By purchasing the United Against Bullying programme, schools agree to the following terms of reference:
The Belonging Matters Programme
Belonging Matters is a whole-school programme from the National Children’s Bureau designed to help schools create environments where every pupil feels valued, connected and able to thrive.
The programme builds on the success of the Belonging Matters pilot programme which in just one academic year transformed how children, families, and staff experience school life; and supports schools to build positive relationships, strengthen school culture and improve pupil engagement. The programme provides practical tools, training and expert guidance to help education practitioners (i.e. headteachers, pastoral, safeguarding or behaviour leads), strengthen belonging across the whole-school community.
It is delivered by the Anti-Bullying Alliance (ABA) team who are part of the National Children’s Bureau (NCB) - which is a registered charity, No. 258825, registered in England and Wales No. 952717, whose registered office is 23 Mentmore Terrace, Hackney, London E8 3PN, a Company Limited by Guarantee.
By purchasing the Belonging Matters programme, schools agree to the following terms of reference:
All programme materials, resources, and content remain the intellectual property of NCB. Purchase of access does not transfer ownership of any intellectual property rights, please do not share materials with colleagues outside of your schools.
The programme is designed as an educational and preventative resource. While it provides strategies and guidance to increase the sense of belonging, NCB makes no guarantee of specific outcomes.
NCB shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, or consequential losses arising from the use of the programme, except where such liability cannot be excluded by law.
Access and Use of Programme Content
The programme and its content are licensed to the purchasing school for use by its staff and pupils only, and solely for the duration of the subscription or access period purchased.
Materials and resources may not be shared, copied, or distributed outside the purchasing institution without prior written permission. Digital access to all BM programme resources must be kept secure and not shared with third parties.
NCB reserves the right to suspend or terminate access to the programme without refund if terms are breached, including but not limited to unauthorised sharing of materials.
Some programme materials have included links to external research, tools and information on the website, and whilst every care has been taken to suggest good practice resources, it does not necessarily imply endorsement by the NCB, and we cannot take responsibility for the quality or accuracy of external resources.
Payment Terms
Access to the Belonging Matters programme is conditional upon full payment of the applicable fees in advance, unless otherwise agreed in writing.
Fees for access to the programme are non-refundable. If access is terminated by the school before the end of the agreed term, no partial refunds will be provided. In exceptional circumstances, refund requests may be considered on a case-by-case basis at the sole discretion of the Anti-Bullying Alliance.
Programme Timeline and Deadlines
Purchasing schools have access to the Belonging Matters programme over one year + one term: covering the Autumn/Spring/Summer Terms in Year 1, plus Autumn Term in Year 2. Programme access past this point will come at a further cost (TBD). For 2026/27, the programme timeline is as follows:
- Step 1: Plan (Sep–Nov 2026, Deadline 20 Nov 2026): Complete audit and questionnaires
- Step 2: Do (Jan–July 2027, Deadline 17 July 2027): Implement your action plan with ABA support
- Step 3: Review (Sept–Nov 2027, Deadline 19 Nov 2027): Repeat audit and questionnaires, submit evidence and receive your certificate and final school report.
*The Belonging Matters Certificate and final school report will be sent in January 2028.
Deadlines have been set with sufficient time to complete each step of the programme and are intended to ensure schools can complete the programme. Deadline extensions are not permitted except in extenuating circumstances. Extenuating circumstances will be of a medical or personal nature affecting schools' ability to complete the programme. To request an extension based on extenuating circumstances, you should email [email protected] as soon as possible and in advance of the deadline. Extensions are granted on a case-by-case basis and are at the discretion of NCB.
The Belonging Matters Programme Logos
When a school enrols onto the programme, they will be supplied with a selection of ‘We are a Belonging Matters School’ logos and social media assets to indicate that they are taking part.
The conditions for these assets are as follows:
- Logos can be used on websites, headed papers and other relevant materials (school displays, charters, posters, etc).
- Logos can only be used and reproduced in the format provided – neither the colour nor shape can be altered.
- Logos can only be used to demonstrate the school’s participation in the Belonging Matters programme rather than an endorsement of any other specific materials or activity.
- The use of the logos cannot be transferred to a third party.
- Logos refers to work completed during the academic year the school took part in the programme. The year the school took part is printed on the certificate, though schools are welcome to continue using it beyond the year in which they were took part providing their use is in accordance with these terms.
The Belonging Matters Certificate of Completion
A ‘Belonging Matters’ school is a school that has been recognised for its work towards fostering belonging and improving the wellbeing and engagement of its pupils and overall school community over the course of the programme. The programme requires schools to provide evidence of the measures they have put in place to increase the sense of belonging and their commitment to doing so. Schools are awarded a Certificate of Completion upon completing the programme.
NCB can in no way take responsibility for practice within schools that have received certificate, this will always remain the responsibility of the staff within the school community. Taking part in the Belonging Matters programme does not mean that NCB endorses the school or the work of the school. NCB does not endorse the work of schools unless explicitly agreed in writing.
Guidelines for using the Belonging Matters Certificate of Completion:
- The Belonging Matters Certificate of Completion is only available for use in schools that have completed the full Belonging Matter programme.
- The use of the certificate cannot be transferred to a third party.
- The certificate refers to work completed during the academic year the school took part in the programme. The year the certificate was achieved is printed on the certificate, though schools are welcome to continue using it beyond the year in which they were achieved providing their use is in accordance with these terms.
We reserve the right to withdraw a school's certificate where these Terms of Reference are breached. In these instances, schools will be notified in writing.
Information you provide to us
Schools participate in the programme on the legal basis of legitimate interest. By using or accessing our website www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk and other sites used during the programme (e.g. Google Forms) you agree to be legally bound by these terms, and the other documents referred to in these terms (i.e. our Privacy Policy, Complaints Procedure, Terms and Conditions and Cookie Policy). If you do not wish to be bound by these terms and conditions, please do not use our websites. You are also responsible for ensuring that all persons who access the websites in your school/setting are aware of these terms of use and other applicable terms and conditions and that they comply with them.
You agree that any information you provide to us is true. Any information you provide to us through the website will be treated in accordance with our Privacy Policy which includes how we handle, store, retain and use your data.
ABA/NCB is the organisation with responsibility for this data (the data controller) and all data will be processed in accordance with the UK GDPR (Data Protection Act 2018 - “DPA” and EU Directive 2016/680 and Regulation EU/2016/679 – ‘The General Data Protection Regulation “EU GDPR”): and for that purpose NCB is the data controller, registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) registration number: Z7988835.
For any data protection queries, please email: [email protected]
Force Majeure
We are not responsible for any failure to deliver the programme, or any delay in delivery, if this is caused by events outside of our reasonable control. These may include (but are not limited to) natural disasters, fires, floods, strikes, pandemics, government restrictions, power or internet outages, or other unexpected events. If such an event happens, we will let you know as soon as possible and will work with you to find a reasonable solution, such as rescheduling or providing alternative access where possible.
Complaints/appeals process
If you wish to make a complaint for any reason, including appealing an award decision, please refer to ABA's complaints procedure.
NCB reserve the right to make changes and updates at any time to the websites, terms of reference, and the information contained herein, without prior notice. Your continued use of these websites after amendments are made means you accept the terms as updated. Therefore, please regularly review these terms.