Head teachers have a legal duty under the Schools Standards and Framework Act 1998 to draw up procedures to prevent bullying among pupils and to bring these procedures to the attention of staff, parents and pupils. DCSF
The school has an anti-bullying policy which is strictly enforced and in which steps taken to deal with any alleged incidents are set out. These steps may involve class teacher, key stage coordinator, deputy headteacher and Headteacher at different levels of the process. In addition parental involvement will be sought if a problem is not resolved by the initial school procedures.
Children are encouraged to ‘tell’ if any sign of bullying (persistent and deliberately hurtful behaviour by another party) appears. Parents are asked to contact the school if they have any concerns – which will be taken seriously and action in proportion to the problem will result.
Parents will be involved at an early stage in potentially serious or protracted incidents and the Headteacher has the right of exclusion although this should be rare and subject to safeguards in its application.
Bullying
Bullying is misbehaviour that goes beyond everyday disputes between children who usually choose to play together.
Bullying is ‘repeated intimidation of a victim that is intentionally carried out by a more powerful person or group in order to cause physical and or emotional hurt’.
Types of bullying – physical, verbal, emotional.
It is persistent, deliberate, involves an imbalance of power, causes distress and is often secretive. It may include threats, shunning, teasing, name calling, interfering with property, racially or sexually offensive remarks/behaviour, incitement to others, ridicule, vandalism and intimidation.
Signs of Bullying
Pupils who are being bullied may show changes in behaviour, such as becoming shy and nervous, feigning illness, taking unusual absences or clinging to adults. There may be evidence of changes in work patterns, lacking concentration or truanting from school.
Prevention
Prevention is the key to ensuring that any incidents that do occur can be more easily recognised and dealt with.
The following strategies will form an integral part of school systems –
1) Regular themes in assembly on right and wrong behaviour.
2) A structured reward system of stickers, cards and certificates for good behaviour as well as good work.
3) Good examples of children’s conduct identified, recorded and applauded in a weekly assembly.
4) Written guidelines for supervisory staff.
5) Regular reminders to all staff to be vigilant and investigate any situation that may lead to bullying.
6) Timetabled use of play areas to avoid over crowding and enable easier sight of pupil interactions.
7) A fortnightly School Council in which representatives of Y1 - Y4 children’s classes meet to highlight any issues of behaviour and propose remedies e.g. rules for a new facility like the ‘Viking Ship’.
8) A rota of Y4 children to be ‘Playground Friends’ as well as ‘eyes and ears’ with a brief report of any concerns to any member of staff.
9) Encouragement to play constructively by the provision of playground resources such as games markings, sponge balls, play equipment and quiet areas.
10) A level of supervision that enables action to be taken immediately e.g. lunchtime co-ordinator.
11) A reporting structure that ensures incidents are dealt with e.g. lunchtime supervisor to co-ordinator to headteacher.
12) Opportunities for children to discuss concerns in a supportive environment e.g. regular circle-time for younger children, a specific bullying module in older children’s PSHE for example, sessions on being assertive in uncomfortable situations.
13) Encouraging all children to report behaviour which they consider to be bullying and specifically involving a possible victim’s friend in ‘telling’.
14) Senior staff e.g. KS Co-ordinators, Deputy, Head should undertake spot checks in vulnerable areas e.g. parts of the playground towards the end of lunchtime, toilets by Y2 classes (without invading privacy).
15) Pupils being aware of the school rules being consistently applied e.g. children involved in rough play having to stay by supervisor to watch acceptable behaviour.
16) Parents are involved on a everyday basis with liaison between home and school encouraged by access to teaching staff at the beginning and end of each day with formal appointments available each term or whenever required.
17) Anti-bullying to be a high- profile message e.g. items in weekly newsletter (as appropriate), a yearly Anti Bullying week with a poster competition.
18) Involvement of outside agencies e.g. Learning and Behaviour Support Service where school responses are proving ineffective or a child with Special Needs transfers in.
19) Monitoring of potential victims/bullies by member of staff, probably the classteacher – this would link with our equal opportunities policy e.g. race, gender, creed.
20) Organisational steps to minimise conflict e.g. different working groups in a classroom.
