Anti-Bullying Policy
Aims and Objectives
Dunottar School is regarded as a happy and friendly community in which everyone respects, supports and cares for everyone else. It is the school's aim to ensure that this is always true.
The Senior and Junior Departments are united in their zero tolerance of bullying. However, because of the different age ranges for which they cater, including Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), we have separate procedures which reflect our age-sensitively different procedures for dealing with bullying. Details of the Junior School Procedures are attached at the end of the Senior School Procedures.
At Dunottar we seek to put into reasonable practice on a day-to-day basis, the following:
- It is the responsibility of the whole community, pupils and adults alike, to uphold the values of integrity, morality and concern for others.
- All members of the Dunottar community have the right to remain free from bullying or the fear of bullying.
- All members should feel free to be able to report any concerns related to bullying in the certain knowledge that those concerns will be listened to and the matter investigated by those competent to do so.
- Those who report an incident of bullying or suspected bullying will be able to do so in safety.
- Dunottar School does not tolerate bullying.
Nobody is immune from the potential of being bullied and indeed being seen as a bully by their actions. The School aims to educate all pupils and staff as to the consequences and repercussions of their actions in the eyes of others.
Senior School
Definition of bullying
The school uses the government’s definition of bullying as:
"Behaviour by an individual or group, usually repeated over time, that intentionally hurts another individual or group, either physically or emotionally."
On lookers to incidents of bullying can be seen as complicit. At Dunottar, we recognize that there are three core types of bullying:
Physical: kicking, hitting, pushing or causing discomfort by making contact with someone’s body. Physical bullying can include damage done to the victim’s property, clothing or schoolwork.
Psychological is when a victim is taunted and called hurtful names. Often the person who engages in this sort of behaviour does not consider it to be bullying, but considers it to be a “joke”. If the victim does not find teasing or taunting funny, then it is not. Although sometimes occurring between two individuals in isolation, it quite often takes place in the presence of others. Indirect psychological bullying involves the spreading of malicious rumours or stores or exclusion from a social group.
Cyber bullying includes bullying by electronic means and is equally unacceptable. It involves the misuse of technology to harass or intimidate others via text messages or MSN messenger, or using personal website or blogs to harass, intimidate or embarrass others. The DCSF sets out the following as types of bullying:
- Text message bullying involves sending texts that are threatening etc;
- Picture/video clip bullying via mobile phone cameras. The photos are used to embarrass or intimidate (e.g. "Happy slapping" – filming and sharing physical attacks);
- Phone call bullying via mobile phone uses silent call or abusive messages. Sometimes the bullied person’s phone is stolen and used to harass others, who then think the phone owner is responsible.
- Email bullying uses email to send bullying or threatening messages, often using a pseudonym for anonymity or using someone else's names to pin the blame on them.
- Chat room bullying involves sending menacing or upsetting responses when they are in a web-based chat room;
- Bullying through instant messaging (IM) is an internet-based form of bullying where people are sent unpleasant messages as they conduct real-time conversations online;
- Bullying via websites includes the use of defamatory blogs (web logs), personal websites and online personal polling sites;
- Impersonating another which includes using another person’s email address or mobile phone to send hurtful texts to others.
Pupils may be bullied for a variety of reasons. Specific types of bullying may relate to race, religion or culture; to learning differences or disabilities; to appearance or health conditions; to sexual orientation; and to sexist or sexual bullying.
Why is it important to respond to bullying?
Being bullied can affect a child’s mental and physical state and even result in suicide. Many children suffer in silence for a long time before they tell anyone, feeling ashamed, embarrassed, frightened, or that they deserve to be bullied. It is important to recognize that, although bullying does happen, we must seek to nurture a culture in which pupils are valued as people; a culture where bullying, when it occurs, is dealt with in a firm, sensitive and caring way. (Although bullying is not a specific criminal offence, there are criminal laws which apply to harassment and threatening behaviour.)
