Dr Rob Loe, former teacher, senior leader and leading academic in the measurement and management of human relationships as CEO of the Relationships Foundation, spoke lucidly about why relationships matter and why we don’t understand them as well as we should. In an age obsessed with social networks, he called for schools and families to invest in ‘relational networks’. ‘Relationships are not about how well you like people, but how well you know them,’ and the foundation for flourishing individuals, communities and nations.
How can we build deeper relational networks in schools? Drawing on ground-breaking research with tens of thousands of school students, teachers and parents around the world, he showed the protective impact of good relationships, and how great schools invest seriously in creating belonging. Four key strategies for improving relationships in schools included:
- Developing students’ awareness of unity over diversity
- Exploit synchrony, those routines and habits that enculturate, such as uniforms, chapel and assembly
- Create healthy competition among teams and not individuals
- Instil in students an awe for something larger than themselves
See below for a full recording of Dr Loe's talk.