Sense of belonging – a subjective feeling of connection with social groups, physical places and individual and collective experiences (Allen et al., 2021), is a key dimension of the school experience, which is associated with students’ well-being and engagement (Craggs & Kelly, 2018). In school, students experience belonging when they feel accepted, respected, included and supported by others (Goodenow & Grady, 1993). Belonging in school is affected by teacher support and peers’ relationships and acceptance (Allen et al., 2018). In addition, it emerges from the emotional bonds that students establish with the school-place (Nind et al., 2025). Despite its importance, few studies have explored how students’ experiences of space is related to their sense of belonging in school (Nind et al., 2025). Therefore, based on the triadic model of space (Lefebvre, 1991): conceived spaces (representations of spaces), perceived (social practice) and lived (spaces of representation), the aim of this study was to understand how the experience of physical and social spaces relates to students’ sense of belonging in school. The study used an ethnographic methodology (Hammersley, 2006), which involved prolonged permanence in a class composed of students from different sociocultural backgrounds, presenting with emotional, social and learning difficulties. Data were collected through classroom debate on topics such as inclusion, participation and belonging, and participant observation of students’ spatial and social interactions. In addition, students used an individual field diary for collecting their perception of the space. They were asked to use drawings and words to register their impressions about physical aspects of the classroom and the school, and how they interact with their peers, to identify zones of comfort and discomfort, where they feel they belong and how they participate in school. Emphasis was placed on a collaborative approach, where all students participated, talked and discussed, with the intention of contributing to the rethink and to the practice of true inclusion (Messiou, 2016). In this presentation, we will present the results regarding how students experience the school and classroom spaces and how it relates to students’ sense of belonging. The results will be explored in light of the school's organization for student diversity, identifying conditions that foster students’ connection to school and classroom spaces, the construction of place, with effects on belonging, well-being, academic learning, and inclusion.

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