SCALLOWAY PRIMARY

SCHOOL

ANTI-BULLYING POLICY February 2014

Information for all school staff, parents, carers and pupils on the Scalloway School’s

Anti-Bullying Policy

Extract from “ A National Approach to Anti-Bullying for Scotland’s Children and Young People”.

Organisations will have different ways of putting the principles of anti-bullying into practice to reflect local environments and culture.

However, all organisations that work with children and young people should develop and implement an anti-bullying policy. The policy should be reviewed on a regular basis; provide a framework for all the strategies, procedures and practices related to anti-bullying work through partnerships, consultation; and include an equality and diversity impact assessment. The most robust and successful policies are developed in consultation with all stakeholders. Policies should include:

  • a statement which lays out the organisational stance on bullying behaviour
  • a definition of bullying, developed through consultation creating a shared understanding between all parties involved
  • expectations or codes of behaviour and responsibilities for staff and children and young people
  • preventative and reactive strategies showing what an organisation commits itself to, what strategies it will employ when faced with bullying incidents or allegations and to prevent bullying from happening
  • clarity on how and how often the organisation will communicate its anti-bullying policy and to whom; and how parents and carers will be informed of incidents
  • the recording and monitoring strategies that will be used for management purposes
  • how and how often the policy will be evaluated to understand how successful and effective the policy is

Anti-bullying policies may be located within wider organisational policies such as child protection, health and safety or relationship and behaviour policies.

How Good Is Our School? – The 3-18 Curriculum

This policy has been created using the framework detailed in the Scottish Government document published in 2010, “A National Approach to Anti-Bullying for Scotland’s Children and Young People”.

We have also considered the self evaluation framework contained in the HMIe document, “How Good Is Our School – The Journey to Excellence Part 3”. In particular, the policy has been developed with reference to the following HGIOS self evaluation headings: 5.3, 5.7, 5.8, 6.1, 6.2, 9.1

5.3Meeting the Learning Needs

5.7Partnerships with Learners and Parents

5.8Care, Welfare and Development

6.1Policy Review and Development

6.2Participation in Policy and Planning

9.1Vision, Values and Aims

  1. RATIONALE

Policy statement

It is important to ensure that the ethos of anti-bullying is embedded in day to day practices and the message that bullying is never acceptable is always prevalent and continuously reinforced.” - Scottish Government

It is a basic entitlement of all children and young people that they receive their education free from humiliation, oppression and abuse. It is the responsibility of all adults to ensure that it takes place in an atmosphere, which is caring and protective.

The school has a responsibility to create a secure and safe environment for pupils who are in their care so that parents may send their children to school in the confident knowledge that they will be protected from bullies. The purpose of this document is to promote consistency of approach and to create a climate in which all types of bullying are regarded as unacceptable.

The school endorses the strategy document Standing up to Bullying in Shetland produced by the Education Service in 2004 and follows the guidance given in this document. This document is available upon request at the school office.

2. DEFINITION

Definition should be developed through consultation with stakeholders and a shared understanding. This will allow us to discuss what bullying looks like and feels like, what forms it can take, including issues of difference and prejudice, and setting thresholds and expectations. Definitions should not however restrict what action is taken in order to respond effectively, and on the individual needs of each case or situation. The impact an incident has had on a child is more important than whether it is classified as bullying.” - Scottish Government

Consultation with stakeholders will take place periodically with the following:

Pupils; Pupil Council; Parents; Parent Council and all Staff.

It will be carried out through:

Parents’ Evening notice board; Parents’ Evening Meetings; Questionnaires to pupils, staff and parents; lessons for pupils; posters and information leaflets produced by children in school; circle time; and Assembly.

Bullying may be defined as the wilful, conscious desire to repeatedly hurt, threaten or frighten an individual. Bullying may be physical, verbal or psychological, either singly or in any combination – e.g.

PHYSICAL assault/property damage/etc

VERBAL name calling/note passing/etc

PSYCHOLOGICALostracising/threatening/etc

What do we mean by bullying behaviour?

