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ST ILLTYD’S PRIMARY SCHOOL


ANTI-BULLYING POLICY

Document Reference

POL-ABP-001

Date Approved

01/09/2024

Review Date

01/09/2028

Approved By

Adele Matthews (Acting Headteacher)

Principles and Values

St. Illtyd's Primary School is committed to providing a safe and inclusive learning environment where every learner feels valued, respected, and free from bullying. We believe that all members of our school community have the right to learn and work in an atmosphere free from harassment, intimidation, and fear. This policy outlines our commitment to preventing and addressing bullying, and defines the roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders in achieving this goal.


Objectives of this Policy

This policy aims to:

  • Define and raise awareness of bullying: Ensure all members of the school community (governors, staff, pupils, and parents) have a shared understanding of what constitutes bullying, including its various forms (physical, verbal, emotional, cyberbullying) and its potential impact.

  • Establish clear reporting and response procedures:  Provide a clear and accessible system for reporting bullying incidents, with designated staff members responsible for investigating allegations and taking prompt and appropriate action.

  • Empower pupils and promote prevention:  Equip pupils with the knowledge and confidence to report bullying and seek support, while implementing proactive strategies to prevent bullying, such as social-emotional learning programs and peer support networks.

  • Foster a culture of respect and responsibility: Create a school environment where positive relationships, respect for others, and inclusivity are actively promoted, and where all members of the community understand their role in preventing and addressing bullying.

  • Regularly review and improve the policy:  Ensure the policy remains relevant and effective by regularly reviewing and evaluating its implementation, seeking feedback from pupils, staff, and parents, and making adjustments as needed.


What Is Bullying?

Definition of Bullying:

‘Behaviour by an individual or group, usually repeated over time, that intentionally hurts another individual or group either physically or emotionally’.

Department for Children, Schools and Families (2007), Safe to Learn


Bullying is unacceptable behaviour used by an individual or group, usually targeted or repeated continually over time, that intentionally hurts another individual or group either physically or emotionally. Bullying can be targeted in the short term or continuous over longer periods of time.


Types of bullying can include:
  • Emotional

    • Persistent and constant targeted incidence of being unfriendly, excluding, tormenting (e.g. hiding books, threatening gestures)

  • Physical

    • Any persistent, targeted deliberate use of violence i.e pushing, kicking, biting, hitting, punching

  • Racial

    • Racial language, taunts, graffiti, gestures

  • Sexual

    • Unwanted physical contact or sexualised language

  • Homophobic

    • Because of, or focussing on the issue of sexuality

  • Direct or indirect

  • Verbal

  • Persistent and constant name-calling, sarcasm, spreading rumours, teasing

  • Cyber bullying

    • All areas of the Internet, such as email and Internet chat X/Twitter, Facebook misuse

    • Threats by messaging and calls and the misuse of associated technology, i.e. camera and video facilities, iPad, games consoles, etc.


Bullying may be related to:

  • Race

  • Gender

  • Religion

  • Culture

  • SEN/ALN or disability

  • Appearance or health condition

  • Home circumstances, inclusive of young carers and poverty

  • Sexual orientation, sexism, or sexual bullying, homophobia


Bullying can take place in the classroom, playground, toilets, on the journey to and from school, on residential trips and cyberspace. It can take place in group activities and between families in the local community.


Perpetrators and Victims

Bullying takes place where there is an imbalance of power of one person or persons over another. This can be achieved by:

  • The size of the individual,

  • The strength of the individual

  • The numbers or group size involved

  • Anonymity – through the use of cyber bullying or using email, social networking sites, texts etc.


Children may not be aware that they are being bullied; because they may be too young or have a level of Special Educational Needs/Additional Learning Needs, which means that they may be unable to realise what others may be doing to them. Conversely, children may not be aware that they are bullying others. Staff must also be aware of these children, who may be vulnerable pupils or those responding to emotional problems or mental health issues, or those who have experienced adverse childhood experiences, which may bring about a propensity to be unkind to others, or may make them more likely to fall victim to the behaviour of others. In these instances, this may need to be addressed through the school’s Wellbeing approach or ALN policy and procedures and might result in a child being placed on an Individual Behaviour Plan (IBP). See Behaviour Policy.


When Behaviour is not Bullying

Children will sometimes report that someone has ‘bullied’ them following a one off behaviour incident. It is important for staff to help children of all ages and stages of development (and their parents), to recognise that not all incidents of mis-behaviour constitute bullying, so that they can recognise the difference between someone being unkind or mis-behaving and someone who is demonstrating bullying behaviour.


Why is it Important to Respond to Bullying?

Bullying hurts. No one deserves to be a victim of persistent bullying. Bullying has the potential to damage the mental health of a victim. Everybody has the right to be treated with respect. Pupils who bully need to learn different ways of behaving.


