Anti bullying
1. Statement of Intent
Holy Trinity C E Primary School believes that:
• Bullying is undesirable and unacceptable
• Bullying is a problem to which solutions can be found
• Seeking help and openness are regarded as signs of strength not weakness
• All members of our community will be listened to and taken seriously
• Everyone has the right to enjoy and achieve in an atmosphere that is free from fear
• All of us have a responsibility to ensure that we do not abuse or bully others
• Children and young people should talk to an adult if they are worried about bullying and have a right to expect that their concerns will be listened to and treated seriously
• Children and young people should be involved in decision-making about matters that concern them
• We all have a duty to work together to protect vulnerable individuals from bullying and other forms of abuse
• We tackle bullying best by encouraging an environment where individuality is celebrated and individuals can develop without fear.
2. Consultation Process
This policy is the result of a process of consultation with the following groups:,
Cohort year 6 November 2011- 8 children.
School Council November 2011 - 8 children.
A Sample of 12 parents i.e. 2 from each class. December 2011.
All Governors – 12
3. Review of Policy
In line with all policies, this policy will be reviewed after 1 year.
It may also be reviewed and amended, in consultation with all stakeholders, in the light of events or experience. The Stakeholders of this policy are children and young people, staff, parents and carers, governors/trustees/management board, and people from other organisations involved with the life of Holy Trinity CE Primary School and include before/after school clubs, transport staff etc. Data from the monitoring and recording of incidents (including ‘nil’ returns) will also inform
policy review and will be seen by governors once a term.
4. Definition of Terms
What is Bullying?
Through the consultation process, our understanding of bullying is as follows:
“Behaviour by an individual usually repeated over time, that intentionally hurts another individual or group either physically or emotionally”. This is very different from normal childhood falling outs and disagreements which are part of a child’s progression of development through primary school and beyond.
5. Aims and Objectives
The aim of our anti-bullying policy
As a result of our consultation, our stakeholders prioritised the following aims:
• To assist in creating an ethos in which attending Holy Trinity CE Primary School is a positive experience for all members of our community
• To make it clear that all forms of bullying are unacceptable at Holy Trinity CE Primary School.
• To enable everyone to feel safe while at school and encourage Holy Trinity CE Primary School pupils/children/young people to report incidents of bullying. If we don’t know that it’s going on we can’t do anything about it!
• To deal with each incident of bullying as effectively as possible, taking into consideration the needs of all parties and of our community, and, as a result, to reduce the incidents of bullying.
• To support and protect victims of bullying and ensure they are listened to.
• To help and support children/young people displaying bullying behaviour to change their attitudes and understand why it needs to change.
• To liaise with parents and other appropriate members of our community. Communication with parents is the first and foremost process that must occur.
• To ensure all members of our community feel responsible for helping to reduce bullying.
The objectives of our anti-bullying policy
As a result of the aims and via further consultation, Holy Trinity CE Primary School has agreed the following objectives:
• Our whole community can evidence ownership of the school/setting anti-bullying policy
• To develop and maintain effective listening systems for children, young people and staff within Holy Trinity CE Primary School.
• To involve all staff in dealing with incidents of bullying effectively and promptly.
• To equip all staff with the skills and information necessary to deal with incidents of
bullying
• To involve the wider school/setting community (e.g. midday supervisors, part-time
staff/volunteers) in dealing effectively with, and if necessary referring, bullying incidents
• To communicate with parents/carers and the wider school/setting community effectively on the subject of bullying.
• To acknowledge the key role of every staff member in dealing with incidents of bullying.
• To ensure that all incidents of bullying are recorded and appropriate use is made of the information, where appropriate sharing it with relevant organisations/staff.
• To promote emotional health and wellbeing across the whole school/setting and for all members of our community to role-model this in all situations.
6. Practice and Procedures
PREVENTING…
A. What we do to prevent bullying -
Everyone involved in the life of the school/setting must take responsibility for promoting a common anti-bullying approach. Through the consultation process, all involved have agreed to:
• be supportive of each other
• provide positive role models
• convey a clear understanding that we disapprove of unacceptable behaviour
• be clear that we all follow the ground-rules of Holy Trinity CE Primary School.
• be fully involved in the development of the anti-bullying policy and support anti-bullying practice.
• support each other in the implementation of this policy
All the members of the school community are expected to report incidents of bullying.
All staff have a vital role to play as they are at the forefront of behaviour management and supporting children’s sense of well-being. They have the closest knowledge of the children in their care, and should build up a relationship involving mutual support, trust and respect.
Staff have agreed to:
• Provide children with a framework of behaviour including rules which support the whole school/setting policy.
• Emphasise and behave in a respectful and caring manner to children/young people and colleagues, to set a good tone and help create a positive atmosphere.
• Raise awareness of bullying through the curriculum including activities, stories, role-play, discussion, peer support, school/children’s council, etc.
• Through the head teacher/senior staff member, keep the governing body well informed regarding issues concerning behaviour management.
• Provide a key staff member who is a responsible for the monitoring of the policy (Headteacher).
Governors have a duty to:
• Be fully informed on matters concerning anti-bullying.
• Regularly monitor incident reports and actions taken to be aware of the effectiveness of this policy.
• Identify one governor to lead on anti-bullying within the Governing Body.
Through the development and implementation of this policy,
Holy Trinity CE Primary School trusts that all children, young people, parents/carers and staff will:
• Feel confident that everything is being done to make Holy Trinity CE Primary School a safe and secure environment
• Know who can be contacted if they have any concerns about bullying.
• Feel supported in reporting incidents of bullying.
• Be reassured that action regarding bullying will take place.
RESPONDING…
RECORDING
B. Reacting to a specific incident
All incidents will be recorded by the school on the electronic recording system from June 2012. The Head Teacher will take responsibility for ensuring that the incident is properly recorded and that the record is updated as necessary throughout an investigation. Parents of all children/young people involved will be informed of what has happened, and how it has been dealt with. All discussions and actions relating to the incident/investigation will be documented and added to the incident log.
Dealing with an Incident
Whenever a bullying incident is discovered, the school will go through a number of
steps. The exact nature of each step will be adapted to suit the nature and severity of the incident, and the response of those involved.
- The school needs to be made aware that when a bullying incident has come to the attention of adults in the school, it has been taken seriously and action has resulted
School expects to support all involved by:
• Talking the incident through with all parties involved
• Supporting the person who has been bullied to express their feelings
• Supporting the person displaying the bullying behaviour to express their
• feelings
• Discussing which rules(s) have been broken
• Discussing strategies for making amends
2. Parents/Carers and child protocols for dealing with perceived or actual bullying:
• Child notifies teacher, TA, lunchtime staff, parent etal
• The perceived incident will be recorded and communicate4d to the relevant staff. The initial incidents of any concerns go directly to the child’s teacher. Only if the concerns cannot be addressed by the class teacher do the concerns progress to the head of key stage i.e. KS2 Mrs Luke (year 3, 4, 5, 6), KS1 Mrs Luke (Reception, year 1 and year 2)
• If the incident is not resolved it will be passed, with all parties, to the Headteacher.
3. Measures will be in line with the school’s/setting’s behaviour and discipline
policy, and will include:
• Explanation why the inappropriate behaviour is unacceptable
• Reparation of damaged relationships
• Time away from an activity
• Meeting with staff, parent and child
• Missing another activity
• Formal letter home from the senior staff member/head teacher expressing concerns
• Time out from the classroom
• Pastoral support plan
• Fixed term exclusion
• Permanent exclusion
4. Safeguarding procedures will be followed when child protection concerns arise.