Cleddau Reach VC Primary School Anti-Bullying Policy

Cleddau Reach VC Primary School believes that bullying is unacceptable and should not be tolerated. All members of the school community share a collective responsibility for tackling bullying should it occur and in working together to promote positive behaviour.

All children, whatever their race, sex, beliefs and abilities have the right to be safe and to be free from oppression, humiliation and abuse (The Children’s Act 2004).

Aims of the policy: Our Policy is a working framework to support our whole school ethos which is to ensure that children feel safe, secure confident and happy. It is designed to prevent bullying behaviour wherever possible, to respond consistently in line with agreed procedures should it occur and to provide support to those involved as appropriate. Our children’s health and well-being is of paramount importance.

Prevention includes sending out a clear message that negative behaviour is anti-social, unacceptable and will not be tolerated here.

What is Bullying behaviour? Bullying is deliberately hurtful and designed to cause distress. It is usually repeated over a period of time and is difficult for the person being bullied to defend themselves against. It involves an imbalance and abuse of power and is not age dependent. It may have a racist or discriminatory motivation and can focus on ethnicity, culture, class, religion, learning difficulties, sexuality, long term health conditions and disability. It may be based on small differences between children which are not always clear to us and may shift and develop as relationships change. Bullying behaviour may be shown by individuals or groups. It may not always be clear who is manipulating the behaviour we see. Some children can be ‘provocative victims’ eg by behaving in a tiresome way which eventually triggers a response which may then be seen to be bullying.

Bullying is not falling out with friends, choosing not to play with someone, disliking someone, one off aggressive behaviour such as a fight between children who disagree, accidental physical contact, or the normal rough and tumble of playground life.

Bullying can take many forms, but the main types are:

·  Physical – eg. hitting; kicking; punching; spitting; biting; sexual harassment; having belongings damaged, stolen or removed.

·  Verbal – eg. Name calling; teasing; insulting; sarcasm; threats; offensive remarks; sexual/racial comments.

·  Emotional / Psychological – eg. excluding, humiliating, dirty looks; making distressing comments about family members, spreading stories/malicious rumours;

·  Cyber / Hi-Tech eg. malicious e-mails or comments in internet chatrooms or text messages on mobile phones; distressing comments about family members; posting stories, pictures etc. on the internet; silent phone calls; using someone else’s name to spread unpleasant gossip and rumours; happy slapping.

Bullying affects everyone, not simply the victims and the instigators. It has an influence on other children who may witness violence, aggression and the distress of the victim.

Our whole school approach to preventing bullying includes:

·  Developing a positive ethos which includes knowing bullying is unacceptable here;

·  Expecting positive behaviour which helps and supports learning and development;

·  Promoting co-operation and expecting socially responsible behaviour;

·  Encouraging those who witness bullying to act positively by alerting staff and exerting collective peer pressure to deter the bullies;

·  Valuing and celebrating everyone’s differences, skills and talents;

·  Supporting the development of emotional literacy, self esteem and resilience through assemblies, Circle Time, PSE, the Healthy Schools programme, skills development, teaching pupils personal coping strategies, School Council involvement, Buddy schemes and Peer Mentoring;

·  Showing respect for others;

·  Making the information in this policy available to all stakeholders;

·  Involving all members of the school community in designing /implementing policy.

Why should we be concerned?

Someone who is experiencing bullying will be upset and distressed and find it hard to concentrate on work or learning. There may be signs such as poor attendance, truancy, being late, being off school sick, becoming withdrawn and anxious, losing possessions and money, having mood swings, and showing untypical behaviour.

Encouraging reporting of incidents if bullying occurs:

·  Pupils in this school can be assured that their concerns will be responded to with sensitivity. All reports will be taken seriously and investigated;

·  Confidentiality for anyone who shares information will be respected;

·  Opportunities for children to communicate concerns include a problem box, access to any member of staff, representation on the School Council and buddies/mentors who will pass on concerns.

