As part of PESA's 2025 "Starting Well" series of professional learning, educator Leanne Jones shared a poignant reminder in her session titled Connected School Communities:

“Some students go an entire day at school without hearing their name.”

This insight offers a quiet but powerful prompt to reflect on how everyday interactions can shape a student’s sense of belonging.

According to Mission Australia’s 2024 survey, 20% of students report feeling lonely at school, and 30% feel like they don’t belong. These numbers reinforce what many educators witness daily - the need for more intentional relational practices in schools.

A 2023 study by Allen, K. et al. further underscores this. In a series of responses from 184 secondary students, one message stood out loud and clear: teachers matter most in shaping students’ experience of school belonging. 👉 Read the student insights here. One of these responses includes to "learn every student's name" - a way to show students are valued as individuals.

As Term 2 begins, you may want to take a moment to reflect:

 

✨ Are there students you haven’t yet had the chance to connect with?

✨ Are there gentle ways you could learn and use their names more intentionally?

Simple Strategies That Make a Big Difference

Feedback from educators who attended Leanne's professional learning session acknowledged the challenge of remembering the names of hundreds of students in secondary school settings. Many of the following strategies may be helpful:
📝 Seating charts with photos
🔖 Name tents or tags, especially in the early weeks
👋 Greeting students at the door
🎯 Using names during check-ins or when acknowledging effort
🗣️ Encouraging peer introductions to reinforce names

For further evidence-informed ideas to support a sense of belonging and connection in both primary and secondary contexts, the following AERO Practice Guides are worth exploring:

📘Primary School Guide
📘Secondary School Guide

💬 What other ways have you found to learn names or build connection with students, especially as the term gets busier? Share what's working in your classroom or school on our socials!