Anti-Bullying Policy
Tower College takes seriously its duty of care towards its pupils with regard to bullying in that the Principal and staff stand in loco parentis. As a Christian School, we aim to foster caring relationships between all members of the school, treating one another with kindness and where all members feel valued. Our duty of care includes protecting pupils from harm from bullying. This policy takes full account of the school’s legal obligations under the Education Act of 1986 to:
- Have a policy to prevent all forms of bullying amongst pupils
- To make a written copy of the anti-bullying statement available on request
- To set out the strategies to be followed with a system to implement them and a mechanism for monitoring and reviewing their effectiveness.
Definition of Bullying
Bullying can defined in a number of ways. We follow DfES guidance which defines bullying as: “Bullying is deliberately hurtful behaviour repeated often over a period of time or on isolated occasions, where somebody deliberately intimidates or harasses another”. (DfES September 2002) Bullying has been described by pupils as:- Name calling
- Teasing
- Physical abuse e.g. hitting, pushing, pinching or kicking
- Having personal possessions taken
- Receiving abusive text messages or e-mails
- Being forced to hand over money
- Being forced to do things they do not want to do
- Being ignored or left out
- Being attacked in any way due to religion, gender, sexuality, disability, appearance or racial or ethnic origin.
Specific Examples of Bullying
Racist bullying – an incident which is perceived to be racist by the victim or any other person. This can be in the form of:- Verbal abuse, name calling, racist jokes, offensive mimicry.
- Physical threats or attacks
- Bringing racist leaflets, comics or magazines
- Inciting others to behave in a racist way
- Racist graffiti or other written insults, even against food, music, dress or customs
- Refusing to co-operate in work or play
- Abusive name calling
- Looks and comments about appearance, attractiveness, emerging puberty
- Inappropriate and uninvited touching
- Sexual innuendos and propositions
- Pornographic material, graffiti with sexual content
- In its extreme form, sexual assault or rape
- Use of homophobic language
- Looks and comments about sexual orientation or appearance.
- Name calling
- Comments on appearance
- Comments with regard to perceived ability and achievement levels
The need for adult sensitivity should be taken into account in a number of instances, e.g. when grouping children, marking children’s work, sharing of results and assessment arrangements as well as an awareness of appropriate language being used when addressing pupils.
Text bullying – this is on the increase and can involve pupils receiving threatening or disturbing messages from possible anonymous callers. Tower College has a complete ban on mobile phones in school, but we are aware that such bullying at home between pupils can have its effect on school relationships.
MSN and Email bullying – this too is of increasing concern, particularly when pupils use the passwords and identities of other pupils
We at Tower College believe 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 the school community will be listened to and taken seriously
- Everyone has the right to work and learn in an atmosphere that is free from fear
- Each of us has a responsibility to ensure that we do not abuse or bully others
- 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.
- 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.
Aims of the Policy
- To assist in creating an ethos in which attending school is a positive experience for all members of the school community
- To make it clear that all forms of bullying are unacceptable at school
- To enable everyone to feel safe while at school and encourage pupils to report incidences of bullying
- To deal effectively with bullying
- To support and protect victims of bullying and ensure they are heard
- To help and support bullies to change their attitudes as well as their behaviour and understand why it needs to change
- To liaise with parents and other appropriate members of the school community
- To ensure all members of the school community feel responsible for combating bullying
Objectives
- To ensure that all parents receive the school anti-bullying policy
- To maintain and develop effective listening systems for pupils and staff within the school
- To involve all staff in dealing with incidents of bullying effectively and promptly
- To equip all staff with the skills necessary to deal with bullying
- To involve the wider school community in dealing effectively with, and if necessary referring, bullying incidents
- To communicate with parents and the wider school community effectively on the subject of bullying
- To acknowledge the key role of the class teacher/form teacher in dealing with incidents of bullying
- To ensure that all incidents of bullying are recorded and appropriate use is made of the information and where appropriate shared with relevant organisations
Specific School Targets
- To ensure that all governors, parents, pupils, teaching and non-teaching staff have seen and had the opportunity to discuss the policy
- To ensure all staff are familiar with the procedure for reporting incidents
- To ensure all incidents of bullying are recorded and monitored
- To ensure every pupil receives regular Form Periods
- To foster a caring atmosphere in and around school, in which pupils feel able to intervene to help victims and to report incidents
- To implement the SEAL (social and emotional aspects of learning) curriculum throughout the school
Code of Conduct (with regard to school behaviour and relationships within the school community)
We recognise that all adults in the school are role models for the students. The way in which we behave towards each other and to students is particularly important in terms of providing positive role models. Therefore, as adults we must:- Show respect for every student and other colleagues within the school community as individuals
- Be aware of vulnerable students
- Criticise the behaviour rather that the student
- Avoid favouritism
- Be seen to be fair
- Avoid labelling
- Have high expectations of students
- Never give students ammunition to use against each other
- Actively seek to develop a praise culture within the school
- Show respect for their fellow students and adults working within the school community
- Support and be sensitive to others when they may be feeling vulnerable
- Actively seek to develop a praise culture within the school
- Actively support the school anti-bullying policy
- Take responsibility for their own behaviour
Equal Opportunities
Every member of the school community is entitled to expect equality of protection from bullying as well as protection and support from school policies and procedures designed to ensure that the school remains a safe environment in which to teach and learn.