If bullying occurs we will implement the following procedures, as appropriate:

·  We will take all incidents seriously and record their occurrence;

·  Investigate the incident / establish facts by independently talking to all involved;

·  Use appropriate intervention techniques to manage difficulties between bullies & victims; encourage reconciliation where this is possible / feasible;

·  Where bullying behaviour has been established, implement agreed sanctions consistently and fairly as necessary to prevent further incidents;

·  Involve parents as early as possible where incidents merit it;

·  Apply guidelines from the all Wales Police “School Crime Beat” partnership working document to determine whether official police involvement is needed; as indicated in these guidelines, deal with incidents internally wherever possible;

·  Keep accurate, factual records of all reported incidents and the school’s response to them;

·  Always follow-up incidents after they have been dealt with and review outcomes to ensure bullying behaviour has ceased;

·  Provide on-going support for those involved where necessary.

Depending on the type of incident, if sanctions are used, these may include :

·  Withdrawing privileges/free time; preventing access to parts of school; detention; lunchtime exclusion; short term exclusion; involving parents as / when necessary; involving appropriate outside agencies; including details on the bully’s school record; exclusion.

Strategies and preventative measures to reduce the likelihood of bullying in this school:

·  A whole-school approach involving everyone (staff, students, parents & governors) in developing and implementing this policy;

·  Awareness raising of the issues, procedures, sanctions and method of monitoring bullying, eg.assemblies, pastoral work, PSE, parents meetings, newsletter, website;

·  An ethos of personal responsibility where students are encouraged to tell if they experience bullying themselves or see others being bullied – knowing that not taking action condones the behaviour;

·  Having a system in place for students to inform staff in confidence when bullying occurs; ensuring staff are appropriately trained and supported to respond to this.

·  Developing our understanding of collective responsibility through Support Groups, Circle Time, School Council, Peer Mentoring/ Support, appropriate curricular work (eg PSE and our Healthy Schools initiative; sessions with Police Liaison Officers);

·  Having a clear, explicit link with the school’s Behaviour and Child Protection & Safeguarding Policies;

·  Including bullying in our home-school agreement.

·  Providing clear information and guidance on dealing with bullying and the help which is available for students, parents and staff.

Reviewing the policy

The final details of this policy have been drawn up in consultation with pupils, parents, staff and members of the school community.

It will be discussed, reviewed and revised regularly.

Additional information

·  Advice to pupils – what to do if you are being bullied.

·  Advice to pupils – what to do if you see / know someone is being bullied.

·  Advice for parents.

·  Information for pupils and parents on strategies, procedures and sanctions.

·  User-friendly guide for children developed through consultation with them.

·  Guidance for staff and others working in the school environment.

·  Guidelines for Governors

·  Examples of different types of bullying behaviour.

·  WAG Anti-Bullying Toolkit / Checklist which informs this policy.

Reference documents and useful links:

·  “Respecting Others : Anti-Bullying Guidance” Sept 03 National Assembly for Wales Circular No: 23/2003

·  “Evaluation of Anti-Bullying Policies in Schools in Wales” Cardiff University Report 2006

·  “School Anti-Bullying Policy Self-Assessment Tool” Welsh Assembly Government Nov 08

·  Be-SMART Resource file / Pembrokeshire County Council Internet Safety Group

·  All Wales Police “School Crime Beat” guidelines for schools

·  www.schoolbeat.org for links to Police School Liaison Programme outline and documents.

Promoting Positive Behaviour at Cleddau Reach VC Primary

All staff and children have a right to feel safe and secure and the right to teach and learn in a supportive environment.

Therefore, we have Golden Rules which are in use across Cleddau Reach. They are as follows:

v  Do be gentle - Do not hurt anybody

v  Do be kind - Do not hurt people’s feelings

v  Do work hard - Do not waste your or other people’s time

v  Do look after property - Do not waste or damage things

v  Do listen to people - Do not interrupt

v  Do be honest - Do not cover up the truth

To promote these rules we have the following initiatives and strategies to encourage and promote positive behaviour and raise self-esteem.

Playtime Activities

v  Playground bus stop – a child standing here indicates they have no one to play with. Other children are encouraged to ask them to join their games/activities.

v  Playground equipment is available to stimulate positive behaviour.

v  Infringement of playground rules will result in loss of privileges e.g. Golden Time.

v  Through assemblies, children are taught to use their WITS if anyone is bothering them i.e.

