This paper presents findings from an international hermeneutical phenomenological investigation of six pre-service teachers’ sense of belonging during their professional experience school placements. Our findings from a review of the literature identified that this is a severely under researched yet, important area in the field of initial teacher education. The main concepts identified from the literature can be categorised under the quality of the relationship that a pre-service teacher has with their supervising teacher and belonging to a teacher community. The present study involved six pre-service primary school teachers at various stages in their degree programs; three in Australia and three in Scotland. We identified five broad interpretive themes from interviews conducted with the pre-service teachers that consisted of: 1. Settings and procedures; 2. Feelings/emotions; 3. Interpersonal interactions; 4. Strategic behaviours; and, 5. Being welcome. Within the broad concept of quality of interpersonal interactions with supervising teachers and students we identified a further six interpretive themes relating to the creation of high-quality relationships and hence, high quality learning as belonging for pre-service teachers on their professional experience placements. Having a sense of belonging and connection to a teacher community (and the school community) was found to be inextricably intertwined with the features of quality relationships between the pre-service teacher and their supervising teacher. We found that when pre-service teachers connected positively with colleagues in schools and gained a sense of belonging, they felt highly motivated, emotionally stable, heard and safe. Conversely, when pre-service teachers did not feel that they belonged, their workplace professional learning was adversely affected. The importance of both pre-service teacher and supervising teacher preparedness for the professional experience are highlighted as are the challenges for initial teacher education programs and schools in addressing the need to foster the sense of belongingness that pre-service teachers have while on their placements.