Procedures and Dealing with Incidents – A Whole School Approach
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Role of pupils in recording a bullying incident
Follow the school guide to reporting and dealing with bullying incidents. (See Appendix 1 for Anti-Bullying Immediate Response Chart)
- Guidance for parents If your child has been bullied:
- Calmly talk with your child about his/her experiences
- Make a note of what your child says including who was involved, how often the bullying has occurred, where it happened and what happened.
- Reassure your child that he/she has done the right thing to tell you about the bullying
- Explain to your child that should any further incidents occur he/she report them to a teacher immediately
- Make an appointment to see the Principal
- Explain to the Principal the problems your child is experiencing
- Try to stay calm and bear in mind that the Principal may be unaware that your child is being bullied or may have heard conflicting accounts of an incident.
- Be as specific as possible about what your child says has happened, give dates, places and names of other children involved
- Make a note of what action the school intends to take
- Ask if there is anything you can do to help your child or the school
- Stay in touch with the school and let them know if things improve as well as if problems continue
- Talk with your child and explain that what he/she is doing is unacceptable and makes other children unhappy
- Discourage other members of your family from bullying behaviour or from using aggression or force to get what they want
- Show your child how he/she can join in with other children without bullying
- Make an appointment to see the Principal and explain the problems your child is experiencing as well as discussing how you can work together to stop him/her bullying others
- Regularly check with your child how things are going at school
- Give your child lots of praise and encouragement when he/she is co-operative or kind to other people
- Ensure your child is careful of whom they give their mobile phone number and e-mail address to
- Check exactly when a threatening message was sent
- Where necessary report incidents to the police
Role of Staff
Follow the Staff Handbook when reporting and dealing with bullying incidents. (See Appendix 1 for Anti-Bullying Immediate Response Chart)
Sanctions
Our school has set sanctions for dealing with incidents of bullying (see Behaviour and Discipline policy and Parents’ Pupils’ Guide). In the event of all other avenues being exhausted or in particularly serious cases this may lead to expulsion.
Strategies to Reduce Bullying
The school adopts a range of strategies to prevent bullying, to raise awareness of bullying and to support victims and bullies. The school’s ethos, particularly as a Christian School nurtures the pupils and encourages close friendships in which the children not only flourish themselves, but learn to nurture others. Staff, prefects and older pupils lead by example. The talks given in form periods and Departmental Morning Assemblies which cover such topics as:
- Communication skills
- Ability to put oneself in another’s shoes
- Honesty
- Responsibility in conjunction with rights
- Caring for the vulnerable, unhappy, distressed
- Courage in standing up to bullies – for oneself or others
Confidentiality
Our staff cannot promise absolute confidentiality if approached by a pupil for help. Staff must make this clear to pupils. Child protection procedures must be followed when any disclosures are made. It is very rare for a pupil to request absolute confidentiality. If they do, in situations other than those involving child protection issues, staff must make a careful judgement whether or not a third party needs to be informed. This judgement will be based upon:
- The seriousness of the situation and the degree of harm that the pupil may be experiencing
- The pupil’s age, maturity and competence to make their own decisions
Where it is clear that a pupil would benefit from the involvement of a third party, staff should seek consent of the pupil to do so. If appropriate, staff might inform the third party together with the pupil, unless clearly inappropriate. Pupils will always be encouraged to talk to their parent/guardian. An underlying principle in supporting pupils in our school is that all children are listened to sensitively and objectively and all incidences of bullying will be taken seriously. Although our school cannot guarantee confidentiality pupils will be informed of national and local help lines, if appropriate, where confidentiality can be maintained.
