Anti Bullying Policy s6

Earlsfield Primary School Anti-bullying Policy

Earlsfield Primary School is committed to providing a caring, friendly and safe environment for all our pupils. Bullying of any kind is unacceptable at our school and will be resolved as such issues arise – we have no tolerance of bullying. On occasions where it does happen we hope that children and parents will feel able to tell the school so that incidents can be dealt with promptly and efficiently. This policy should be read in conjunction with the Behaviour Management Policy.

WHAT IS BULLYING? Bullying is the persistent use of aggression in either a physical or verbal manner with the intention of upsetting another person, and which results in pain and distress to the victim. Bullying can be:  Physical – Pushing, kicking, hitting, punching or any use of violence  Verbal – Name calling, sarcasm, spreading rumours, teasing  Emotional – Excluding, tormenting (e.g. hiding books, gestures), being unfriendly  Racist – Racial taunts, graffiti, gestures  Sexual – Unwanted physical contact or abusive comments.

Use of social media will also be considered in the context of the above and where this is the case and it is brought to the school’s attention, the school will consider contacting parents directly.

IT IS EXPECTED THAT  All staff, governors, pupils and parents should have an understanding of bullying.  Clear consistent procedures for reporting and dealing with bullying should be followed in line with the School Behaviour Policy  All reports of bullying should be taken seriously by staff and parents and staff should record any incidents in their behaviour monitoring folder.  Staff should work proactively to create a culture among pupils in which bullying is unacceptable.

PREVENTION We will help to prevent bullying by raising awareness through the curriculum.  Opportunities will be provided for groups to discuss bullying.  Bullying can often be a collective act created as much by onlookers as by individuals. Where appropriate children will be taught that this type of behaviour is unacceptable.  Children will be encouraged to respect others and to be tolerant of others’ behaviour.  We will encourage everyone to be tolerant of others regardless of race, religion, culture or disabilities.  We will make new pupils and visitors welcome.  We will be considerate, compassionate, caring and courteous towards others.  We will provide a quiet area in the playground for those who do not wish to run around or be in games. All children will be encouraged to speak out against bullying by telling a teacher, midday supervisor or other member of staff. The incident or report will be taken seriously and dealt with immediately. PROCEDURE  Any bullying will be reported to the Deputy Head or Headteacher who will record the incident and continue this throughout the process.  Depending on the situation staff may be asked to be more vigilant in certain areas of the school, for example unsupervised toilets.  The child’s teacher will be informed.  Parents will be informed of the incident. A constructive plan will be offered to parents of all children involved.  Appropriate steps should be taken to ensure that the bullying stops and that both the victim and the bully are supported.  The situation will be followed up and checks made to ensure that it has improved. If it has not improved then further steps will be taken.  Any evidence of bullying will be followed up in writing to the child’s parents and added to the SIMS behaviour record. The process will be recorded. GUIDELINES FOR TEACHERS AND STAFF Children who are bullied may:  Be new to the class or school  Be different in appearance, speech or background from other pupils  Suffer from low esteem  Demonstrate ‘entertaining’ reactions when bullied, e.g. tantrums, loss of control  Be nervous or anxious  Be lonely children with few friends  Have difficulty asserting themselves in the peer group. If you come across bullying there are various things you should:  Remain calm; you are in charge. Reacting emotionally may add to the bully’s fun and give the bully control of the situation  Take the incident seriously and report it to the deputy head or headteacher  Take action as quickly as possible  Think hard about whether your action needs to be private or public; who are the pupils involved?  Reassure those who have been bullied, do not make them feel inadequate or foolish  Offer concrete help, advice and support to those who are bullied  Make it plain to the bully you disapprove  Encourage the child who has bullied to see the victim’s point of view  Discipline the perpetrator according to the disciplinary guidelines set out by the school. Bullying will not be tolerated in any way shape or form and every adult in the school is expected to be proactive and deal with issues if and when they occur. Approved - Spring Term 2014 (Date)

Committee -

Review – Spring Term 2016 (Date)