Anti Bullying Policy

Anti-Bullying Week 2022 – REACH OUT

• PARENTS AND CARERS PACK
• MONDAY 14TH TO FRIDAY 18TH NOVEMBER
• ODD SOCKS DAY: MONDAY 14th NOVEMBER

This policy needs to be read in conjunction with the Behaviour for Learning Policy, Internet Safety Policy and Child Protection Policy.

‘North Ealing works inclusively with our families to maximise the learning potential of all children in our community’.

Principles and Values

As a school, we take bullying and its impact seriously. Pupils and parents should be assured that known incidents of bullying will be responded to.

Bullying will not be tolerated. The school will seek ways to counter the effects of bullying that may occur within the school or in the local community.

The ethos of our school fosters high expectations of outstanding behaviour and we will consistently challenge any behaviour that falls below this. All aspects of school life are underpinned the NES learning values and these are readily used in our approach to the promotion of anti-bullying and any incidence of bullying that may occur.

Objectives of this Policy

• All governors, teaching and non-teaching staff, pupils and parents should have an understanding of what bullying is.
• All governors and teaching and non-teaching staff should know what the school policy is on anti-bullying and needs to be followed when bullying is reported.
• All pupils and parents should know what the school policy is on bullying, and what they should do if bullying arises.

All of us have encountered bullying at some point in our lives, but we all deal with it differently. The aim of this policy is to work together to ensure that our school is a safe place for children and adults to be.

What Is Bullying?

Bullying is unacceptable behaviour used by an individual or group, usually repeated over time that intentionally hurts another individual or group either physically or emotionally.

Bullying can be short term or continuous over long periods of time.

Bullying can be:
• Emotional – being unfriendly, excluding, tormenting (e.g. hiding books,
threatening gestures)
• Physical – pushing, kicking, biting, hitting, punching or any use of violence
• Racial – taunts, graffiti, gestures
• Sexual – unwanted physical contact or sexually abusive comments
• Homophobic – because of or focus on the issue of sexuality
• Verbal name-calling, sarcasm, spreading rumours, teasing
• Cyberbullying all areas of internet such as email and internet chat Twitter, Facebook misuse, Mobile threats by text messaging and calls, misuse of associated technology, i.e. camera and video facilities, iPad, games consoles

Bullying may be related to:
• Race
• Gender
• Religion
• Culture
• SEN or disability
• Appearance or health condition
• Home circumstances, including 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 cyberbullying or using email, social, networking sites, texts etc

Staff must remain vigilant about bullying behaviours and approach this in the same way as any other concerns over behaviour and safeguarding; that is, do not wait to be told before you raise concerns or deal directly with the matter. Children may not be aware that they are being bullied; because they may be too young or have a level of Special Educational Needs which means that they may be unable to realise what others may be doing to them.

Staff must also be aware of those children who may be vulnerable pupils; those who are living in challenging circumstances at home, or those responding to emotional problems or mental health issues 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.

Why is it Important to Respond to Bullying?

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

Bullying cannot, and will not be tolerated.

Signs and Symptoms for Parents and Staff

A child may indicate by signs or behaviour that he or she is being bullied. Adults should be aware of these possible signs and that should investigate if a child:

• Is frightened of walking to or from school
• Begs to be driven to school
• Changes their usual routine
• Is unwilling to go to school (school phobic)
• Begins to go truant
• 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
• Feels ill in the morning
• Begins to do make less effort with schoolwork than previously
• Comes home with clothes torn or books damaged
• Has possessions which are damaged or “go missing”
• Asks for money or starts stealing money
• Has 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 • Lacks eye contact
• Becomes short-tempered
• A change in attitude to people at home.

These signs and behaviours could indicate other social, emotional and/or mental health problems, but bullying should be considered a possibility and should be investigated. We recognise that this policy is not an exhaustive list.

Outcomes

All known/reported incidences of bullying will be investigated by the class teacher and/or by a senior member of staff.

Parents of the perpetrator 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 e.g. 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 for Learning Policy/Appendix 1). 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. P2B and Safe

In serious cases (this is defined as children displaying an ongoing lack of response to sanctions, that is, no change in behaviour of the perpetrator and an unwillingness to alter their behaviour choices), support from behaviour outreach, P2B, reduced timetables, or even fixed or permanent exclusion will be considered.

See the school’s Behaviour for Learning policy for details on how behavioural incidents are escalated.

The Governors will be informed of any incidents recorded in the behaviour log, termly via the Headteacher’s Report.

Prevention

At North Ealing Primary School we use a variety of methods to support children in preventing and understanding the consequences of bullying through Assemblies, PSHE Citizenship lessons, SMSC Curriculum, the school Vision and Values and Rights Respecting work.

Additionally, a continued focus through Buddy Stops, Playground Leaders, E-Safety assemblies and talks, P2B message box, Place to talk and the lunchtime clubs. Children are also consulted through in-school pupil questionnaires including the Health-related survey  (YR4 and 6).

The ethos and value-based approach to learning in North Ealing mean that all staff actively encourage children to have respect for each other and for other people’s property.

Good and kind/polite behaviour is regularly acknowledged and rewarded.

Staff will regularly discuss bullying; this will inform children that we are serious about dealing with bullying and leads to open conversations and increased confidence in children to want to discuss bullying and report any incidents and concerns about other children’s behaviour.

Staff will reinforce expectations of behaviour as a regular theme in line with our vision, values and behaviour for learning policy.

Staff to follow the equality policy supporting every child in our school.

Staff must be careful not to highlight differences between children or an individual child, even if this is done in jest. This gives other children advocacy to use this difference to begin calling names or teasing.

Staff must be vigilant regarding groups of friends together. Friendship groups may bring about the imbalance of power and must be led towards welcoming others to join them and not excluding others from their group.

Staff must 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.

Recording of Bullying Incidents

When an incident of bullying has taken place, staff must be prepared to record and report each incident.

In the case of racist bullying, this must be reported to the Deputy Head for the relevant phase and /or the Headteacher.

General incidences of bullying should be recorded on My Concern and the DSL informed, this would include incidents where staff have had to become involved and speak with children, and/or where parents have raised concerns regarding bullying. The DSL will read the concern entry and categorise it under bullying. The relevant people will be notified and any actions/concern updates will be added.

 Confirmed and persistent cases of bullying must be recorded following the safeguarding procedure, as with any case of Child Protection.

All 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.

Advice to Parents

As the parent of a child whom you suspect is being bullied

1. Report bullying incidents in the first instance to the class teacher who may involve the Phase Leader or Deputy as appropriate
2. In cases of serious bullying, the incidents will be recorded by staff and the Deputy Head or Headteacher notified.
3. In serious cases, parents should be informed and will be asked to come into a meeting to discuss the problem
4. If necessary and appropriate, the police will be consulted.
5. The bullying behaviour or threats of bullying must be investigated and the bullying stopped quickly.
6. An attempt will be made to help the child using unacceptable behaviour towards others, to change their behaviour.

Do Not:

1. Attempt to sort the problem out yourself by speaking to the child whom you think maybe behaving inappropriately towards your child or by speaking to their parents.
2. Do not encourage your child to be ‘a bully’ back.

HELP ORGANISATIONS:

Policy to be approved by the
Headteacher
Policy last reviewed by the Curriculum & Standards Committee
09/02/2020
Policy last approved by the Headteacher
09/04/20
Policy/Document due for review
04/2023