ANTI-BULLYING POLICY
| ANTI-BULLYING POLICY |
| Rationale |
| Bullying is not easy to define. Sometimes it involves hitting or kicking but threats, teasing, and taunting are more common and often more damaging. We hope to make our school a safe environment for all. The word bullying is used to describe many different types of behaviour ranging from teasing or deliberately leaving an individual out of a social gathering or ignoring them, to serious assaults and abuse. Sometimes it is an individual who is doing the bullying and sometimes it is a group. Children have described bullying as: being called names or being mocked or teased being pushed or pulled about having your bag and belongings hidden, thrown around or messed about with having rumours and lies spread about you being ignored and left out being forced to hand over money being attacked because of your looks, colour, religion or beliefs The important thing is not the action but the effect on the victim. No one should ever underestimate the fear that a bullied child feels. |
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| 'How does being bullied make you feel?' |
| Bullying hurts. It makes you feel scared and upset. It can make you so worried you can't work or even think at school. It can make you feel that you are no good, that there is something wrong with you. Bullies make you feel that it's all your fault. |
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| Preventing Bullying at Kinson Primary School. |
| At Kinson Primary school we adopt a pro-active approach to preventing bullying. Through assemblies, the school's Golden Rules and by recognising and modelling positive behaviour, we are committed to ensuring that the school community work together to create a happy, safe, caring and stimulating learning environment. It is important to identify whether bullying is perhaps an underlying cause for other problems such as school refusal or poor behaviour. We continually re-enforce the importance of treating others well rather than simply reacting to incidents when they occur. We raise awareness of bullying through the school curriculum, particularly in Personal, Social & Health Education (P.S.H.E.), Golden Rules and in citizenship opportunities. We ensure children have the opportunity to talk about bullying through circle time and individually with staff. We have a counsellor from the Listening Ear service who we refer children to when appropriate. Remember - we can all make a difference by being aware of bullying and doing something about it. |
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| Guidance for children: |
| If someone you know is being bullied: Don't rush over and take the bully on ' you don't want other people to think you are a bully! Let a teacher or adult know what is happening Try to be a friend to the person who is being bullied Refuse to join in Ask for help If you are being bullied; Always remember if you are being bullied you can do something about it Remember it is not your fault TELL, TELL, TELL! Practice what you want to say Write down what is happening Don't give up Ask your parents to visit the school Talk over what to do with a friend, a teacher, mum, dad, guardian, or someone you trust Tell a School Councillor or a Buddy Take control, tell us your views and opinions Remember: here at Kinson, we always listen carefully to children when they tell us they are being bullied |
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| Dealing with Bullying: Guidance for Staff |
| At Kinson Primary School we believe that bullying in any form is unacceptable. All such incidents are dealt with appropriately by staff and in line with the school Behaviour Policy and other relevant policies. All staff need to be alert to bullying both inside and outside the classroom. It is the responsibility of everyone to report acts of bullying as soon as they arise. This is a telling school. To be seen to act is as important as taking action. Silence and secrecy nurture bullying. If you come across bullying of children or adults what should you do? Remain calm. You are in charge and reacting emotionally may add to the bully's fun and give s/he control of the situation Ensure the victim is safe and being cared for Take the incident seriously and take action as quickly as possible Think hard about whether your action needs to be private or public Deliberate carefully about which pupils are involved Reassure the victim, don?t make them feel inadequate or foolish Interview victims separately Offer concrete help, advice and support to the victim/s Peer support by other pupils is worth considering at this stage or later Make it plain to the bully that you disapprove Encourage the bully to see circumstances from the victim's point of view Obtain an apology from the perpetrator where possible Impose sanctions and punish the bully if you have to, but take great care how you do this because reacting aggressively or punitively may give the message that it is OK to bully, if you are the one with the power Explain clearly what the punishment is and why it is being given. Involving Others: Always inform the Headteacher, or a member of senior leadership in her absence, who will if necessary inform both sets of parents of the incident and reassure them that the incident will be dealt with appropriately. Inform colleagues if the incident arose out of a situation where everyone needs to be vigilant. All incidents of bullying should be recorded on a school Bullying Incident Report Form as on the following page. Other useful information may be attached to this report Hand a copy of all in to the Headteacher to be kept in the Kinson Anti-Bullying Log. ENSURE THAT INCIDENTS OF BULLYING DO NOT LIVE ON THROUGH REMINDERS FROM YOU |
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| BULLYING INCIDENT REPORT FORM |
| DATE: TIME: NAME OF VICTIM: CLASS: REPORTED BY: NAMES OF ALLEGED BULLY OR BULLIES: DESCRIPTION OF INCIDENT: ACTION TAKEN: FOLLOW UP / FURTHER ACTION: REPORTED TO: SIGNED: DESIGNATION: * For reporting alleged or actual bullying incidents. Attach useful information/evidence where appropriate.* Please refer to Kinson School policies for advice if necessary. |
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| 8 EFFECTIVE WAYS TO DEAL WITH BULLYING |
INTERVENTION SECURITY ACTIVITIES SUPPORT AWARENESS MAPPING CONSULTATION EMPATHY |
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| USEFUL WEBSITES |
| www.dfes.gov.uk/bullying www.ncb.org.uk/aba www.circle-time.co.uk www.childline.org.uk |
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| SOURCES USED |
| National Association of Headteachers (NAHT) Guidelines Child Education Journal, December 2004 DfES pack: Don't Suffer in Silence Anti-bullying Alliance Bullying ? A Charter for Action Action Against Bullying, research from the Scottish Office |
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| Written by: Liz Thomasson December 2005 Agreed with staff and revisions made: February 2006 Approved by Governors: February 2006 Signed by Vice Chair R.J. Keniston |
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