ANTI-BULLYING POLICY

This policy will be reviewed in Summer 2016

Date / By / Role / Ratified / Date
Version 1 / Summer 2010 / Georgia Dawson
Natasha Radford / ECM
AHT/ Behaviour / Governing Body / June 2010
Version 2 / Summer 2012 / Natasha Radford / AHT/ Behaviour / Governing Body / June 2012
Version 3 / Summer 2014 / Adam Bennett / AHT/ Behaviour / Governing Body / June 2014
Version 3 / Summer 2016 / Adam Bennett / DHT/ Behaviour / Governing Body / June 2016

ANTI-BULLYING POLICY

The anti-bullying policy takes its place alongside the School Behaviour Policy.

Schools must also follow anti-discrimination law. This means staff must act to prevent discrimination, harassment and victimisation within the school. Gov.UK

ST STEPHEN’S WE CARE

Rights / Responsibilities / Class Charters
Wellbeing / To be safe, happy and healthy. / Bespoke charters are created by each class with their teacher at the beginning of the school year. These are designed to enable all members of the school community to have their ‘WE CARE’ rights at
St. Stephen’s. Class charters can be found on the school website.

Expression / To share our views and listen to others.
Courtesy / To be polite and courteous at all times.
Aspiration / To aspire and achieve to our potential and beyond.
Respect / To be respected, respect others, ourselves and our environment.
Equity / Everyone receives the same treatment.

Definition of bullying

St. Stephen’s Primary school defines bullying as repeated attacks, verbal or physical, on the same child or group of children by the same child or group of children.

Aims

  • Tounderpin the WE CARE ethos
  • Tovalue and celebrate diversity
  • To demonstrate respect towards others and together make our school ‘a safe and happy place to be.’
  • To enable all sections of our school community (governors, staff, pupils and parents) to understand that bullying in any form, by anyone (adults or children) and anywhere, is always unacceptable
  • To provide structure, which moderates children’s behaviour allowing them to develop as responsible citizens within society

The main categories of bullying are:

  • Physical (e.g. hitting, kicking or any use of physical violence; theft)
  • Verbal (e.g. name-calling, teasing, racist taunts)
  • Emotional (e.g. spreading rumours, excluding someone from social groups, tormenting)
  • Cyber (e.g. via text, MSN, social networking sites)*

*Our half termly newsletter reminds parents of Online-safety tips

Signs and Symptoms of Bullying

A pupil may indicate that they are being bullied by changes in their behaviour. All members of staff and parents have a responsibility to be aware of these possible signs and respond in accordance with school policy if bullying is suspected. Investigations should take place if a pupil:

  • Is frightened of walking to or from school
  • Is unwilling to go to school
  • Begins truanting
  • Becomes withdrawn, anxious, or lacking in confidence
  • Becomes clingy
  • Starts stammering
  • Cries him/herself to sleep at night or wets the bed
  • Feigns illness in the morning
  • Begins to underachieve in school work
  • Arrives home with clothes torn or belongings damaged
  • Has possessions that ‘go missing’
  • Asks for money or starts stealing money (to pay bully)
  • Has monies continually ‘lost’
  • Has unexplained cuts or bruises
  • Becomes aggressive, disruptive or unreasonable
  • Is bullying other children or siblings
  • Stops eating
  • Is frightened to say what’s wrong

These signs and behaviours may indicate other problems, but bullying should be considered a possibility and therefore the cause of the above investigated.

If bullying does occur, all pupils will be able to report it and know that incidents will be dealt with promptly and effectively. Pupils have a responsibility as well as staff to help eradicate bullying and therefore anyonewho knows that bullying is happening is expected to tell a member of staff.

HOW THIS CAN BE ACHIEVED

Parents

Some difficulties can only be resolved by working fully with the parents.

  • This is achieved through a home-school agreement, which all parents sign upon entry
  • In addition to this, we may use a home-school behaviour log for those children who require further support
  • We ensure that communication occurs through regular parent meetings and phone calls home where necessary. We may talk to parents informally on a daily basis or have more formal meetings involving the behaviour DHT
  • Parents are kept informed, whether their child is the victim or the perpetrator

Staff

  • By all staff having high and consistent expectations and following the School Behaviour Policy
  • By implementing a whole school rewards and sanctions system
  • By encouraging the highest standards in collective and self-discipline
  • By providing purposeful learning opportunities

Class Teachers

The class teacher has prime responsibility for pastoral care.

  • Creating an environment of trust, whereby the child can discuss any issues which may arise
  • Referring any incidents of bullying or racism to the Behaviour DHT to be closely monitored and recorded
  • The bullying pupil’s behaviour will be closely monitored by their class teacher, class Educational Assistant and the School Leadership Team and improvements praised
  • Watching out for children who are behaving out of character (recorded in Pupil Wellbeing Book, monitored half-termly by Leadership, SENCo and Learning Mentors)
  • Children are referred to Learning Mentor if concerns warrant
  • The PSHE curriculum is delivered in a weekly phase assembly and PSHE sessions