Educational visits are the most effective way to help pupils feel a sense of belonging at school, according to a major survey of more than 35,000 students.
The OxWell Student Survey, conducted by the University of Oxford, asked 35,244 nine to 18-year-old pupils across 95 schools and colleges in England about what made them feel most engaged with their school community.
In the survey, which is carried out every two years, 58% of participants said school trips, followed by lunchtime and after-school activities such as drama and sports clubs (39%), and then celebrations and special events, such as sports day and themed days (29%), made them feel most engaged.
“As well as strengthening community and belonging by offering experiences beyond the classroom, we may also want to think about why trips help students feel they belong, and how they can bring that feeling into everyday school life.”
Mina Fazel, University of Oxford
School trips were the most popular across all demographics, including children with higher absence rates, pupils with SEND, those with symptoms of depression and anxiety, and children who experienced higher levels of loneliness.
The findings are shared with schools to help with policy and practice, as well as local authorities to guide education and mental health provision.
Professor Mina Fazel, chair of child and adolescent psychiatry at Oxford’s department of psychiatry led the OxWell study. She said: “A sense of belonging is closely linked to students’ mental health and wellbeing, and when students feel part of their school community, they are also more likely to thrive.
“School trips emerged as the most frequently selected option by a clear margin, well above things like student councils, peer support programmes and assemblies. This was consistent across groups, including amongst those who reported that they did not feel a sense of belonging at school.
“These findings highlight the potential importance of shared experiences that take place outside the structured classroom environment, where students may interact with their peers and staff in different, often less formal, ways.”
What did the survey look for?
Prof Fazel added: “While such activities are not always easy to organise or resource, the consistency of this finding across groups suggests they may represent a valuable opportunity to support belonging, particularly for students who are otherwise at greater risk of isolation or disengagement.
“As well as strengthening community and belonging by offering experiences beyond the classroom, we may also want to think about why trips help students feel they belong, and how they can bring that feeling into everyday school life.”
The findings are shared with schools to help with policy and practice, as well as local authorities to guide education and mental health provision, and to shape national policy on education and wellbeing.
About the OxWell research
The survey is an online study that measures the wellbeing of school children in order to learn about the factors that might be influencing their health and happiness.
Young people are asked about factors including school experience, wellbeing, belonging & feeling safe, school activities, sleep, anxiety & low mood and access to mental health support.
The OxWell Student Survey will take place in 2027 and schools interested in participating are invited to complete an expression of interest form.
