Love and Belonging: The heart of every young person's journey

Reflections from Best Futures Directors, Dawn and Rose Best, at the North East Lincolnshire Council’s Virtual School Conference 

In education, we spend a great deal of time focusing on outcomes—attendance, progress, attainment, safeguarding, transitions. These are essential. But at the core of every success story lies something far more human, far more foundational: the experience of love and belonging. 

As leaders, we are invited to pause and reflect on what it truly means for a young person—especially one with a complex or fragmented educational journey—to feel that they belong. 

Why Love and Belonging Matter More Than Ever 

The young people supported through Virtual Schools often navigate systems and environments where relationships may have been disrupted, trust may have been shaken, and the sense of “being held” by a community may feel distant. For them, belonging isn’t just a comforting addition to learning, it is the bridge that makes learning possible. 

Belonging gives a child: 

• Safety: to take risks, make mistakes, and grow 

• Identity: to see themselves as valued, capable, and important 

• Connection: to know that someone is in their corner 

• Hope: to imagine a future that is worth striving for 

And love, expressed not as sentimentality but through consistent, trauma‑informed, relationship‑based practice, creates the environment where belonging can flourish. 

 Our Role as Best Futures Directors 

We are leaders with a unique vantage point. We see across settings, systems, services, and stories. That brings both responsibility and opportunity. At the heart of our work lies a simple, powerful question: 

How can we ensure that every child we support feels loved and has a place where they truly belong? 

This means: 

• Championing emotionally‑informed practice in our setting 

• Ensuring adults understand attachment, trauma, and resilience 

• Modelling calm, attuned, relational leadership 

• Advocating for the child’s voice 

• Creating structures that don’t just include young people, but embrace them  

Our mission is not only to build futures, it is to build futures rooted in connection 

Belonging Is Built in Moments, Not Milestones 

The moments that change a child’s life are often small: 

• A teacher who welcomes them by name. 

• A caseworker who notices when they are struggling. 

• A mentor who remembers their interests. 

• A Director who ensures their story is heard and their needs are met. 

When these moments accumulate, they become identity-shaping. They say: You matter here. There is space for you. You belong. 

That is the essence of our work.  

Sharing discussions with likeminded professionals from a variety of settings, schools and services was lovely, however the show stopper was listening to two time Olympic Champion, Fatima Whitbread, MBE. “The abandoned baby who became javelin world champion” She is much more than that, a true survivor and champion for children in care, an inspiration to us all.  

Campaigning for children’s rights, protection and support, there is more information available on Fatima’s Campaign here: Fatima's UK Campaign