Research and practice experience over time have led to an emerging understanding of bullying as a complex behaviour. Bullying can be understood as behaviour which leaves people feeling helpless, frightened, anxious, depressed or humiliated. Bullying behaviours may include:

  • name calling, teasing, putting down or threatening
  • ignoring, leaving out or spreading rumours
  • hitting, tripping, kicking
  • stealing and damaging belongings
  • sending abusive text, email or instant messages
  • making people feel like they are being bullied or fearful of being bullied
  • targeting someone because of who they are or are perceived to be

These behaviours can take place in schools, children's services, residential services, at home and in the community, at youth groups and out of school care and can come from children, young people and adults. Bullying also occurs in the virtual world also known as cyberspace which children and young people access through the internet, via social networking (for example Facebook or Myspace), computers and mobile phones. As communication can happen anywhere and at any time, often unsupervised, cyber bullying can be very pervasive and difficult to handle. However, in essence, the behaviour is the same and requires similar prevention methods. 1

Bullying behaviour may be related to any perceived or actual differences or prejudice-based behaviours including racism, sexism, disability or homophobia; and may compound other difficulties in a child's life. With this in mind vulnerable children and young people may be particularly at risk of experiencing bullying.

While previous research focused on the individual characteristics of 'bullies' and 'victims' there is now a much deeper understanding of the complexity of issues surrounding bullying behaviour and the dynamic nature of this social problem. We have therefore aimed to avoid labelling children and young people as bullies or victims because these labels can constrain thinking of the problem as solely a characteristic of the individual, rather than as a problem that emerges from complex social dynamics. 2

A recent international literature review of bullying as part of an evaluation of respectme 3 confirms that: "...definitions of bullying abound, most commonly including terms of aggression, intentional harm recurring over time and characterised by an imbalance of power. Children, however, extend those definitions to include more subtle rejections such as name calling, teasing, being ignored or excluded from a group as equally distressing. Some children experience bullying that is unintentional, arbitrary and may define a single event as bullying."

Extracted from the Scottish Government Document :

“A National Approach to Anti-Bullying for Scotland’s Children and Young People”.

3. AIMS

In combating bullying, the school aims to:

-Create a secure and happy environment free from threat, harassment and any type of bullying behaviour.

-Work, through a partnership of parents, staff and pupils, to raise awareness of the issue of bullying.

-Encourage, within the school community, a positive attitude towards relationships.

-Address within the curriculum, at all stages, topics and activities, which may include:

  • tackling and discussing bullying
  • discussing strategies for preventing bullying
  • discussing cyber-bullying and internet safety
  • raising awareness of actions to be taken in the event of alleged bullying
  • role play and drama
  • writing own plays
  • making own posters and information leaflets

Identify and deal with incidents of bullying consistently and effectively.

4. ROLES AND RESPONSBILITIES

Promoted Staff (Management Team)

Mrs. Morag Fox, Head Teacher

Mrs. Louise Tait, Principal Teacher (job-share)

Mrs. Dawn Mainland, Principal Teacher (job-share)

Mrs Morag Fox, Head Teacher, is responsible for:

-embedding anti-bullying awareness in the policies and practices of the school

-for the recording and overseeing of incidents

-providing statistical returns as required by the Schools Service (June and December each year)

All teachers are responsible for delivering lessons at relevant stages. In addition, all school staff should be aware and report incidents to any member of the Management Team. Staff will indicate on their yearly overview when they will deliver relevant lessons. Mrs Fox is the Anti-bullying Co-ordinator for the school.

Expectations

All pupils are expected to:

-Report all incidents of bullying, including any suspected incidents, which the victim may be afraid to report.

-Act in a respectful and supportive manner to other pupils, staff and visitors in school. Follow the “Golden Rules”.

-Refrain at all times from any behaviour, which would constitute bullying of fellow pupils.

All staff are expected to:

-Implement procedures to confront bullying in any form.

-Promote the use of a range of teaching and learning styles and strategies, which challenge bullying behaviour.

-Foster, by example, the values we as a school believe in.

-Promote the use of interventions, which are least intrusive and most effective.

-Monitor the extent to which the above are being carried out.

-Work in partnership with parents and agencies

All Parentsare expected to support by:

-Stressing to pupils the importance of sociable behaviour.

-Reporting any misgivings they have concerning either victims or perpetrators of bullying.

-Working in partnership with the school.

-Actively endorsing and supporting the Bullying Policy.

-If appropriate, readingrelated leaflets and material available in school.

-Refraining from posting inappropriate comments on social media.

5. PREVENTATIVE STRATEGIES

To meet these aims the following strategies are in place at school:

-Collaboration with all stakeholders in the policy development, evaluation and regular review of the policy document.

-There will be a zero tolerance approach.

