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Term Dates Admissions Key Info Parents Students Sixth Form

Anti-Bullying Policy

 

1. Status - Statutory

 

2. Purpose


The policy exists to promote and ensure the physical and emotional wellbeing of every member of our school community and to challenge and prevent students and staff from bullying behaviour, being bullied, or being bystanders to bullying, both in and on the way to and from The Blandford School, online and in the local community. Bullying behaviours can be perpetrated by an individual or by a group, are deliberately hurtful, repeated over a period of time and it is difficult for the victim to defend themselves against them. Bullying can be physical, verbal, or indirect (name-calling or cyber-bullying) and can include prejudice against age, race, religion and culture; homophobic or transphobic bullying; sexist and sexual bullying and bullying related to Special Educational Needs, gender reassignment, pregnancy, maternity and disability.

Young people will, at times, be unkind, argue or fall out with their peers, and although this can be distressing, it is not necessarily bullying as it is defined above.

Students, school staff, parents and governors all have rights and responsibilities in relation to bullying and should work together to create a community in which students can learn and develop and staff can have careers free from harassment and bullying.

3. Who/What was consulted

Students (through Year groups and the Student Forum), The Anti-Bullying Ambassadors Team, staff, external agencies, anti-bullying organisations, governors, parents/carers were consulted, together with the following:

  • Preventing and tackling bullying. Advice for Headteachers, staff and governing bodies (July 2017)
  • Cyberbullying: Advice for headteachers and school staff (DfE 2014)
  • The Prevent Duty
  • The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)
  • Keeping Children Safe in Education September 2023 (or latest version)
  • The Diana Award organisation and other Anti-Bullying charities/organisations
  • The NSPCC Learning website
  • The Ofsted Review of sexual abuse in schools and colleges. June 2021

4. Relationship to other policies

  • Relationships and Behaviour policy
  • Attendance Policy
  • Mobile Telephone Policy
  • Single Equality Policy
  • Inclusion Policy.
  • Acceptable Use Policy
  • The Blandford School Anti-Bullying Charter
  • The Home School Agreement
  • Child Protection/Children’s Safeguarding Policy
  • Educational Visits Policy
  • Relationships, Sex and Health Education Policy

The following Acts:

  • The Education and Inspections Act 2006
  • The Equality Act 2010
  • The Children Act 1989
  • The Protection from Harassment Act 1997
  • The Malicious Communications Act 1988
  • The Communications Act 2003
  • The Public Order Act 1986

5. Roles and Responsibilities


5.1 Governors will ensure that where applicable DFE guidance, the relevant Government Acts and the School Policy are being followed.

5.2 The Headteacher is responsible for ensuring that staff are aware of their responsibilities, are given proper and regular training and support to implement disciplinary and pastoral procedures and that the measures are well publicised to students and their parents/carers. The law also empowers the Headteacher to regulate the behaviour of students when they are off site or online (e.g. on school visits, travelling by school bus, representing the school.) Where out of school incidents are reported the school has a duty to respond. The Headteacher should consider whether it is appropriate to notify the police, or the anti-social behaviour coordinator, of the actions taken against a student who has been sanctioned for bullying.

5.3 The Assistant Headteacher (DSL and PD Lead) in close liaison with Associate Assistant Headteacher, Heads of Year and Guidance and Welfare staff but with the support of all staff employed at the school, will adopt a preventative approach to bullying, educating students about child on child abuse, the importance of respect for others, encouraging kindness and providing opportunities for discussing and promoting difference and diversity through the tutorial and assembly programmes. ‘Respect, Effort, Attitude and Perseverance’ are central to everything that we do. Where bullying is identified, The Assistant Headteacher, SLT and Heads of Year are responsible for acting upon, recording, investigating, noting patterns, tracking and challenging reports of bullying incidents in line with the school’s policy and procedures and evaluating the effectiveness of these. These colleagues will also, in collaboration, consider the motivations behind bullying behaviours and whether it reveals concerns for the safety of the perpetrator, to put appropriate support in place and involve external agencies where appropriate.

5.4 The teaching, support and pastoral staff are responsible for promoting the general progress and well being of students and colleagues in line with the Behaviour and Anti-Bullying policies, by consistently and immediately reporting and recording incidents to the Head of Year, to ensure that prompt action is taken on bullying and harassment. Staff have a responsibility to teach students that using any prejudice-based language is unacceptable; teachers are responsible for educating students about the importance of respect for others and providing opportunities for discussions about difference and diversity in their lessons and interactions with students. Staff have a responsibility to model appropriate, respectful behaviour and to challenge any form of discrimination.

