: The power of positive relationships: creating a sense of belonging in the early years. How fostering meaningful connections lays the foundation for lifelong learning.

When this quote was shared on my teacher training programme, it really spoke to me. I have vivid memories of my time in Nursery. I can still smell the vanilla cupcakes we baked in the kitchen, I can feel the soft rug we sat on at carpet time and I can recall the stories and songs we shared before home time. Nursery was a happy time for me. Why? It was a place I belonged and a community I connected with; a community of other 3 and 4‑year-olds, along with my teachers. My teachers made me feel safe and I liked them.

I love to welcome our new children as they start school in EYFS, inquisitive, keen to learn and so eager to please. It brings me so much joy to see the children in my care developing a love for learning and thriving as part of the school community. Providing positive experiences in those first years at school can enable children to feel a sense of belonging. This has a lasting impact on how children perceive school and shapes their attitudes towards it, influencing their future learning journey. A child’s attitude towards learning is like a flame. When it’s nurtured with care, curiosity, and encouragement, it burns brightly, lighting the way to discovery. But without the right conditions, it can dim or even go out. Just as a flame needs fuel to keep burning, children need to feel safe and secure, in a nurturing environment where they feel they belong.

But how do we create a sense of belonging?
We know that positive relationships are vital. Only when we get this right, and when children feel they belong, can we begin to think about teaching and learning.

What the Research Says:

• John Bowlby’s Attachment Theory has shown that positive relationships between children and their caregivers, enables children to feel safe and secure, which in turn encourages children to explore and engage with learning opportunities.
• Longitudinal studies from Hamre and Pianta (2001) demonstrate the long-term impact of positive relationships in the Early Years, resulting in higher academic and social outcomes.
• Research by the EEF also suggests that ​‘teacher-child relationships and interactions are an important tool to model pro-social behaviour (behaviour that aims to help others) to children’.

How can we promote positive relationships?
Sophie Scurfield, Assistant Head and EYFS Lead at Carr Lodge Academy, shares an insight into how positive relationships are nurtured in her setting.

Key takeaways from Sophie’s practitioner insight:

• Invest in transition, which can include home visits and regular contact before starting school
• Make connections and get to know the children through playful interactions
• Create an environment that is welcoming and nurturing with a ​‘family’ feel
• Inspire children’s love of learning through positive experiences
• Ensure all staff are onboard through a strong, shared vision

The EEF’s Early Years Evidence Store synthesises some of the evidence around Personal Social and Emotional Development. It also shares some exemplification videos to support practitioners with developing positive relationships.

As Early Years practitioners, we have a responsibility to nurture positive relationships, ensuring children feel safe and secure; only then can they begin to learn and develop. For children who may not always experience positive relationships at home, this is even more important.

Reflection
Of course, all schools claim to have highly positive relationships in their Early Years, but are they between all children and all adults, all the time and for every interaction?

I invite you to consider what ​‘belonging’ really means to the children in your setting. What do we need to do to get this right for our children so that all can feel safe, secure and ready to thrive?

Look out for the other ​‘belonging’ blogs this week from the Yorkshire and Humber Research Schools!

References
EEF. (2023). Early Years Evidence Store. [online] Available at: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/early-years/evidence-store.
Hamre, B.K. and Pianta, R.C. (2001). Early Teacher-Child Relationships and the Trajectory of Children’s School Outcomes Through Eighth Grade. Child Development, [online] 72(2), p634. Available at: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1132418.
McLeod, S. (2024). John Bowlby’s attachment theory. [online] Simply Psychology. Available at: https://www.simplypsychology.org/bowlby.html.