Staff belonging matters: Creating a school culture where everyone thrives

9 June 2026

In education, we rightly champion the importance of belonging for children and young people. We recognise that when pupils feel accepted, valued, and connected, they are far more likely to engage, learn, and flourish. However, belonging is not a need that we outgrow. It is just as fundamental for the adults who lead, support, and manage our educational settings.

A strong sense of staff belonging is not a "nice-to-have" luxury; it is the bedrock of wellbeing, retention, collaboration, and collective efficacy. When educators feel they belong, they are empowered to innovate, take pedagogical risks, support their peers, and commit deeply to the success of the school’s vision.

Furthermore, under Ofsted’s updated inspection framework, school culture and wellbeing are no longer evaluated purely through top-down policies. Inspectors now scrutinise the operational reality of inclusion and staff workload. They evaluate whether the positive environment described by leaders matches the daily experience of the workforce.

By applying The Six Principles of Nurture to our education settings, we can build a culture that allows everyone to thrive.

Six Principles of Nurture & staff wellbeing

The Six Principles of Nurture: Reflective questions for staff wellbeing

Try out these questions to provoke reflection on staff belonging. Click below to download, share with your team, and maybe even print off and display in your staff room?

Download the poster

Defining belonging for school staff in the workplace

Belonging is the feeling of being accepted for who you are, respected for what you contribute, and genuinely connected to those around you. It is the psychological safety of knowing your voice matters and that you occupy a meaningful space within the team.

In education, this culture is not achieved by one single thing – a staff training, a tokenistic initiative, or a hurried preparation for an inspection window. It is built through everyday interactions, shared experiences, and intentional leadership. It requires trust, consistency, and a deliberate effort to align our adult working environment with nurture-based practices.

Aligning staff wellbeing with the Six Principles of Nurture

To cultivate a workplace where staff genuinely thrive, we can map our actions directly to The Six Principles of Nurture, grounded in actionable school examples and Ofsted expectations.

1. Children’s [staff's] learning is understood developmentally

The principle: Learning happens at different paces, and individuals require different levels of support depending on their experience and current capacity.

In an adult context, this means recognising that staff are at different stages of their careers and personal journeys. A warm, thorough induction process is vital for new starters. Similarly, when staff take on new roles or face professional hurdles, they need scaffolded support.

Practical school example: Differentiated professional development

Moving away from "one-size-fits-all" INSET days, instead offering choice-based CPD pathways (e.g., early career teacher tracks, middle leadership masterclasses, or peer-led research action groups).

The Ofsted link: Quality of Education & Leadership

Inspectors look for sustainable professional growth. Providing scaffolded, stage-appropriate development ensures leaders are actively building staff capacity without inducing burnout.

2. The classroom [school environment] offers a safe base

The principle: A predictable, secure, and physically/psychologically safe environment is essential for growth and exploration.

Leaders create a "safe base" by being visible, approachable, and consistent. When staff know that mistakes are treated as learning opportunities rather than failures, they feel safe to innovate.

Practical school example: The workload operational filter

Before any new policy or initiative is introduced, senior leadership subjects it to a transparent workload impact assessment (e.g., if a new marking strategy is introduced, an old administrative requirement is dropped).

The Ofsted link: Leadership & Management

Workload reduction and the psychological safety of staff are key pillars under the framework's evaluation of leadership. Inspectors want to see concrete evidence that leadership actively shields staff from unnecessary burdens and fosters an environment where teachers can focus entirely on teaching and learning.

3. The importance of nurture for the development of wellbeing

The principle: Nurture involves listening, responding with empathy, and actively valuing the individual.

We must actively nurture our nurturers. This means celebrating successes, noticing when a colleague is struggling, and recognising both professional milestones and personal life events. Small gestures such as a thank-you note, a quiet word of appreciation, or structured peer-mentoring can signal to staff that they are valued as human beings.

Practical school example: Staff room micro-upgrade

Revamping the physical environment of the staffroom to make it a genuine sanctuary with comfortable seating, tea and coffee facilities, and shout out options.

The Ofsted link: Personal Development and Wellbeing

Personal Development focuses on the character and resilience of the entire school community. Schools must demonstrate a whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing where staff welfare is explicitly promoted alongside that of the pupils.

4. Language is a vital means of communication

The principle: The words we use and how we listen shape our relationships and self-worth.

Belonging grows when people feel genuinely heard, incorporating listening with intent, encouraging authentic staff voice, and acting upon feedback.

Practical school example: Cross-departmental workshops

At the start of the academic year, co-design "working agreements." Staff collectively define what terms like "timely communication" mean. For example, mutually agreeing that emails do not require a response after 6:00 PM or on weekends. Because the language and boundaries are written by the staff rather than handed down to them, it builds a deep sense of ownership, collective efficacy, and mutual respect.

The Ofsted link: Stakeholder Engagement

Transparent communication can foster dialogue and ensures that staff voice reflects the realities of daily operations.

5. All behaviour is communication

The principle: Challenging or unusual behaviour is often an expression of an underlying, unmet need.

Nurturing leadership looks beyond the surface behaviour, responding with empathy, curiosity, and support rather than immediate frustration or discipline. Just like pupils, staff experience bad days and complex home lives which may have an impact on how they show up at school.

Practical school example: Mental Health First Aiders

Training designated non-leadership staff members as Mental Health First Aiders creates a safe, neutral space for colleagues to express vulnerability or stress without fear of it impacting their performance reviews.

The Ofsted link: Inclusion, Attendance & Behaviour

In parallel to how inspectors evaluate relational, non-punitive pupil behaviour management, they look at how leaders address adult operational friction. A supportive approach to staff distress directly reduces staff absence rates—a metrics pattern that inspectors analyse closely to evaluate whole-school stability.

6. The importance of transition in children's [staff] lives

The principle: Change can be destabilising and requires careful management and emotional preparation.

Educational settings are hotbeds of transition whether it is a change in the curriculum, a shift in leadership, or a colleague returning from parental or sick leave. Managing these transitions thoughtfully by providing clear communication, emotional reassurance, and practical time to adapt reduces stress.

Practical school example: Managing change

Introducing the concept of change up to three months in advance, allowing staff time to adapt with built-in, paid training time.

The Ofsted link: Retention & Leadership Stability

Frequent staff turnover can destabilise a school’s performance. Managing professional transitions successfully directly improves staff retention metrics. Inspectors investigate high staff turnover rates; handling transitions carefully safeguards the structural continuity of the school.

Leadership’s role: Modelling the culture

While fostering a sense of belonging is a collective responsibility, when leadership prioritises nurturing principles, they send an unmistakable message: the people in this building matter.

As educational professionals, we relentlessly reflect on how to optimise outcomes for our learners. To do that effectively, we must regularly turn that reflective lens inward:

Do all staff members truly feel welcomed, safe, and valued from day one?
Are we actively listening to the hidden communication behind staff stress or disengagement?
How intentionally do we manage professional and personal transitions for our team?
What small, daily action can we take today to strengthen the connections across our school?

By intentionally nurturing our staff, we create an environment where the adults can thrive and when staff thrive, the children and young people can reap the rewards.