Anti-Bullying Policy

In our school, the wellbeing and education of all our children comes first.

CONTENTS

1.0 Expectations of Behaviour

What is Bullying?

2.0 Why does bullying happen?

3.0 Where does bullying happen?

4.0 What should I do if I think someone is being bullied?

5.0 What should I do if I am being bullied?

6.0 Teachers and support staff

7.0 School procedures on bullying

8.0 Pastoral Team

9.0 Pupil Comments

1.0 Expectations of Behaviour:

In our school, the wellbeing and education of all our children comes first.

All members of Co-op Academy Woodslee are expected to behave with consideration and care for one another.  At Woodslee, we foster kind and respectful relationships with others as reflected in our class and whole school rules.  It is also reflected in our Online Safety Policy and Behaviour Policy,  the principles of restorative justice, when we do something wrong we make amends and learn from our mistakes.

What is bullying?

Bullying is when a person is hurtful or unkind to someone else, on purpose and more than once.  It can be carried out by one person or by groups of people including children, staff or parents. Bullying is a conscious desire to hurt, to threaten, to frighten someone or to obtain power over someone (usually over a period of time or on a regular basis.) This is completely unacceptable behaviour. Bullies often try to involve other people in their behaviour. Onlookers who do nothing often contribute to the problem of bullying. If bullying is not tackled immediately, it can have serious consequences. Children bully for lots of different reasons, but mostly because they are not happy.

Bullying can be:

• Hitting or saying you are going to hit someone;
• Touching someone when they don’t want you to;
• Calling someone names, teasing, using rude language or saying nasty things about someone to them or to other people;
• Stealing or damaging someone else’s belongings;
• Ignoring someone on purpose or leaving them out;
• Sending hurtful or unkind texts, emails or online messages to someone or about someone.

Bullying can be about:

• Race or ethnicity (racist bullying);
• Religion or belief;
• Family and culture;
• Sexist bullying, which is bullying someone because of their gender.  For example, because they are a boy or girl, or saying they are acting ‘like a boy’ or ‘like a girl’;
• Homophobic or biphobic bullying.  This is saying unkind things because someone is lesbian, gay or bisexual, or because you think they are, or because they have two mums or two dads.  It is also calling someone lesbian, gay or bisexual on purpose to be unkind or nasty to them, for example, ‘You’re so gay!’
• Transphobic bullying.  This is saying unkind things because someone is trans, or because you think they are trans, or being nasty about trans people (someone who feels the gender they are given as a baby doesn’t match the gender that they feel themselves to be);
• Special Educational Needs or disability;
• What someone looks like;
• Where someone lives.

2.0 Why does bullying happen?

Although bullying doesn’t happen very much at this school it might happen.  Bullies can be older or younger than you, bigger or smaller than you.  Bullies pick on people who may be different in some way and try to make them feel worse about themselves.  If you are being bullied remember that it is never your fault.

3.0 Where does bullying happen?

Bullying can happen at school, after school or online.

Bullying which occurs outside school premises:

School staff members have the power to discipline pupils for misbehaving outside the school premises. This may include bullying incidents occurring anywhere off the school premises, such as on public transport, outside the local shops, or in a town or village centre. Where bullying outside school is reported to school staff, it will be investigated and acted on. The Headteacher will also consider whether it is appropriate to notify the police or anti-social behaviour coordinator in their local authority of the action taken against a pupil.

4.0 What should I do if I think someone is being bullied?

Talk to the person and ask if they’re ok and try to find out if they are being bullied.  If they are, ask if you can help them talk to a teacher or an adult they trust.

5.0 What should I do if I’m being bullied?

If you are being bullied it is important to tell someone you trust.  Tell an adult or friends, either at school or at home.  If you have already told an adult about bullying you can still tell them again.  You can:

•        Tell a teacher – your class teacher or any other teacher;

•        Tell any other adult staff in school – such as Midday Assistants, Teaching Assistants or Office Staff;

•        Tell an adult at home;

•        You can also call ChildLine at any time for free on 0800 1111.  

