We recently celebrated Children’s Mental Health Week. This year’s theme, “This Is My Place,” focused on exploring our sense of belonging—as individuals, within our friendships, in school, and in our wider communities. Feeling that we truly belong and are part of our environment is a fundamental human need.

As a school, we created a Belonging Tree and entered a competition with other schools across Essex. Our aim was to design something that helps children and young people feel included, valued, and connected to their school community. The tree visually represents that although each of us is unique, we all contribute to the same shared space.