21) Opportunities to boost self-esteem of pupils by drawing attention to individual strengths e.g. P.E.
22) Lunchtime sessions on specific social skills development e.g. taking turns in games.
23) Weekly meetings with the Educational Welfare Officer and school to check attendance patterns.
Dealing with individual incidents
1) If staff can resolve the situation under the usual rules because it is a ‘one-off’ they should do so.
2) If staff suspect it may be bullying then they should involve the next level of supervision – lunchtime co-ordinators, classteacher, key stage co-ordinator, deputy headteacher, headteacher to decide who is best to deal with it. The headteacher should also be informed as a central record is held.
3) If a child reports an incident it should be taken seriously and immediately investigated.
4) If a parent reports an incident it should be taken seriously, investigated and reported on back to the parents.
5) A record should be kept by the staff member investigating and other relevant people e.g. child’s ‘set’ teacher involved and held by the Head teacher.
6) If the incident is one of bullying then the bully must be confronted with their unacceptable behaviour with the staff member setting out clearly what they did wrong, what they should have done and what they need to do to improve.
7) If the victim agrees and it is appropriate the child should tell the bully face to face with the support and presence of a friend and member of staff that the behaviour was hurtful and they don’t want it to happen to them again.
8) The bully should apologise and undertake to change this aspect of their behaviour.
9) If a child is given a second chance to prove that he/she can mend his/her ways but fails to do so, parents will be informed.
10) In a protracted or serious case parents will be informed so that the message can be reinforced at home – facts need to be verifiable so that the bully cannot manipulate the situation.
11) The bully should lose the right to relevant privileges e.g. not allowed a full playtime for a fixed period. If another incident occurs this period will be extended.
12) Exclusion, either fixed-term or permanent, will be a final option for deliberate, repeated, targeted, hurtful behaviour that a child refuses to change.
13) Any pupils involved in resolving the incident should be commended for their actions.
14) The children concerned should be closely monitored after an incident (usually by their classteacher or assistant) until the situation has been resolved.
The above policy makes specific reference to one aspect of unacceptable behaviour. It should be read in conjunction with the school Behaviour and Discipline Policy so individuals have a clear picture of how positive behaviour is promoted and how negative behaviour is managed at Chawson First School.
The school has an anti-bullying policy which is strictly enforced and in which steps taken to deal with any alleged incidents are set out. These steps may involve class teacher, key stage coordinator, deputy headteacher and Headteacher at different levels of the process. In addition parental involvement will be sought if a problem is not resolved by the initial school procedures.
Children are encouraged to ‘tell’ if any sign of bullying (persistent and deliberately hurtful behaviour by another party) appears. Parents are asked to contact the school if they have any concerns – which will be taken seriously and action in proportion to the problem will result.
Parents will be involved at an early stage in potentially serious or protracted incidents and the Headteacher has the right of exclusion although this should be rare and subject to safeguards in its application.
Bullying
Bullying is misbehaviour that goes beyond everyday disputes between children who usually choose to play together.
Bullying is ‘repeated intimidation of a victim that is intentionally carried out by a more powerful person or group in order to cause physical and or emotional hurt’.
Types of bullying – physical, verbal, emotional.
It is persistent, deliberate, involves an imbalance of power, causes distress and is often secretive. It may include threats, shunning, teasing, name calling, interfering with property, racially or sexually offensive remarks/behaviour, incitement to others, ridicule, vandalism and intimidation.
Signs of Bullying
Pupils who are being bullied may show changes in behaviour, such as becoming shy and nervous, feigning illness, taking unusual absences or clinging to adults. There may be evidence of changes in work patterns, lacking concentration or truanting from school.
Prevention
Prevention is the key to ensuring that any incidents that do occur can be more easily recognised and dealt with.
The following strategies will form an integral part of school systems –
1) Regular themes in assembly on right and wrong behaviour.
2) A structured reward system of stickers, cards and certificates for good behaviour as well as good work.
3) Good examples of children’s conduct identified, recorded and applauded in a weekly assembly.
4) Written guidelines for supervisory staff.
5) Regular reminders to all staff to be vigilant and investigate any situation that may lead to bullying.
6) Timetabled use of play areas to avoid over crowding and enable easier sight of pupil interactions.
