Our School S Definition of Bullying Is;

Northlands Primary School and Nursery

Our school’s definition of bullying is;

Bullying is not just physical violence but includes many different sorts of behaviour including intimidation, teasing, name-calling, cyber bullying and isolation in any form either face to face or through any other medium. Bullying is different from random acts of aggression, but it is targeted on other persons. The harmed person suffers over a period of time.

Bullying is not tolerated in any form at Northlands Primary School and Nursery, that is why Northlands Primary School and Nursery is a “Telling School”; a school where the children are encouraged to tell an adult about any incident, confident that they will be listened to and that we will act upon what we are told. We encourage children to take personal responsibility and to tell the person who is bullying them to stop.

All children are encouraged to talk to an adult about any problems they may be experiencing either on the playground or in school.

If a child is experiencing any of these they should tell an adult at home or at school who will help them.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Review

The Senior Management team and the Governing Body will be responsible for the monitoring and review of the anti-bullying policy, ensuring that policies and procedures are promoting positive and safe environments that nurture emotional health, good behaviour and well-being. They will also ensure that incidences of bullying are logged, monitored in such a way that incidents are perceived by the children and parents to be resolved positively for all the school and community.

Children

Information has been made available to remind them what to do if they are bullied and this offers clear advice.

Each year the school explores friendships and bullying in friendship day (planned for the National Anti-bullying Week).

Children will be given opportunities in lessons to practise the procedure outlined in the advice.

Children have a responsibility to try to resolve the problems for themselves so that they gain control in the relationship. This will be done with the guidance and support of an adult through Smart Thinking lessons and within PSHE lessons. Where persistent bullying occurs perpetrators, victims and other children will be involved in support groups (appendix 1)

Children should feel safe and secure at all times.

Anti-bullying ambassadors in years 3-6 are trained to be able to support pupils who feel they are being bullied. This is led by the Inclusion Support Team.

Staff

Should a child report an incidence of bullying to any member of staff, that member of staff should:

Reassure the child that there is nothing wrong with them.
Believe what the child says and act upon it.
Record the incident/s
Report to the Class Teacher or Senior Manager for possible incorporation into a support group (see appendix 1)
Be vigilant in the playground keeping an eye on particular children.
Encourage the children to meet and discuss the problems they are experiencing in private.

Parents

Parents are offered advice as to the appropriate action they should take if they believe their child is being bullied, or, if their child says they are being bullied. We have annual meetings in friendship week to explain antibullying, behaviour, PHSE and SRE policies.

Playground Friends

The school has introduced the notion of ‘Playground Friends’, who are specially selectedchildren from Year 5 and 6 (By application form and then interview). These are identifiedby the wearing of special fluorescent vests. They are available on the playground to assist,help and aid any child who either has a problem on the playground, feels that they arelonely and have no friends or want someone to talk to. They are the intermediary beforethe Lunchtime Supervisors are involved. They do not necessary go around looking forincidents or issues, they are just available if they are required. The children that are selected have undergo special training as to establish what they should do if they arefaced with various issues on the playground. This is a six week course. (See appendix 2)

APPENDIX 1

The Support Group Approach

Step one – meet with the targeted pupil

After a bullying incident has been referred for Support Group intervention the facilitator will talk to the targeted pupil about his/her feelings. No questions are asked about the incidents but information is needed about who was involved. The pupil may be asked to draw a picture or write how they are feeling. The facilitator then asks if it is okay to share this with the group.

Step two – convene a meeting with the people involved

The facilitator arranges to meet with the group of pupils who have been involved. This will include some bystanders or colluders and either friends of the target or good role models. A group of six to eight young people is recommended.

Step three – explain the problem

The group are told that they have been chosen for an important job and ask if they are willing to help.

The facilitator tells the group about the way the target is feeling and might use a poem, piece of writing or a drawing to emphasise his/her distress.

Step four – share responsibility

The facilitator does not attribute blame but does emphasise the joint responsibility of all to help the target feel happy and safe.

Step five – ask the group for their ideas

Each member of the group is encouraged to suggest a way in which the target could be helped to feel happier. The facilitator gives out some positive responses but she does not go on to extract a promise of improved behaviour.

Step six – leave it up to them

The facilitator ends the meeting by passing over the responsibility to the group to solve the problem. They arrange to ‘catch up’ with each of the group the following week to see how things are going.

Step seven – meet them later

About a week later the facilitator discusses with each pupil, including the target, how things have been going. This allows the facilitator to monitor the bullying and keeps the young people involved in the process.

APPENDIX 2

Playground Friends Application Form

Name: ……………………………… Class: ………………......

Reasons for wanting to be a Playground Friend:

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

What I could do to help the playground be a friendlier place:

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Signed: …………………………………………………………………

Interview Questions for Playground Friends

1. What would you do if you saw someone crying on the playground?

2. How could you be a friend to someone on the playground?

3. What would you do if two people come over to you with different stories about an incident?

4. What kind of incidents do you think should be reported to an adult?

5. If there was an incident involving two children, one of which was your friend, how would you deal with it?

Signed______Chair of Governors

Dated______

To be reviewed no later than October 2016