W - Walk away

I - Ignore them

T - Tell them to stop

S - See an adult if they persist

Circle Time

v  Children are taught to listen to one another and respect each other’s point of view.

PSE Curriculum

v  All curriculum areas are used to promote empathy, understanding the feelings of others and respect for others.

v  Children are encouraged to tell the truth about what has happened and teachers are willing to listen sensitively

Social Skills Group

v  Social skills and anger management sessions help with individuals or groups of pupils.

v  Support for staff, pupils and parents from Educational Psychologist (EP), Assistant to EP Dept and Outside Agencies.

School Rules

v  Rules for different areas of the school (e.g. toilets) and different times of the day (e.g dinner time) have been compiled by the School Council after consultation periods with their peers in the classroom.

The vast majority of pupils within the school are well behaved and a credit to themselves, their parents and the school.

Pupils must realise that all actions have consequences and that all unacceptable behaviour will lead to sanctions.

Behaviour / Consequences
Step 1 / Not following instructions, not completing work, annoying others, calling out, name calling and preventing others from working. / Verbal warning
Loss of Golden Time
Sent to another class
Step 2 / Answering back, using bad language, unkindness to others, hitting another child, continued inappropriate behaviour. / Standing apart at playtime
Loss of playtime/lunchtime
Class teacher informs parents
Step 3 / Repeated behaviour from Steps 1 and 2, offensive language, threatening behaviour, persistent defiance, / Verbal warning from senior staff
Loss of play/lunchtimes for period of time
Loss of privileges – trips, special activities
Parents informed
Step 4 / Loss of self-control, temper tantrums
Stealing
Repeatedly leaving the classroom
Leaving the school premises
Unable/unwilling to calm down
Repeated problems at lunchtime/ and or persistent refusal to respect lunchtime supervisors / Phone call or letter to parents from Headteacher
External agencies involved
IEP for behaviour
Parents to meet Headteacher
Lunchtime exclusion
Step 5 / Repeated behaviour from Steps 1 – 4
Swearing directly at staff
Deliberate physical assault of staff
Serious and persistent bullying
Behaviour seriously endangering the safety of others / Exclusion
Parents, Governors and local authority informed

Bullying

Respecting others - information for pupils

If you are being bullied:

• try to stay calm and look as confident as you can

• be firm and clear - look them in the eye and tell them to stop

• get away from the situation as quickly as possible

• tell an adult what has happened straight away.

After you have been bullied:

• tell a teacher or another adult in your school

• tell your family

• if you are scared to tell an adult by yourself, ask a friend to come with you

• keep speaking up until someone listens and does something to stop the bullying

• if your school has a peer support service, use it

• don't blame yourself for what has happened.

When you are talking to an adult about bullying, be clear about:

• what has happened to you

• how often it has happened

• who was involved

• who saw what was happening

• where it happened

• what you have done about it already.

Bullying

Respecting others - information for parents and families

Every school is likely to have some problem with bullying at one time or another.

Your child's school must by law have an anti-bullying policy, and use it to reduce and prevent bullying, as many schools have already successfully done.

Bullying behaviour includes:

• name calling and nasty teasing

• threats and extortion

• physical violence

• damage to belongings

• leaving pupils out of social activities deliberately and frequently

• spreading malicious rumours.

Parents and families have an important part to play in helping schools deal with bullying.

• First, discourage your child from using bullying behaviour at home or elsewhere. Show how to resolve difficult situations without using violence or aggression.

• Second, ask to see the school's anti-bullying policy. The school has an anti-bullying policy, which sets out how it deals with incidents of bullying. You have a right to know about this policy which is as much for parents as for staff and pupils.

• Third, watch out for signs that your child is being bullied, or is bullying others.

Parents and families are often the first to detect symptoms of bullying, though sometimes school nurses or doctors may first suspect that a child has been bullied. Common symptoms include headaches, stomach aches, anxiety and irritability. It can be helpful to ask questions about progress and friends at school; how break times and lunchtimes are spent; and whether your child is facing problems or difficulties at school. Don't dismiss negative signs. Contact the school immediately if you are worried.