-Classes should work on a mini topic on bullying each year. Topics on positive behaviour and bullying in the curriculum, e.g. in Health and Wellbeing subject areas (mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing), (relationships, sexual heath and parenthood), during assemblies and role play.

-Examination of preventative measures such as alteration to the school environment, procedures and practices, in an effort to reduce the risks of bullying behaviour occurring. The new playground layout (from October 2014) will make supervision easier.

-Involve the whole school community including support staff and ensure that there is a consistent approach by all staff members.

-Involve pupils in the process of stamping out bullying by discussion with them about what motivates the bully, appropriate sanctions, alternative behaviour, and strategies for victim and bully.

-Record all incidents of bullying in order to identify and address persistent offenders.

-Retain records for monitoring purposes.

-Family friendly information leaflets for parents and pupils

-Pupils in upper school classes have access to the visits from the external agencies e.g. ChildLine & Women’s Aid.

-Highlighting Cyber Bullying through class discussions and health and wellbeing lessons.

-Signing a correct usage of school ICT equipment contract.

-Availability of PSD folders in all classeswhich have a section on bullying.

-Allocation of specific roles and responsibilities, both at staff and pupil level, in order that incidents may be detected, behaviour monitored and appropriate after-care delivered, e.g. peer support, buddying, mentoring.

-Nurture Group sessions are firmly established within this school. Pupils are considered for the sessions to help equip them with strategies and tools for dealing with unwanted or unacceptable behaviours.

-New staff will be made aware of the policy. In addition, the Policy will be reviewed regularly then communicated again with stakeholdersin order to ensure all are continuously aware of the Policy and also of their individual responsibilities.

-The Policy will be available from the school website and from the school office on request.

6. STAFF PROCEDURES AND GUIDELINES:

When dealing with a report of bullying, all staff will use the following guidelines:

-When dealing with an incident, remain calm.

-Take the incident or report seriously. Reassure the victim. Don’t make them feel inadequate or a burden to staff.

-Refer the incident to a member of The Management Team (Mrs Morag Fox, Mrs Louise Tait or Mrs Dawn Mainland) using the Behaviour Referral form.

-School Management Team staff will follow the advice given in Standing Up TO Bullying (SIC Education Service 2004).

-Incidents, reports and suspicion of bullying should be recorded

Staff investigating an incident of bullying will use the following guidelines:

-Investigate thoroughly and talk to all involved.

-Offer concrete help, advice and support to the victim.

-Make it clear to the bully that there is no place for bullying in the school.

-Encourage the bully to see the victim’s point of view.

-Consider restorative approaches.

-Sanctions should, where possible, encourage the bully to reflect on his/her behaviour, consider alternative ways of managing the situation and consider the incident from the victim’s point of view.

-Staff should try to reflect on “why” a particular child is regularly bullied and act accordingly.

-At the discretion of the Management Team, parents of the victim and the perpetrator willbe contacted and strategies to move forward will be agreed.

-It may be appropriate to involve other agencies, which can offer specialist advice e.g. Home Link teacher, Additional Support Needs Teacher and team in partnership with parents.

9. EVALUATION PROCEDURES

In order to assess the effectiveness of this Policy, the following standards will be used as a means of measuring performance:

Collaboration with all stakeholders in the policy development, evaluation and regular review of the policy document

-Variations in number of reported incidents over a given period.

-Individual incident returns, including nil returns within given periods for different age groups.

-Any marked improvement/deterioration in academic performance, which may be confidently regarded to have arisen due to the eradication or increase of bullying behaviour.

-Periodic focused audits of behaviour referrals

-How Good is Our School document

10. REVIEW

Collaboration with all stakeholders in the policy development, evaluation and regular review of the policy document

This policy will be reviewed every three years and upated as necessary, in the ongoing process of school developmentplanning and in accordance with the school’s cycle of policy review.

11. RESOURCES AVAILABLE IN SCHOOL

The following resources are available for loan from the school office:

1)Bullying and how to fight it – A Guide for Families.

2)Kidscape – Stop Bullying.

3)Standing Up TO Bullying (SIC Education Service 2004).

4)A National Approach to Anti-Bullying for Scotland’s Children and Young People – Scottish Government Publication.

Scalloway Primary School Website.

A National Approach to Anti-Bullying for Scotland.

On-line information and advice to help in preventing bullying and protecting children.

Let's Stop BULLYING - Advice for Parents and Families.

Scalloway Primary School Draft Anti-Bullying Policy

February 2014

Due for Review June 2016