This policy has been written in light of the Department for Education and Standard’s (DfE) publications “Working Together to Safeguard Children” and “Don’t Suffer in Silence” current guidance from Kidscape and the Anti-Bullying Alliance.
This document sets out the Academy’s policy in relation to the issue of bullying. It reflects abelief that bullying is not acceptable under any circumstances and that it is best prevented through the development of a School ethos based on mutual respect, fairness and equality. It also acknowledges that bullying behaviour is problematic for the victim and perpetrator alike and embodies support and management strategies that are pragmatic and non-oppressive.
All students have an absolute right to be educated in a safe and secure environment and to be protected from others who may wish to harm, degrade or abuse them.
There is no justification whatsoever for bullying behaviour and it should not be tolerated inany form. Differences including race, religion, gender, sexual orientation and ability are absolutely repudiated as reasons for bullying.
Bullying behaviour is a problem from both the victim and the bully and should be addressedin positive and constructive ways which provide opportunities for growth and development for the individuals involved.
Effective management of bullying is a shared responsibility and strategies should involve school staff and students, parents/carers and other professionals.
It is important to invest time and resources in the prevention and management of bullying.Staff and students require advice, training and support to manage it with confidence.
To achieve a school ethos in which each student is safe and able to realise their full potential within an environment in which bullying is seen as inappropriate and unacceptable.
To demonstrate to parents/carers that the school takes their children’s welfare seriously,by having zero tolerance towards bullying behaviour.
To have clear and consistent procedures for responding to incidents of bullying.
In order to meet our aims, we intend to:
Bullying is any interaction between an individual or group of people with a more powerful individual or group which is perceived or intended to cause hurt, pain, suffering, humiliationor degradation over a period of time.
Bullying & Hate Crime can take a number of forms:
When a pupil persistently or repeatedly acts in such a way that another’s happiness is directly or seriously affected, this will be regarded as bullying.
Bullying behaviour may be direct or indirect. Direct forms include physical violence and threats; verbal assaults and taunts; the destruction of property; extortion; unwanted sexual interest or contact. Examples of indirect forms of bullying include ignoring and the withdrawal of friendship; excluding; malicious gossip and spreading rumour; abusive or oppressive graffiti or cyber bulling through social media, electronic messages/websites.
Hate crime is defined as “Any hate incident, which constitutes a criminal offence, which is perceived by the victim or any other person, as being motivated by hostility or prejudice”
Lime Hills Academy takes all forms of bullying seriously and is particularly concerned to take action in relation to any incidents which involve racist, sexist or homophobic elements.”.
All staff will be aware that children can abuse other children and that it can happen both inside and outside of school and online. Staff are trained to recognise the indicators and signs of child on child abuse, be vigilant in identifying it and respond to reports.
All staff should understand, that even if there are no reports in their schools or colleges it does not mean it is not happening, it may be the case that it is just not being reported. Staff are vigilant and there is a culture of reporting any concerns regarding peer-on-peer abuse on CPOMS and to the designated safeguarding lead.
Staff will challenge inappropriate behaviours between peers, many of which are listed below, that are actually abusive in nature.
Child on child abuse is most likely to include, but may not be limited to:
Downplaying certain behaviours, for example dismissing sexual harassment as “just banter”, “just having a laugh”, “part of growing up” or “boys being boys” can lead to a culture of unacceptable behaviours, an unsafe environment for children and in worst case scenarios a culture that normalises abuse leading to children accepting it as normal and not coming forward to report it.
This policy applies only to incidents of bullying which take place on School premises or travelling to or from school. The school is not legally responsible for bullying which takes place elsewhere. However, the School is always interested in the welfare and conducts of its students and will respond positively to any information it receives about bullying outside school if it impacts on student well-being.
If there are concerns about a student’s safety outside the school then parents/carers would be advised to contact the local police.
If students are being bullied by students of another school the Head of that school will be informed and we will work together to resolve the matter.
