Anti-bullying

Stoke Heath Primary aims to create a positive school culture for children’s learning and development.  The school is committed to preventing and tackling bullying.  

  

Preventing Bullying  

Ethos

The school promotes a positive culture and ethos where rules and expectations are clearly spelled out about how pupils should interact with one another.  These clear, inclusive values are understood and lived by all members of the school community  

Respect for individual differences has a high profile and is firmly embedded in the school rules.    

  

Teaching & Learning  

The PSHE curriculum gives children opportunities to learn about diversity and children will be taught a variety of strategies to protect themselves from bullying.    

The curriculum helps children to know what bullying is, why it is unacceptable and develop empathy and understand the effect that bullying can have on others.  It also helps children take responsibility for trying to prevent bullying.  

Staff receive appropriate and regularly updated training to give them the knowledge, skills and confidence to teach about diversity and the effects of bullying.    

  

Relationships  

The relationships that children have with adults as well as one another promotes an antibullying ethos.   

Children who are being bullied or see others being bullied are encouraged to talk about the bullying and  to seek the help of a teacher, or member of support staff (eg Learning Mentor, Lunchtime Supervisor, Play Partner) who will listen to them.   

 

Definition of Bullying   

Bullying is when someone picks on or intimidates an individual systematically and frequently.  It could be physical or verbal and could include taking possessions or making threats.   

Bullying is not having the occasional, or ‘one off’ falling out, quarrel or fight with others   

Bullying is not acceptable at Stoke Heath and will not be tolerated   

 

The Causes of Bullying

The school recognises the need to protect children who may be members of minority groups or who have social or other difficulties. Bullying can be a manifestation of racism or other discrimination and as such the procedures and policies that apply to bullying also apply to discriminatory behaviour.    

   

The Signs of Bullying

A child may indicate by signs or altered behaviour that s/he is being bullied.  It is important that staff try to find out what is causing the symptoms by talking to the child and contacting parents if necessary.  

Children may:  

  • be frightened to walk to and from school  

  • be unwilling to come to school  

  • produce work of inferior quality and quantity   

  • have their belongings lost or damaged  

  • become withdrawn or develop speech problems  

  • be tearful without obvious reason  

  • stop eating or eat compulsively  

  • attempt or threaten suicide   

  • cry at night, have nightmares or start bed wetting  

  • have unexplained bruises or marks   

  • begin stealing   

  • refuse to talk about their apparent unhappiness / give improbable excuses   

  

Dealing with Incidents of Bullying  

Any incident of bullying will be investigated and dealt with by the Learning Mentors in association with the Senior Leadership Team   

On-going monitoring of the situation will be carried out as required.  When appropriate parents will be informed.  

The school records the investigation of bullying incidents carefully.  We monitor the focus of the bullying, manifestations and who is involved and record this on CPOMS. 

The school records the number of bullying incidents with regard to perpetrators and victims using CPOMS. Each year we analyse data from our investigations, monitoring and records for trends and patterns This information is then used to plan the next steps. It is also shared with Governors each year in the Headteacher Report.      

Action taken is firm and decisive and is shared with the child/children so they can see that the bullying issue has been addressed.   

External services to support the child engaging in bullying behaviour and/or the child who has experienced the bullying may be sought if there is a child protection concern, or to tackle any underlying issues.  

If an incidence of bulling includes assault, violence, theft, hate crime or repeated harassment or intimidation eg name calling, threats, abusive phone calls, text messages of emails and school believes that an offence has been committed, then assistance or a report to the Police may be sought.  

When bullying occurs outside school premises and is reported to school staff, it will be investigated and acted upon.    

If the misbehaviours outside of school premises could be criminal or poses a threat to a member of the public, the Head Teacher will inform the Police. (Please see ‘Preventing and tackling bullying’ Advice – July 2017 for further details.)  

  

The Responsibility of Staff

Staff are responsible for:  

  • Handling incidents with sensitivity  

  • Promoting good discipline and acceptable behaviour based on respect  

  • Watching for signs of bullying in children (see above)  

  • Taking seriously any reports of bullying