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Principles and Values
As an academy we take bullying seriously. Pupils and parents should be assured that they will be supported when bullying is reported.
Bullying will not be tolerated. The academy will seek ways to counter the effects of bullying that may occur within the Academy. The ethos of our academy fosters high expectations of outstanding behaviour and we will challenge any behaviour that falls below this.
Objectives of this Policy
All of us have encountered bullying at some point in our lives, but we all deal with it differently. The aim of this policy is to work together to ensure that the academy is a safe place for children and adults to be, whether the academy’s community is directly or indirectly affected by bullying or not.
What Is Bullying?
Bullying is behaviour by an individual or group, usually repeated over time, that intentionally hurts another individual or group either physically or emotionally. In other words, ‘lots of times, on purpose’.
Bullying can be short term or continuous over long periods of time.
Bullying can be: Emotional being unfriendly, excluding, tormenting (e.g. hiding books, threatening gestures)
Physical pushing, kicking, hitting, punching or any use of violence
Racial racial taunts, graffiti, gestures
Direct or indirect Verbal – name-calling, sarcasm, spreading rumours, teasing
Cyber bullying – All areas of internet ,such as email & internet chat room misuse Mobile threats by text messaging & calls
Misuse of associated technology , i.e. camera & video facilities
Bullying may be related to:
Bullying can take place in the classroom, playground, toilets and cyberspace. It can take place during the school day, in the classroom, in the corridor or toilets, on the playground and out of school whilst on day visits.
Bullies and Victims
Bullying takes place where there is an imbalance of power of bully over victim.
This can be achieved by:
Research shows that children whose parents are overprotective, may fall into the category of bully or victim in almost equal numbers. This makes these children more vulnerable to being bullied or becoming bullies, but this group is not exclusive.
Staff must remain vigilant about bullying and approach this in the same way as any other category of Child Abuse; that is, do not wait to be told before you raise concerns or deal directly with the matter. Children may not be aware that they are being bullied; they may be too young or have Special Educational Needs.
Staff should be able to identify children who may be vulnerable and who could fall victim to bullying as well as those who may demonstrate bullying behaviour.
Provocative Victim – research shows that some children are provocative victims – this means that they actively seek responses from others, often using their own behaviours to insight a reaction from others to either bring attention to themselves or to get others into trouble.
Why is it Important to Respond to Bullying?
Bullying hurts. No one deserves to be a victim of bullying. Bullying has the potential to damage the mental health of a victim. Everybody has the right to be treated with respect. Pupils who are bullying need to learn different ways of behaving.
Signs and Symptoms
A child may indicate by signs or behaviour that he or she is being bullied. Adults should be aware of these possible signs and that they should investigate if a child:
These signs and behaviours could indicate other problems, but bullying should be considered a possibility and should be investigated
Outcomes
Prevention
At Loydence Academy we use a variety of methods for helping children to prevent bullying through class assemblies and Circle Time.
The ethos and working philosophy of Loydence Academy means that all staff actively encourage children to have respect for each other and for other people’s property.
Good and kind/polite behaviour is regularly acknowledged and rewarded.
Staff will regularly discuss bullying, this will inform children that we are serious about dealing with bullying and leads to open conversations and increased confidence in children to want to discuss bullying.
Staff will reinforce expectations of behaviour as a regular discussion.
Staff will be welcoming to every child to our academy. Staff must be careful not to highlight differences of children or an individual child, even if this is done in jest. This gives other children advocacy to use this difference to begin calling names or teasing.
Staff must be vigilant regarding groups of friends together. Groups/gangs bring about the imbalance of power and must be broken up from around the central bully.
Staff must reinforce a general message that children do not have to be friends with everyone else, but they must be respectful of everyone else’s feelings.
Children are involved in the prevention of bullying as and when appropriate, these may include:
If a child feels that they are being bullied then there are several procedures that they are encouraged to follow: (not hierarchical)
Recording of Bullying Incidents
When an incident of bullying has taken place, staff must be prepared to record and report each incident. Report forms are kept in a folder in the Principal’s office. This folder must not be taken out of the office.
In the case of racist bullying, this must be reported to the Principal.
All incidents of bullying will be discussed with all relevant staff and parents of the children involved, in order that everyone can be vigilant and that bullying may be prevented from happening in the future.
Advice to Parents
As the parent of a child whom you suspect is being bullied-
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