Student belonging

Education and lifelong learning

Student belonging

Students spend much of their lives at school, and this has a significant impact on their individual wellbeing.

School identification

This measure shows the extent to which students feel pride in and connection to their school. A strong sense of identity and belonging with a school is important.

There is a positive relationship between the level of identification a student has with their school, and the outcomes that the student achieves. Positive staff and parent/carer identification with the school also has a beneficial impact on wellbeing and school culture.

60% of students in ACT public schools reported strong school identification in 2022. This is a slight decrease from 62% in 2021 but consistent with pre-pandemic levels of 60% in 2018 and 2019.

School Satisfaction and Climate Survey, ACT Government.

Line graph of percentage of public school students reporting strong school identification in the ACT, by year from 2018 to 2022. In 2022, 60% of students reported strong school identification compared to 62% in 2021.

The measures in the School Satisfaction and Climate Survey have been developed and validated by the Australian National University and represent best practice in this area.

The school identification measure is based on social identity theory. One of the tenets of this theory is that, as the salience of group membership fluctuates, the value that individuals place on the group membership also fluctuates. In 2020, the experience of being away from the school community for an extended period increased the salience (importance/relevance) of school community membership and hence students valued their membership in the school community more highly. Over the period 2021 to 2022 this value has returned to pre-COVID levels.

The survey collects responses from all students in Year 4 to year 12 except for students in special schools, from all parents and carers, and from all school staff. The survey currently covers only ACT public schools.