Anti-bullying

Our school is one in which we want students to flourish both academically and socially. We aim to foster a healthy and safe community where individuals take responsibility for their own behaviour and show respect for others, emphasising the importance of positive relationships amongst all members of our school community.

Our school’s commitment is that when a student or parent/carer speaks out about bullying:  

• they will be listened to  
• their concerns will be taken seriously  
• the matters will be investigated  
• together we will find a way to tackle it  
• someone will be there to help and support them. 

  
What is bullying? 

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

Bullying can take many forms (for instance, cyber-bullying via social media or the internet). Bullying is often motivated by prejudice against particular groups. Examples are bullying on grounds of race, religion, belief, gender or gender identity, sexual orientation or disability, or because you are in care, have caring responsibilities or mental health issues. Bullying might be motivated by actual differences, perceived differences or because of association with someone else. 

Bullying is not one-off acts of aggression or nastiness, such behaviours if repeated, however, may be viewed as bullying. 

How do I know if my child is being bullied? 

Any unexplained change in mood or behaviour could be because of bullying or other issues at school. If this happens, try to find out what is wrong and support your child if there are any problems. You may want to contact the school to see if they are aware of any problems.

 

How do I report bullying concerns? 

Early identification of bullying is the most effective way of minimising bullying behaviour and the effects on the person being bullied. We also acknowledge that the student doing the bullying needs to understand that their behaviour is unacceptable and will need support to change their behaviour and explore the underlying reasons for bullying.

Students are encouraged to report any harmful or hurtful behaviour, even if they are not sure whether it is bullying. They are encouraged to report for themselves or for their friends. They can do this through:

 Speaking to their class teacher / Pastoral Manager / Head of Year

 Speaking to another trusted adult in the school community 

 Speaking to a parent/other adult who may then contact the school

 Reporting their concern through our online reporting tool within the SLG.

 Calling a confidential helpline such as ChildLine.

Parents and carers must inform us if they think or know there is a problem for their own child or for another child. They can do this by contacting their child's form tutor or Head of Year. Parents and carers who want more support in how to respond if their child is being bullied may find this leaflet helpful: Safe from bullying - Supporting your child

Students can report concerns through their SLG homepage using the support link, which is in the quick link section.

  Are you worried? 

There is some great advice about keeping yourself safe in the safer schools app which has been launched to our whole school community.  Welcome - Safer Schools (oursaferschools.co.uk)

App Download Instructions - Safer Schools download instructions.pdf (dorothy-stringer.co.uk)

Acess Codes: Safe Schools Access Codes.pdf

 

Helpful links: 

Bullying in school for parents and carers 

Help with bullying at school for children and young people 

Community Safety Casework Team