Anti-Bullying Policy s3

Oakgrove

Anti-Bullying Policy including Anti Cyber Bullying Policy

Introduction Bullying is a deliberate act done to cause distress solely in order to give a feeling of power, status or other gratification to the child using bullying behaviours. It can range from ostracising, name-calling, teasing and extortion through to physical assault on people and/or their property. It can be a single unresolved incident, which casts a shadow over a person’s life or a series of such events. Bullying makes people unhappy and stops them from learning effectively.

The staff at Oakgrove School recognises that in order to promote a secure and safe climate where every individual can achieve their potential it is necessary to establish an environment where the rights of all individuals are acknowledged, understood and respected to the same degree.

Aims Bullying can and must be stopped. Bullying is a discipline problem and so it is considered within the context of the whole school behaviour policy.

Staff at the School will act promptly, appropriately and firmly where bullying is identified. Staff will:

 Support anyone who is bullied.  Use restorative approaches with all incidents of bullying.  Help the child using bullying behaviours to change their behaviour.  Take bullying seriously and find out the facts of any incidents.  Record incidents of bullying in a consistent way, and store in a file in the office.  Discuss with and involve everyone at the school in the development of agreed school rules.  Request professional advice and support where necessary such as the educational psychologist or the police.  Work with parents to identify and to stop bullying.  Facilitate a restorative meeting between the individuals concerned.

Action The School aims to encourage a safe and secure environment for every member of the School Community by:- i) Awareness raising among all members of the Oakgrove community through:- Page 1 of 4 Reviewed Spring 2017  In-service for Teaching staff and Teaching Assistants.  Discussion within class groups.  Assemblies  Adopting National Anti-bullying week activities in school ii) Recognising and rewarding acts of care and consideration

 Presentations in assembly.  Special awards and certificates. iii) Developing mutual respect between all members of the community through:-

 Consistent use of Restorative Approaches  Appropriate role models.  Open discussion.  Listening to others points of view. iv) Providing structured curriculum support through:-

 All curriculum areas where it is possible for people to be encouraged to work co- operatively and collaboratively in pairs and in groups.  The Personal and Social Education Curriculum.  The Religious Education Curriculum and Collective Act of Worship. v) Giving people alternative ways of coping:-

 For the perpetrator: more positive ways of coping with stress, raising their self esteem through praise and positive achievement.  For the victim: help to be more assertive, support and a listening ear. vi) Specific anti-bullying initiatives:-

 Documentation on the school’s attitude to bullying to be given to all new pupils and their parents as well as new members of staff.  Opportunities at review meetings to allow students to discuss any problems that may have emerged.  Adopting National Anti-bullying week activities in school  Embedded restorative approaches throughout school

Procedures When an incident of bullying occurs the following procedures will follow:- i) De-escalation of the situation. ii) Provision of support to the victim. iii) Information gathering and the collection of facts. iv) Interviews with all parties. v) Discussion and implementation of consequences. vi) Recording and reporting of the incident.

of 4 Reviewed Spring 2017 vii) Pre-emptive considerations for next time. viii) Monitoring of the after math of the incident. ix) Consideration of level of parental involvement.

Monitoring and Evaluation This will be addressed via Staff Briefing Sessions and use of Incident Record Sheets, monitored termly.

ANTI CYBER BULLYING POLICY

Introduction This school believes that all people in our community have the right to teach and learn in a supportive, caring and safe environment without fear of being bullied. We believe that every individual in school has a duty to report an incident of bullying whether it happens to themselves or to another person.

What is Cyber Bullying? Technology allows the user to use bullying behaviours anonymously or from an unknown location, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Cyber-bullying leaves no physical scars so it is perhaps, less evident to a parent or teacher, but it is highly intrusive and the hurt it causes can be severe. Young people are particularly adept at adapting to new technology, an area that can seem a closed world to adults. For example, the numerous acronyms used by young people in chat rooms and in text messages (POS – Parent Over Shoulder, TUL – Tell You Later) make it difficult for adults to recognise potential threats.

There are many types of cyber-bullying. The more common include… 1. Text Messaging – that are threatening or cause discomfort – also included here is “bluejacking” (the sending of anonymous text messages over short distances using “Bluetooth” wireless technology). 2. Picture/video-clips – via mobile phone cameras – images sent to others to make the victim feel threatened or embarrassed. 3. Mobile phone calls – silent calls or abusive messages; or stealing the victim’s phone and using it to harass others, to make them believe the victim is responsible. 4. Emails – threatening or bullying emails, often sent using a pseudonym or somebody else’s name. 5. Instant messaging – menacing or upsetting responses to children or young people when they are in web-based chat room. 6. Bullying via websites – use of defamatory blogs (web blogs), personal websites and online personal “own web space” sites such as Bebo and Myspace. 7. Social Network misuse - menacing or upsetting responses to children or young people when they are using e.g. Facebook, Twitter etc.

Aims At Oakgrove, all children will: Understand how to use these technologies safely and know about the risks and consequences of misusing them. Know what to do if they or someone they know are being cyber bullied. Report any problems with cyber bullying. Page 3 of 4 Reviewed Spring 2017 If they have a problem they can talk about it.

Oakgrove has:  An Acceptable Use Policy that includes clear statements about acceptable use and e- communications  Information for parents on: e-communication standards and practices in schools, what is being taught in the curriculum.  Support for parents and pupils if cyber bullying occurs by: assessing the harm caused, identifying those involved, taking steps to repair harm and to prevent recurrence  Specific Internet Safety lesson plans which in Upper Key Stage 2 cover acceptable use of e-communications.

Procedures At Oakgrove, we take this bullying as seriously as all other types of bullying and, therefore, will deal with each situation individually. An episode may result in a simple verbal warning. It might result in a parental discussion. Clearly, more serious cases will result in further sanctions.

The Protection from Harassment Act, the Malicious Communications Act 1988 and section 43 of the Telecommunications Act may be used to combat cyber bullying. People may be fined or sent to prison for up to six months.

Monitoring and Evaluation This will be addressed via Staff Briefing Sessions and use of Incident Record Sheets, monitored termly.

Review This policy will be reviewed on an annual basis during consideration of the school’s behaviour policy.

of 4 Reviewed Spring 2017