Signs and Symptoms

Adults should be aware of these possible signs and that they should investigate if a child:

  • is unwilling to go to school (school phobic)

  • is frightened of walking to or from school

  • begins to truant

  • changes their usual routine

  • becomes withdrawn anxious, or lacking in confidence

  • starts stammering

  • attempts or threatens suicide or runs away

  • cries themselves to sleep at night or has nightmares

  • persistently feels ill in the morning

  • begins to do make less effort with school work than previously

  • comes home with clothes torn or books damaged

  • has possessions which are damaged or " go missing"

  • has dinner or other monies continually "lost"

  • has unexplained cuts or bruises

  • comes home hungry (money / lunch has been stolen)

  • becomes aggressive, disruptive or unreasonable

  • is bullying other children or siblings

  • stops eating

  • is frightened to say what's wrong

  • gives improbable excuses for any of the above

  • is afraid to use the internet or mobile phone

  • is nervous and jumpy when a cyber message is received

  • lack of eye contact

  • becoming short tempered

  • change in attitude to people at home


These signs and behaviours could obviously indicate other social, emotional and/or mental health problems, but bullying should be considered a possibility and should be investigated.


Outcomes

All known/reported incidences of bullying will be investigated by the class teacher or by a senior member of staff. Parents of the perpetrator of bullying may also be questioned about the incident or about any concerns that they may be having. The child displaying unacceptable behaviour, may be asked to genuinely apologise (as appropriate to the child’s age and level of understanding). Other consequences may take place. Eg a parent being informed about their child’s behaviour and a request that the parents support the school with any sanctions that it takes (See Behaviour Policy). Wherever possible, the pupils will be reconciled.


In some cases, outside agencies may be requested to support the school or family in dealing with a child continually demonstrating unacceptable behaviour towards others e.g. a Counsellor.

The Safeguarding Governor will be informed of any confirmed bullying incidents recorded along with incidents, sanctions and reconciliation.


Prevention

At St Illtyd’s we use a variety of methods to support children in preventing and understanding the consequences of bullying through for example: JIGSAW assemblies; PSE and Citizenship lessons; the school Vision and Assembly Themes; Anti-bullying week and E-Safety Days are but a few strategies used.

The ethos and working philosophy of St Illtyd’s means that all staff actively encourage children to have respect for each other and for other people’s property. Staff reinforce a general message that children do not have to be friends with everyone else, but they must be respectful of everyone else’s feelings and be kind to each other, regularly acknowledging and rewarding good behaviour. Children are involved in the prevention of bullying as and when appropriate. For example, this may include activities such as:


  • writing stories or poems or drawing pictures about bullying

  • reading stories about bullying or having them read to a class or assembly

  • making up role-plays about what to do through scenarios of bullying

  • having discussions about bullying and why it matters that children who use unacceptable behaviour towards others are dealt with quickly


If a child feels that they are being bullied then they are encouraged to speak to someone about it in any of the following ways:


  • Tell a friend

  • Tell a teacher or adult whom you feel you can trust

  • Tell a parent or adult at home whom you feel you can trust


Recording of Bullying Incidents

When any incident of proven persistent bullying has taken place, (which is not the same as a general behaviour incident), staff must be prepared to record and report each incident. In the case of racist bullying, this must be reported to the Headteacher or Deputy Headteacher. All other incidents of bullying will be discussed with all relevant staff and parents of the children involved, in order that everyone can be vigilant and that further incidents by the same child(ren) may be prevented from happening in the

future. Incidents of proven bullying will be discussed with the Governing Body/Safeguarding Governor.


Incidents are recorded on a digital system, the form below is an example of the type of information and detail captured:


 

Record of Bullying Incident

1. Name of pupil being bullied and class group


Name ______________________________ Class_________________________


2. Name(s) and class(es) of pupil(s) engaged in bullying behaviour

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


3. Source of bullying concern/report (tick relevant box(es))*


[ ] Pupil concerned

[ ] Other Pupil

[ ] Parent

[ ] Other


4. Location of incidents (tick relevant box(es))*


[ ] Playground

[ ] Classroom

[ ] Corridor

[ ] School Bus

[ ] Other


5. Name of person(s) who reported the bullying concern


Name ______________________________


6. Type of Bullying Behaviour (tick relevant box(es)) *

[ ] Physical Aggression

[ ] Cyber-bullying

[ ] Damage to Property

[ ] Intimidation

[ ] Isolation/Exclusion

[ ] Malicious Gossip

[ ] Name Calling

[ ] Other (specify)


7. Where behaviour is regarded as identity-based bullying, indicate the relevant

category:


[ ] Homophobic

[ ] Disability/SEN related

[ ] Racist

[ ] Membership of the Traveller community

[ ] Other (specify)


8. Brief Description of bullying behaviour and its impact

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


9. Details of actions taken

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



Signed _______________________ (Relevant Teacher) Date ____________________


Date submitted to Headteacher/Deputy Headteacher/LAST ___________________

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