Anti-Bullying
By Dolphin School
Aug 20, 2009 - 2:23:32 PM
ANTI BULLYING POLICY
The problem
All schools in the world seem to suffer in varying degrees from the problem of bullying. Although we believe that Dolphin is a very pleasant, tolerant and well disciplined school, where the incidence of bullying is rare, it is important to be vigilant.
Bullying, harassment, victimisation and discrimination will not be tolerated. We treat all our pupils and their parents fairly and with consideration and we expect them to reciprocate towards each other, the staff and the school. Any kind of bullying is unacceptable. This policy applies to all pupils in the school, including those in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Parents/guardians have an important role in supporting Dolphin School in maintaining high standards of behaviour. It is essential that school and homes have consistent expectations of behaviour and that they co-operate closely together. Acceptance of this policy forms part of our standard terms and conditions. This policy is available to parents of pupils and prospective pupils on our website and on request. It is also available and known to staff on the school website and in the staff handbook that all staff receive on joining the school
We therefore have a clear policy on this issue; it includes giving advice to parents, pupils and staff.
Our definition of bullying
Bullying is the repeated and intentional hurting, humiliating, threatening or frightening of another person or group perpetrated by an individual or group. This may be physical (including sexual), verbal( including email, chat room and SMS messages) or emotional abuse of the person or group or abuse of his or her property. The school recognises the following types of specific bullying may take place and ensures that its policies guard against them: racial, religious, cultural, sexual, homophobic, disability and cyber bullying.
The school also recognises that bullying can take place between pupils, between staff, between staff and pupils (and vice versa), between parents and staff (and vice versa) and it could be face to face, indirect or using a range of cyberbullying methods. Cyberbullying involves the use of information and communication technologies to support deliberate, repeated, and hostile behaviour by an individual or group that is intended to harm others.
Cyberbullying can involve Social Networking Sites, like Bebo, Facebook and Myspace, emails and mobile phones used for SMS messages and as cameras.
Bullying of any form may cause considerable psychological damage and has been known to lead to suicide. Although bullying itself is not a specific criminal offence there are criminal laws that apply to threatening behaviour and harassment.
Our policy
The staff and children at Dolphin agree that they will not tolerate any form of bullying. Everyone who is part of the Dolphin community has a responsibility for each other and we aim to promote an anti bullying ethos within the school. This policy is applicable to all children at Dolphin including those in the Early Years Foundation Stage and it has regard to the DCSF guidance Safe to Learn: Embedding Antibullying work in schools
Our aim is to have a well-ordered, happy community where effective learning can take place and where there is mutual respect between all members. The following code was drawn up by children and staff at Dolphin:
Respect yourself and all others in the community.
Be thoughtful and considerate to the needs of others: they have the right to learn and to enjoy Dolphin too.
Exercise self-control and take responsibility for your own actions.
Respect property – yours, other people’s and the environment.
Help the staff to make the learning rewarding for them and for you.
SIGNS OF BULLYING
Changes in behaviour that may indicate that a pupil is being bullied include:
- Unwillingness to return to school
- Displays of excessive anxiety, becoming withdrawn or unusually quiet
- Failure to produce work, or producing unusually bad work, or work that appears to have been copied, interfered with or spoilt by others
- Books, bags and other belongings suddenly go missing or are damaged
- Change to established habits (e.g. giving up music lessons, change to accent or vocabulary)
- Diminished levels of self-confidence
- Frequent visits to the sick room with symptoms such as stomach pains, headaches etc
- Unexplained cuts and bruises
- Frequent absence, erratic attendance, late arrival to class
- Choosing the company of adults
- Displaying repressed body language and poor eye contact
- Difficulty in sleeping, experiencing nightmares etc
- Talking of suicide or running away
Although there may be other causes for some of the above symptoms, a repetition of, or a combination of these possible signs of bullying should be investigated by parents and teachers.
PREVENTATIVE MEASURES
We take the following preventative measures in place in order to ensure that bullying does not become a problem which is associated with Dolphin School:
- All new pupils (including and our youngest pupils) are briefed thoroughly on the school’s expected standards of behaviour. They are told what to do if they encounter bullying. We guarantee that children who act in good faith, and report incidences of bullying will not be penalised and will be supported.
- All new members of staff are given guidance on the school’s anti-bullying policy and in how to react to allegations of bullying in their first week at Dolphin School as part of their induction. They are required to read the school’s policy on anti bullying which is part of the school handbook that they receive. We use appropriate assemblies to explain the school policy on bullying. These assemblies are also attended by the Care Coordinator who passes on the information and training to her team on the playground and in after school care. Our PSHE programme is structured to give pupils an awareness of their social and moral responsibilities as they progress through the school. The programme is structured to enforce the message about community involvement and taking care of each other.