5.5 All incidents should be recorded and investigated, taking account of the concerns of the student/s involved.

5.6 The Student Forum and Anti-Bullying Ambassadors Team will regularly review and contribute to the Anti-Bullying Policy and the Anti-Bullying Charter and their effectiveness. Anti-Bullying Ambassadors continue to promote the ‘Educate don’t discriminate’ campaign

5.7 Every student has a responsibility to demonstrate respect for the rights of all other people, through their appropriate, respectful behaviour and through the language which they use. All students must keep to the rules outlined in our Acceptable Use Agreement and Mobile Phone Policy. Every student has a responsibility to report any bullying which they are experiencing or have witnessed and should never be a bystander to bullying without taking appropriate action which will support the victim. Bullying can be reported the lunchtime anti bullying ambassador drop-in facility in the Quiet Room (Block 1), the online reporting tool, parents/carers, peer mentors, the Student Support Worker, lunchtime supervisors, TAs, teachers, tutors, the Head of Year, or the Senior Leadership Team. Senior students on the ‘Anti-Bullying Team’ can be accessed by students who would prefer not to speak to a member of staff. A ‘safe haven’ lunch club is on offer in the Learning Hub – see HoY or Learning Hub staff for a ‘pass'.

Students who are the victims of bullying behaviours are asked not to react aggressively, but to walk away and report the incident to an adult.

 

Anti-Bullying Procedures

1. Procedures

  • Students will be regularly made aware of what bullying is and the different ways to report it (as outlined in 5.7)
  • Staff will be regularly trained in the implementation of positive behaviour management strategies and in responding to concerns about bullying, abuse or harassment. They will be familiar with the Relationships and Behaviour and Anti-Bullying policies. The definition of what constitutes bullying v unkindness or arguments will be clear.
  • Staff on duty during social times will be visible and vigilant and they will be proactive in noticing and responding to issues as they arise.
  • Victims (or any person/upstander who has reported on their behalf) will be listened to and reassured that the school does not tolerate bullying; they will be consulted upon what they would like to happen next and kept informed about actions taken and next steps. Parents/carers will also be informed, unless to do so would put the victim at risk.
  • Pastoral staff will provide appropriate support to the student/s being bullied, student witnesses and the student/s accused of bullying behaviours.
  • Consequences for bullying, when these are required, will be carefully considered and implemented by all in line with the Relationships and Behaviour Policy and the Anti-Bullying Charter. This may involve the support of the Safer Schools and Communities Police Team. Staff may, if deemed appropriate in the first instance, work towards achieving a mutually acceptable outcome through mediation or restorative justice.
  • Bullying incidents and discriminatory behaviour will be reported by staff or students to the Head of Year or a member of the Senior Leadership Team, investigated and tracked via accurate and detailed records using the bullying/incident report/Student Log/My Concern and student/witness statements.
  • The progress will be reviewed in a timely fashion. The Head of Year, in liaison with SLT, will act promptly upon reports of perceived bullying and refer to the Anti-Bullying Charter when responding to these. The investigating member of staff will continue to monitor the situation even if it has been resolved, for up to a term. Students are asked to always report a recurrence of bullying behaviours.
  • Bullying will be monitored by the Assistant Headteacher (DSL and PD Lead), Associate Assistant Headteacher and HOY Full records will be kept by a designated administrator. Access to the records will be available through the student log. Parents of victims and perpetrators will be notified.
  • Damage, injury or theft demands a serious response. Parents/carers, and if appropriate, the police, will be informed.
  • The School’s Respect Charter will be displayed publicly in school and in the Student Diary, will be shared with parents/carers and promoted by staff. It will encourage students not to suffer in silence and will be re-visited regularly.
  • Heads of Year, the Senior Leadership Team, Guidance and Welfare staff and teachers will reinforce the anti-bullying message via the tutorial and assembly programme and through their teaching.
  • The school’s Anti-Bullying team will play a significant role in promoting the anti-bullying message and supporting students who have raised concerns about bullying. The Anti-Bullying team will liaise closely with the staff members listed above. They will attend meetings and training, both in-house and at local events, on a regular basis.
  • The school will mark the annual National Anti-Bullying week and provide additional opportunities through the year to promote the anti-bullying message.
  • Students will be made aware of the ways in which they can report bullying in school, through adults and peers and of their personal responsibility to do this. They also have information and links within the student diary should they require external support.

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