights: Chinese heritage

While Chinese children are one of the highest achieving groups in the UK, they also face high levels of racist abuse and stereotyping. 86% of the students we interviewed had experienced racist banter and jokes. 41% told us that they felt overlooked by teachers who they thought assumed they were “fine” because of their ethnicity. “Positive” stereotyping can conceal real issues and result in unmet needs.

Here are three actions every member of staff can take to support Chinese students:

• Challenge assumptions: tackle the “model minority” myth so that no child’s needs are hidden behind stereotypes.
• Get to know the children you teach: take time to understand each child as an individual and recognise the diversity within the UK’s Chinese community.
• Strengthen representation: ensure your curriculum and resources reflect all pupils’ identities positively, so every child can see themselves in the classroom.

Caption: School staff can help make sure curriculum and resources are inclusive

To support schools, we’ve created a one-minute clip from our film on the history of Chinese Britons. Understanding how this heritage is woven into our national story makes it easy to see why representation matters – and how recognising it can transform a pupil’s sense of belonging.

➡️ Watch this clip, read more about the actions you can take, and download a resource to share with colleagues here.

Schools that invest in belonging are investing in better outcomes both in and outside the classroom: stronger academic results, better wellbeing and relationships, wider opportunities — and a more cohesive, inclusive society.

Join Hemisphere on 30^th September from 16:30 – 17:20 at the HMC Autumn Conference. Click here to book your place. (Please note this booking link is for delegates at the HMC Autumn Conference only)

Time is short, budgets are tight, and divisions are rising. How can school leaders strengthen belonging in this climate?

Join Deputy Lead of Hemisphere Education, Yasmina Koné, and the Headteachers at City of London, Dean Close and Roedean Schools to explore real case studies and practical, specific and actionable takeaways you can implement at your school.

Want to find out more before then? Book a meeting with Yasmina Koné.