All staff involved in the education and/or supervision of students will be made aware of theissue of bullying and the need to apply the Academy’s policy of zero-tolerance consistentlywhen episodes of bullying are witnessed or reported. Staff will constantly reinforce the message to students that bullying is unacceptable and will take positive action to prevent and control it.
Lime Hills Academy will promote the message that bullying is unacceptable and will not be tolerated
through a range of different approaches including displays in corridors and classrooms, taking part in Anti-Bullying Week activities and discussing relevant agenda items with students regularly.
In addition, the issue of bullying will be raised with students at a number of levels including:
In a group environment - Through small group assemblies, morning breakfasts, and Personal and Social Education/Citizenshiplessons where children will be informed of the school’s zero-tolerance policy and the actions that will be taken to prevent bullying taking place.
Outside agencies/groups may be used to reinforce the message.
At individual level – students who are felt to be at risk of bullying (or who have suffered from bullying in the past) will be offered additional support and guidance. Students who have bullied others will be given advice and support and taught strategies to enable them to bring their unacceptable behaviour under control and to prevent further incidents.
The school recognises that there are particular times when and places where students may be more vulnerable to bullying – lunch and break times and the beginning and end of the school day. High levels of staffing ensure that there is enhanced supervision available to reduce the risk of bullying incidents.
Students will be encouraged to talk to staff about incidents of bullying which they experience or of which they may be aware. In these circumstances staff will respond positively, take the expression of concern seriously and ensure that the matter is fully investigated.
Parents who believe their children are the victim of bullying should share their concerns with the school at the earliest opportunity and be prepared to work with the school to keep their children safe in future. All expressions of concern will be taken seriously and investigated. Similarly, if parents believe their child is bullying others, this information should be shared with the school so that the problem can be addressed and a plan agreed to prevent further incidents and the bullying child helped to change behaviour.
Lime Hills Academy is firmly committed to working in partnership with parents/carers and believe that the best outcomes emerge when professionals and parents /careers work together when bullying occurs. We recognise the important influence which parents/carers have on their children and would wish to enlist their support when their child is involved in bullying – either as a victim or perpetrator.
All Lime Hills staff must be alert to the signs of bullying or hate crime and act promptly and firmly against it in accordance with school policy.
We also understand that children often bully other children if they have been exposed to significant trauma and the perpetrators of bullying need support as well as the victims.
The following steps may be taken when dealing with incidents:
When required the SLT will support staff with investigations, consequences and parental meetings.
The school is committed to creating a bully-free environment and will ensure that its zero- tolerance policy is applied. All staff involved in the teaching and/or supervision of students will take responsibility for addressing incidents and will ensure that the victim receives the required support. The bully will be informed of the unacceptability of his/her behaviour and arecord will be made of the incident.
All students are made aware that staff need to be informed of any incidents or concerns andthat action will be take when bullying is reported.
When a member of staff receives information, either directly or indirectly, that a child mayhave been the victim of a bullying incident, this report will be taken seriously and investigated.
The school will offer a sympathetic and supportive response to students who are the victims of bullying. The nature of the response will be determined by the situation and thestudent’s individual needs. Responses may include:
Lime Hills Academy takes bullying behaviour very seriously and will adopt a supportive, pragmatic, problem-solving approach to enable bullies to behave in a more acceptable way. We will also address bystander involvement in bullying incidents. We will respond to incidents of bullying behaviour in a proportionate way – the more serious the concern, the more serious the response. When sanctions are felt to benecessary, they will be applied consistently and fairly. We accept that punishment is not always helpful in managing this problem but it may be necessary in situations where other responses have failed.
Responses may include:
Each incident of bullying will be recorded by the Academy. Any incidents with a racist, sexist or homophobic element will be identified.
An annual report will be made to the School Council indicating trends which may emerge.
Senior Staff and Councillors will evaluate the effectiveness of the policy and agree adjustments that may be necessary to address any current concerns. These will be shared with staff, parents/carers and students.
