ANTI-BULLYING
We are committed to providing a caring, friendly, respectful and safe learning environment for all of our pupils. We promote an inclusive ethos that focuses on respecting one another and celebrating difference and diversity.
Bullying is very rare in our school. But we are not complacent and never presume it doesn’t happen. Bullying can happen in and out of school so we all must be vigilant to support our children. Bullying can take place with children and with adults.
Bullying and prejudice-based language of any kind, involving pupils, adults towards pupils, staff or parents are unacceptable and will not be tolerated at our school. All adults need to be role models both in and out of school.
We understand the devastating and lasting effect being bullied can have on some children and we will deal with all incidents equally seriously, quickly and effectively, whether it has taken place in or outside of school.
Preventing and tackling bullying is part of our work to support pupils’ social and emotional development and to be recognised as a healthy school. Helpful documents and the school anti-bullying policy can be found in this section and on our website. The best advice we can ever give a parent is to come in and talk to us.
Bullying is always a rightful concern for parents. It is always a concern for our school and is something we work hard to support our parents and children with.
All behaviours are rigorously recorded and ‘bullying type’ behaviours are monitored for repetition and trends. All incidents are dealt with a restorative approach. Please read the below information alongside our Anti-Bullying Policy, which can found on our Policies Page.
What is Bullying?
“The intentional hurting of one person by another, where the relationship involves an imbalance of power. It is usually repetitive or persistent, although some one-off attacks can have a continuing harmful effect on the victim.”
If you ask a child or young person for examples of bullying they are likely to include things like name calling, taunting, threats, mocking, making offensive comments, kicking, hitting, pushing, taking and damaging belongings, gossiping, excluding people from groups, and spreading hurtful and untruthful rumours. These actions can take place face-to-face, via third parties, or via other means such as text messages and emails. Children, young people and adults can all bully, be bullied or switch roles. They may be bystanders while others are bullied.
Bullying can be: physical, emotional and may happen face to face or online (cyberbullying) It may be homophobic bullying, racist or prejudicial and bullying of children with disabilities or SEN. Whatever form it takes it is WRONG.
Advice for parents
If your child is being bullied:
- Take time to listen to your child and stay calm and acknowledge how they are feeling
- Calmly talk with your child.
- Explain to them that bullying is unacceptable and that no one should have to put up with it. Promise to do all you can to stop it.
- Write down what your child has said. If it involves cyberbullying, keep any evidence of emails and texts.
- Encourage your child to talk to their teacher or someone at the school.
- Never intervene with other children or children’s parents, but let the school know.
- Contact your child’s class or form teacher as soon as possible to let them know your concerns. The school will take any incident of bullying extremely seriously and will deal with it quickly to find out why it has happened and to prevent it happening again.
- Staff may not know about the bullying and will need to know what has happened and will discuss with parents and carers what action will be taken
- If you are not satisfied with the response you get and any action taken, you should contact the class teacher or Headteacher with your concerns.
- If you remain dissatisfied, you should follow the school’s complaints procedure, as detailed in the school prospectus.
- Call or go on the website of one of the organisations dedicated to supporting parents and carers. They will give you independent advice and support. For example, Parentline Plus on 0800 800 2222 or the Parents Anti-Bullying Helpline on 08451 205 204.
What to do if your child is bullying someone else
It can be a shock to parents and carers that their child could be bullying another child in the school. There are many reasons why some children and young people bully others. Sometimes it’s because they are copying someone at school or elsewhere, or being encouraged to bully or that they have been a victim of bullying themselves. It may be hard to spot although one sign could be that they come home with toys, food and other things that you have not bought for them.
Children who bully others may also suffer from long lasting consequences and may continue with bullying behaviour into their adult lives. It is important that children receive help and the issues are dealt with straight away. You should:
- Talk with your child and explain why bullying is wrong
- Make an appointment to speak to their class teacher to talk about how the bullying can be dealt with
- Call or go on the website of one of the organisations dedicated to supporting parents and carers. They will give you independent advice and support. For example, Parentline Plus on 0800 800 2222 or the Parents Anti-Bullying Helpline on 08451 205 204
Useful documents and support
Cyberbullying and Digital Safety
Grandparent Guide to Bullying and Digital Safety
How to Support Your Bullied Child
A guide for parents of children who have been sexually abused
Who should cyberbullying and other online harms be reported to?
It’s important that you talk to your child about next steps. Your goal is for the bullying behaviour to stop and for your child to be able to enjoy life again.
These are your options for reporting content:
Reporting to platforms
Most social media platforms have options for reporting harmful content. If you are struggling to see how to report content or have reported content and are not happy with the action taken, then you can visit Report Harmful Content for more support. You may also have other options through the platform such as muting or hiding content, or blocking the perpetrator.
Reporting to the school
The school has a responsibility to protect students from bullying, even if it happens offsite, online or over the phone. Follow our guidelines on reporting to the school, and be sure to take evidence of cyberbullying with you.
Reporting to the police
Cyberbullying is not a specific criminal offence in the UK. However, incidents which are considered as harassment, threats or menacing communication may be an offence.
For more information about whether the police can help, contact your local station.
Reporting sexual abuse or grooming
If you have concerns about inappropriate communications that your child has received you should report this on the Child Exploitation & Online Protection Centre website.
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