Anti-Bullying at The Federation of Earlswood Schools

We are proud to be an Anti-Bullying School. We aim to provide a safe, caring and friendly environment for all our pupils to allow them to learn effectively, improve their life chances and help them to maximise their potential. We would expect all our pupils to feel safe in school and have an understanding of the issues relating to safety, such as bullying. We want them to feel confident to seek support from school should they feel unsafe.

The Anti-Bullying Leader in our school is Julie Chandler.

What is Bullying?

‘Behaviour by an individual or group usually repeated over time, that intentionally hurts another individual or group either physically or emotionally’ (Safe to Learn: embedding Anti- Bullying work in schools).

How does bullying differ from teasing/falling out between friends or other types of aggressive behaviour?

· There is deliberate intention to hurt or humiliate

· There is a power imbalance that makes it hard for the victim to defend themselves

· It is usually persistent

Occasionally an incident may be deemed to be bullying even if the behaviour has not been repeated or persistent – if it fulfils all other descriptions of bullying. This possibility should be considered, particularly in cases of sexual, sexist, racist or homophobic bullying and when children with disabilities are involved. If the victim might be in danger then intervention is urgently required.

Bullying is not tolerated and racist remarks are treated as abuse or bullying. Racism will always be treated very seriously and expulsion may be a sanction following an incident of racism.

Reporting and Responding to Bullying

Our school has clear and well publicised systems to report bullying for the whole school community (including staff, parents/carers, children and young people) this includes those who are the victims of bullying or have witnessed bullying behaviour (bystanders)

Systems for reporting incidents of bullying/cyber bullying:

Children:

· Speak to the nearest available adult about the incident

· Report an incident that has happened to them but also an incident that they have witnessed

· This will be recorded and passed to the class teacher and /or the Anti-Bullying Leader (ABL)

· If the incident requires following up, the ABL will speak to the parties involved in line with our Anti-Bullying procedures.

· In the incident of cyber bullying include ICT leader in above steps so that curriculum and training needs for staff, parents and pupils can be assessed.

Parents / carers:

· Speak to class teacher about the incident

· Class teacher will log the details of the incident and pass to the ABL

· If the incident requires following up, the ABL will speak to the parties involved in line with our Anti-Bullying procedures.

· If parents are not satisfied with how the class teacher has managed the incident they can speak to the ABL.

If you would like to know more about Anti-Bullying at our school, please read our Anti-Bullying Policy.

Below are links to some useful websites about Anti-Bullying:

Parent and carer tool kit by the Anti-Bullying Alliance

https://www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/tools-information/advice-parents

Advice for parents and carers by Bullying UK

http://www.bullying.co.uk/advice-for-parents/

Bullying and cyberbullying by NSPCC

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/child-abuse-and-neglect/bullying-and-cyberbullying/