If you tell a teacher or an adult at school, they will be able to help you.  They may tell another teacher like your class teacher, or a parent or carer so that they can help you.  Telling an adult will never make the bullying worse.  They will talk to you and the bully to find ways to stop the bullying.

6.0 Teachers and support staff:

• Watch for signs of distress in pupils: deterioration of work, isolation, patterns of illness, erratic attendance, or the desire to remain with adults (although these could also be signs that are symptomatic of other problems).
• Listen carefully to what pupils tell you and record all the incidents on C-POMS alerting appropriate staff.
• Offer immediate support to victims and put the school’s procedures into operation. (see below)
• Confidentiality must always include the pastoral team and never impinge on safeguarding (please refer to the Safeguarding Policy).
• Continue to watch for signs of further bullying.
• If appropriate, increase Social, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural (SMSC) work in the curriculum to assist children in dealing with the problems.
• If appropriate, discuss Drawing and Talking support.

7.0 School Procedures on Bullying:

As a school, we respond promptly and effectively to any bullying that occurs.

1. Staff arrive as promptly as possible for any break or lunchtime duties. Clear evidence of staff on duty is itself a deterrent to bullying.

2. Racist/Sexist/Homophobic/Cyber issues should be passed on to the pastoral staff as quickly as possible to build a picture.

3. If in doubt – share with a member of the SLT.

4. The following procedures will be used by the pastoral team where appropriate:

• Speak to both parties about unacceptable behaviour.
• If the matter is a second incident, inform the SLT and keep a record.
• The Behaviour Policy is to be used in conjunction with this policy for sanctions to

children who persist in ‘bullying’ behaviours.

• If necessary, the parents of both pupils will be invited to see the SLT/Headteacher.
• The Headteacher will explore issues through assembly; class teachers will explore them through PSHE lessons and circle time.

Pupils should be used as a positive resource in countering bullying. The problem may be discussed within a class group at circle time or during PSHE or with other groups of children. Pupils should be recruited if possible to help newcomers to be accepted. Sexual, homophobic and racial harassment needs to be dealt with in the same way, although this must be recorded and reported upon. This will often be done through PSHE using thought provoking materials, during anti-bullying week (inclusion week) as a whole school approach, and/or through assembly time.  MEAS will also be consulted over any racial harassment and advice and materials provided will be used with the children.

8.0 Pastoral Team 

Executive Headteacher –Ms Katy Bergman

Deputy Headteacher – Mrs Julia Haggett

SENDCo – Mrs Leanne McGowan

Family Partnership Worker – Miss Claire Rutherford

9.0 Pupil Comments

What is bullying?

Y5 - bullying is being unkind on purpose over a few days

Y4 - bullying is being mean to someone over and over

Y3- hurting people and being bad to them

Y1 - being mean to someone

Y6 - bullying is when someone is verbally, emotionally or physically hurting you repeatedly over a period of time.

Has anyone ever been unkind to someone just because?

Y3- I ask them why they are doing unkind things and they say they don’t know why they are doing it. They probably won't be happy out it once someone has told them of

Y6 - People might do this because they have a different opinion or personality. Someone might do this because they have been bullied in the past, think they will get away with it and because they are upset about themselves.

What can bullying look like?

Y5 - It could be anything and is different to different people

Y4 - It can be hurting someone, saying unkind words, hitting someone, hurting people’s feelings, using swear words

Y3- When someone punches someone or kicks them and is unkind

Y1 - when you hurt someone, when you use mean words

Y6 - It could be shouting at you, laughing at you or being unkind everyday. Physically hurting someone or calling names. Bullying can be online or in person.

Feel Like?

Y5 - like you don’t want to come to school because something might happen

Y4 - worried or scared

Y3- it feels like being unhappy

Y1 - it makes you feel sad

Y6 - upsetting, draining, angry, scared, anxious, in pain and depressed

How do you know if it is someone who is just having a bad day or if it is someone who has bigger things going on? Is their heart sad?

Y5 - Something might have happened at home.