- Other lessons, may highlight the issue of bullying and reinforce this message by teaching moral and spiritual values that show bullying to be unacceptable and by developing social skills.
- All our pupils are encouraged to tell a member of staff at once if they know that bullying is taking place in line with our policy.
- All reported incidents are recorded and investigated at once. We always record reported incidents so that patterns of behaviour can be identified and monitored. The Care Coordinator meets weekly with the Head to ensure that all concerns about children are shared in a two way dialogue and concerns about children are also shared at the weekly staff meeting.
- We have a strong and experienced pastoral team of form teachers and mentors who support the SLT and the care coordinator and are trained in handling any incidents as an immediate priority, and are alert to possible signs of bullying.
- Our pastoral team gives support and guidance to other staff on handling and reporting incidents, and on the follow-up work with both victims and bullies. Inset sessions are held regularly using outside experts.
- Staff are always on duty at times when pupils are not in class and patrol the school site, particularly areas where bullying might occur. They are trained to be alert to inappropriate language or behaviour.
- Our sick room displays advice on where pupils can seek help, including details of confidential helplines and websites connecting to external specialists, such as Childline, Kidscape, Get Connected, Samaritans etc.
- All pupils have access to a telephone helpline enabling them to call for support in private.
- We operate a peer counselling scheme, whereby trained older pupils are encouraged to offer advice and support to younger pupils.
- We provide leadership training to our /senior pupils which specifically covers the importance of offering support and assistance to younger and to vulnerable pupils.
- We have banned initiation ceremonies designed to cause pain, anxiety or humiliation.
- We reserve the right to investigate incidents that take place outside school hours, on school visits and trips and that occur in the vicinity of the school, involving our pupils.
- We welcome feedback from parents and guardians on the effectiveness of our preventative measures.
CYBERBULLYING – PREVENTATIVE MEASURES
In addition to the preventative measures described above, Dolphin School:
· Expects all pupils to adhere to its charter for the safe use of the internet. Certain sites are blocked by our filtering system and our IT Department monitors pupils’ use.
· May impose sanctions for the misuse, or attempted misuse of the internet.
· Offers guidance on the safe use of social networking sites and cyberbullying in ICT lessons which covers blocking, removing contacts from ‘buddy lists’ and sharing personal data.
· Offers guidance on keeping names, addresses, passwords, mobile phone numbers and other personal details safe.
· Mobile phones are not permitted in the school or on school trips including residential ones.
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Action needed by pupils (stressed to them in form time, PSHE, in the curriculum, assemblies, through posters and in the Children’s Handbook)
If you are being bullied, tell your form teacher, your mentor, the Deputy Head, the Head or any other adult. Do not be intimidated by a bully saying it will be even worse for you if you report bullying.
When someone else is being bullied or is in distress, take action. Watching and doing nothing may suggest support for the bully.
Express your disapproval of bullying; do not tolerate a bully in your circle of friends.
Always treat others as you would like to be treated yourself. Remember that calling someone names, or incessant teasing, is bullying. Do not become a bully yourself.
Action by the school
Our initial concern is to encourage good behaviour and respect for others and to prevent bullying rather than to punish bullies. Curriculum, PSHE and whole school opportunities are used to discuss issues that promote tolerance and understanding of different cultures, races and beliefs as well as the right of every individual to learn and to work in an environment where they are free from the fear of bullying. Picking on someone with special educational needs or disabilities, homophobic name calling, sexism and cyberbullying both inside and outside of school are unacceptable. Staff and pupils are given training to recognise different types of bullying and access to support as needed. Parents have access to an efficient and clearly understandable complaints procedure.
The school keeps detailed written records of bullying incidents and these are analysed weekly. It also looks at areas within the school premises and times in the school day when bullying is most likely to take place, so that it can take appropriate remedial action. Staff are kept informed about this action and regular training sessions are held to raise awareness of the seriousness of bullying.
The anti bullying policy is regularly monitored and reviewed and its success celebrated.
Bullying is a major offence and will be dealt with firmly.
In a case where bullying has occurred our action will be:
· To support the victim in any appropriate way. To gather as much additional information as possible and to keep written records of the bullying incident. To inform the parents of the victim if appropriate.
· To educate the bully. Parents are kept informed, informally orally and then in writing if their child has bullied another child. This is for the bully’s own sake as well as for others. Other members of the school community also need to be made aware that this bullying behaviour is unacceptable.
· To deter the bully. Bullying offences are recorded in writing and appropriate action is taken depending on the severity of the bullying. The action taken after each incident should also be recorded in writing and the bully should be given the opportunity to put right the harm they have caused if that is practical. Severe or persistent bullying will be referred to the Head who, if necessary, may suspend or even expel the offender.
Reviewed July 09
Reviewed January 2010, January 11,
Updated November 11