7) A fortnightly School Council in which representatives of Y1 - Y4 children’s classes meet to highlight any issues of behaviour and propose remedies e.g. rules for a new facility like the ‘Viking Ship’.
8) A rota of Y4 children to be ‘Playground Friends’ as well as ‘eyes and ears’ with a brief report of any concerns to any member of staff.
9) Encouragement to play constructively by the provision of playground resources such as games markings, sponge balls, play equipment and quiet areas.
10) A level of supervision that enables action to be taken immediately e.g. lunchtime co-ordinator.
11) A reporting structure that ensures incidents are dealt with e.g. lunchtime supervisor to co-ordinator to headteacher.
12) Opportunities for children to discuss concerns in a supportive environment e.g. regular circle-time for younger children, a specific bullying module in older children’s PSHE for example, sessions on being assertive in uncomfortable situations.
13) Encouraging all children to report behaviour which they consider to be bullying and specifically involving a possible victim’s friend in ‘telling’.
14) Senior staff e.g. KS Co-ordinators, Deputy, Head should undertake spot checks in vulnerable areas e.g. parts of the playground towards the end of lunchtime, toilets by Y2 classes (without invading privacy).
15) Pupils being aware of the school rules being consistently applied e.g. children involved in rough play having to stay by supervisor to watch acceptable behaviour.
16) Parents are involved on a everyday basis with liaison between home and school encouraged by access to teaching staff at the beginning and end of each day with formal appointments available each term or whenever required.
17) Anti-bullying to be a high- profile message e.g. items in weekly newsletter (as appropriate), a yearly Anti Bullying week with a poster competition.
18) Involvement of outside agencies e.g. Learning and Behaviour Support Service where school responses are proving ineffective or a child with Special Needs transfers in.
19) Monitoring of potential victims/bullies by member of staff, probably the classteacher – this would link with our equal opportunities policy e.g. race, gender, creed.
20) Organisational steps to minimise conflict e.g. different working groups in a classroom.
21) Opportunities to boost self-esteem of pupils by drawing attention to individual strengths e.g. P.E.
22) Lunchtime sessions on specific social skills development e.g. taking turns in games.
23) Weekly meetings with the Educational Welfare Officer and school to check attendance patterns.
Dealing with individual incidents
1) If staff can resolve the situation under the usual rules because it is a ‘one-off’ they should do so.
2) If staff suspect it may be bullying then they should involve the next level of supervision – lunchtime co-ordinators, classteacher, key stage co-ordinator, deputy headteacher, headteacher to decide who is best to deal with it. The headteacher should also be informed as a central record is held.
3) If a child reports an incident it should be taken seriously and immediately investigated.
4) If a parent reports an incident it should be taken seriously, investigated and reported on back to the parents.
5) A record should be kept by the staff member investigating and other relevant people e.g. child’s ‘set’ teacher involved and held by the Head teacher.
6) If the incident is one of bullying then the bully must be confronted with their unacceptable behaviour with the staff member setting out clearly what they did wrong, what they should have done and what they need to do to improve.
7) If the victim agrees and it is appropriate the child should tell the bully face to face with the support and presence of a friend and member of staff that the behaviour was hurtful and they don’t want it to happen to them again.
8) The bully should apologise and undertake to change this aspect of their behaviour.
9) If a child is given a second chance to prove that he/she can mend his/her ways but fails to do so, parents will be informed.
10) In a protracted or serious case parents will be informed so that the message can be reinforced at home – facts need to be verifiable so that the bully cannot manipulate the situation.
11) The bully should lose the right to relevant privileges e.g. not allowed a full playtime for a fixed period. If another incident occurs this period will be extended.
12) Exclusion, either fixed-term or permanent, will be a final option for deliberate, repeated, targeted, hurtful behaviour that a child refuses to change.
13) Any pupils involved in resolving the incident should be commended for their actions.
14) The children concerned should be closely monitored after an incident (usually by their classteacher or assistant) until the situation has been resolved.
The above policy makes specific reference to one aspect of unacceptable behaviour. It should be read in conjunction with the school Behaviour and Discipline Policy so individuals have a clear picture of how positive behaviour is promoted and how negative behaviour is managed at Chawson First School.
Anti Bullying Policy