        People can bully someone because they are jealous of what they have.

   Y4 - If they bullied you because they were getting bullied. Unkind every day.

Y3- There really different bullying is punching and kicking and having a bad day is feeling sad

Y1 - Yes, they might be sad.

Y6 - They might do something one day and not again, then they might just be having a bad day. If they do it more than once then they are bullying. Not open to talk about their feelings.

What do you do if someone is unkind to you?

Y5 - sometimes I will deal with it myself or I will tell my teacher after break.

Y4 - tell the teacher, say stop

Y3- walk away and go and tell a teacher

Y1 - tell the teacher

Y6 - Talk to a teacher, walk away or tell a trusted person

What do you say?

Y4 - please stop it now. Stop ignoring me. Please stop it, it is making me feel unwell.

Y3- Stop I don’t like it

Y1 - stop, that is not being kind

Y6 - Stop it, please leave me alone

How do you respond?

Y4 - Tell a teacher

Y3-Talk to them and tell them they have hurt you but I feel comfortable around you now

Y1 - tell the teacher

Y6 - Tell a teacher, talk to a trusted adult or friend

What might the person making this choice towards you be feeling?

Y3- they don't care about what they are doing because they are bullies and don’t like you

Y1 - because they want something you have

Y6 - Feeling sad about something in their own lives, powerful or angry

How can we help?

Y4 - Speak to the bully, Have more teachers on the playground, take away their break, Stay close to the person being bullied

Y3- Not play with people who hurt you so let us play with children we like

Y6 - Have consequences for their actions e.g. separate break times.

What words can we use?

Y3-Stop you are hurting me

How can we keep ourselves safe whilst helping another person?

Y3- Go and tell the teacher

Y6 - Not get involved and tell a teacher.

What words can we use to make sure that the other person knows it is not okay to touch us/speak to us/ isolate us?

Y5 - We can say how we feel about it, we can be strong and ask if they are okay.

Y4 - stop it, It’s not going to help you, it will make you feel worse.

Y3- Stop you're hurting my feelings and it’s not kind

Y6 - Ask the bully how they are, tell the bully that you don’t want them to hurt you, speak to you in that way or have an adult to supervise the conversation. Ask Miss R to speak to family to see what is happening.

What do you do if someone is targeting someone else and you see it?

Y5 - I try to say something myself to them and then let a teacher know

Y4 - Tell a teacher.

Y3- try to stop it and if I couldn't stop it I would tell the teacher and I would play with the one that the bully was hurting

Y6 - Tell a teacher but stay out of it

What do you do if you hear someone use unkind words to another person in our school?

Y3- I have heard children say bad words before and me and my friend told the teacher straight away

Y1 - tell the teacher and be nice to the person who will be sad

Y6 - Tell a teacher, tell them to stop and don’t repeat those words.

What can we do as teachers to make things better?

Y4 - tell the bullies parents

Y3- give us a hug and tell the other ones to not do it again

Y6 - speak to the bully and their parents and speak to the person being bullied.

Who uses the worry boxes?

Y4 - we have sometimes, but no one has spoken to us about it

Y3- No because I don’t have worries in school and if I do it is usually things I dont need to worry about so I stop worrying about them

Y1 - *were not sure what these were*

Y6 - We haven’t used it but know where it is. We usually speak to a teacher.

What would be a good way to use these?

Y3- If your really worrying about things than use it and when you get home you can hug your tidy and say I done that I am happy about it now I am not worrying about it

Y6 - Before we go out to break and lunch, give children a post it note to write their worry and put it in the box.

Why do we have to think about the bully’s response? How does that help us?

Y4 - Can we help them too

Y3-It helps us to not do it we learn from them

Y6 -  We can try to help them learn from their mistakes

Y6: The children liked that teachers are always there to give support and suggest strategies even if an incident has happened outside of school.

Y1:

The children said they would take the following actions if they were being bullied:

tell an adult, don't hit back, look out for our friends.

They said that if their friend was being bullied they would make sure they told their teachers and also their parents.