Support for Pupils who Experience Bullying
If you are being bullied
- Tell an adult or somebody you trust what has happened straight away
- Get away from the situation as quickly as possible
- Try to stay calm and look as confident as you can
- Be firm and clear – look them in the eye and, if possible, tell them to stop and tell them how you feel
- Tell a teacher or another adult you trust within the school
- Tell your family
- If you are scared to tell a teacher or adult on your own, ask a friend to go with you.
- Keep on speaking until someone listens and does something to stop the bullying
- Do not blame yourself for what has happened
- What has happened to you
- How often it has happened
- Who was involved
- Who saw what was happening
- What you have done about it already
- Tell a friend, parent or teacher
- Be careful who you give your mobile phone number or e-mail address to
- Make a note of exactly when a threatening message was sent
Monitoring Arrangements
This policy will be evaluated and updated where necessary annually. The views of our pupils and staff will be used to make changes and improvements to the policy on an ongoing basis.
Dissemination of the Policy
Staff Meetings, Senior Management Meetings, Governors’ Meeting
Signed for and on behalf of the Governors
Miss R J Oxley, Principal and Company Secretary, 1st September 2007.
Local and National Contacts
Childline
Telephone Number 0800 1111 (Open 24 hours a day)
For children who are deaf or hard of hearing textphone service 0800 400222
NSPCC
Telephone Number 0808 800 5000
A registered charity dedicated to stopping cruelty to children
KIDSCAPE
Telephone Number 020 7730 3300 (Bullying councillor available Monday – Friday 10.00 a.m. - 4.00 p.m.)
Anti Bullying Campaign Telephone Number 0207 378 1446 (Advice line for parents and children 9.30 a.m. – 5.00 p.m.)
Advisory Centre for Education
Telephone Number 0207 354 8321 (Advice line for parents on all school matters open Mon – Fri 2.00 p.m. – 5.00 p.m.)
Parentline Plus
Telephone Number 0808 800 2222
(National Helpline for parents Monday – Friday 9.00 a.m. – 9.00 p.m., Saturday 9.30 – 5.00 p.m., Sunday 10.00 a.m. – 3.00 p.m.)
Useful Websites regarding bullying in schools
- BBC Bullying Survival Guide
- Provides information, guidelines for dealing with all aspects of bullying, a help and resource list and accounts of celebrities who were bullied when they were at school
- Childline
- Gives details on the CHIPS initiative and other information regarding bullying
- Kidscape
- Gives advice and support for victims, schools and parents
- Bullying Online
- A registered charity, which contains advice for both parents and pupils
- NSPCC
- A registered charity dedicated to stopping cruelty to children
- Bullyweb
- A research site with links to other sites on bullying
Contents of Anti-Bullying Policy
School Details
- How this Policy was developed
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- Definition of Bullying
- Specific Examples of Bullying
- School Statement of Intent (with regard to its position on bullying)
- Aims of the Policy
- Objectives
- Specific School Targets
- Code of Conduct(with regard to school behaviour and relationships within the school community)
- Equal Opportunities
- Procedures/Dealing with Incidents A Whole School Approach
-
- Role of pupils in reporting a bullying incident
- Guidance for parents
- Role of Staff
- Sanctions
- Strategies to Reduce Bullying
- Confidentiality
- Support for Pupils who experience Bullying
- Monitoring Arrangements
- Dissemination of the Policy
- Policy Review and Development Plan
Appendices
- Anti-Bullying/Immediate Response Chart
- School Bullying incident Form
- LEA Monitoring of Bullying Incidents
- Ensuring Ownership of your Schools’ Anti-Bullying Policy
- Local And National Contacts