What is a Belonging Audit?
The Belonging Audit is a practical tool designed to identify students who may be struggling to feel at home in our school community.
Through targeted surveys and interventions, we gain valuable insights into how students feel in school, helping us create an environment where everyone feels valued, supported and included.
Psychological Sense of School Membership Scale
Who is this survey aimed at?
All students — with particular relevance for those in secondary school.
When should it be implemented?
This survey can be used at any point in the school year. It works particularly well:
As part of a whole-school belonging audit
After key transitions (e.g. moving from KS3 to KS4, post-exam periods, or changes in school structure)
To check in with specific year groups or cohorts
What will you find out?
This survey is designed to measure students’ psychological sense of school membership — essentially, how connected, respected and accepted they feel at school:
🎯 Perceived recognition — if students feel noticed, valued and respected by peers and staff
🧍♀️Relationships — how supported students feel by teachers, and whether they feel liked by classmates
🗣️ Student voice — whether students feel their views and opinions are taken seriously
🎭 Authenticity — whether students feel they can be themselves at school
🚧 Barriers — indicators of alienation, difference, or a desire to be elsewhere
📊 Comparative insights — helpful for identifying belonging gaps across year groups, or groups of students who feel less connected
Source:
Goodenow, C. (1993). The psychological sense of school membership among adolescents: Scale development and educational correlates. Psychology in the Schools, 30(1), 79-90. doi:10.1002/1520-6807
Download the survey