Victims of bullying have low self-esteem, find it difficult to make friends or come to school and may suffer from anxiety causing lack of sleep and/or poor concentration. Everyone has the right to be treated with respect and pupils who are bullying others often share characteristics with their victims and will need support to learn how to treat others with respect and consideration.
Procedures for dealing with bullying in the Senior School
Pupils: if you are being bullied or suspect that someone else is being bullied it is important that you tell someone who may be able to help. This may be a friend, a Sixth Former, your Form Tutor, Matron, one of the Senior Leadership Team or anyone you feel you can confide in.
Staff: those adults who have concerns about bullying should tell an appropriate colleague (in most cases this will be the Assistant Head, (Pastoral and Welfare), the Head of Sixth Form or the Headmistress.
Parents: those parents who have concerns about their daughter or about any other pupil in the school should inform an appropriate member of staff (in most cases this will be the Assistant Head (Pastoral and Welfare), Head of Sixth Form or Headmistress but may also be the Tutor in the first instance.
Procedures/strategies for combating bullying will be continually monitored.
Guidelines
- Staff should be aware of the different types of bullying:
- Bullying related to race, religion or culture
- Bullying related to SEN and disabilities
- Bullying relating to appearance or health conditions
- Bullying related to sexual orientation
- Bullying of young carers, looked-after children or other domestic circumstances
- Sexist or sexual bullying
- Cyber bullying
- Inappropriate exercise of power.
- The whole school community should be clear about its anti bullying stance via assemblies, PSHE, Form Time, display and other focused opportunities within the curriculum.
- All teaching and support staff should be clear about their roles and responsibilities in preventing and responding to bullying and access appropriate training as necessary.
- Responsibilities:
The Headmistress will:- Ensure that all staff have an opportunity to discuss and review strategies
- Ensure appropriate training is available
- Ensure that the procedures are brought to the attention of all staff, parents and pupils
- The Assistant Head (Pastoral and Welfare) will:
- Be responsible for the day to day management of the policy and systems
- Keep the Headmistress informed of incidents
- Liaise with the Assistant Head (Teaching and Learning) on the arrangement of staff training.
- Determine how best to involve parents in the solution of individual problems
- Form Tutors/Class Teachers will
- Be responsible for liaising with the Assistant Head (P&W) over all incidents involving pupils in their form/classes
- Be involved in any agreed strategy to achieve a solution. The bully should be encouraged to offer an apology and whenever possible, the pupils should be reconciled.
- Support the anti-bullying policy.
- All staff will:
- Know and support the policy and procedures
- Deal with incidents according to the policy
Action
It is the responsibility of the school to deal effectively with cases of bullying on its premises and on official off-site activities. The school will seek, as far as is practicable, to minimise bullying outside its immediate premises but cannot be expected to deal with cases of bullying off premises. However where this is shown to involve fellow pupils, the School will investigate and assist in resolving the issue as far as is possible, ensuring the behaviour does not transfer into the School setting.
Cases of bullying or suspected bullying will be carefully and thoroughly investigated. All those involved will be given a fair opportunity to talk about the matter with an appropriate person. Incidents of bullying or suspected bullying will be recorded by the Child Protection Officer who will report to the Headmistress. In the Sixth Form, suspected bullying will, in the first instance be reported to the Head of Sixth Form who will report to the Child Protection Officer and the Headmistress. Where an incident of bullying is proven, a written record of all relevant matters will be kept and subsequently stored centrally. Bullying is a clear breach of the School Code of Conduct and the full range of sanctions available throughout the School may be used to deal with confirmed cases of bullying, including (for persistent severe bullying) exclusion - see Behaviour Policy and Rules and Code of Conduct). Malicious accusation of bullying behaviour, if found to be untrue, will be treated very seriously and involve strong disciplinary sanctions.
Strategies for dealing with bullying
There are 2 strands to our policy – Prevention and Dealing with Incidents.
- Prevention
- Create an Ethos of Respect
- Our ethos must be one in which all pupils are valued not only by the teaching staff, but also by their peers
- The way in which staff treat pupils and each other must reflect this ethos.
- The staff must be vigilant and observant
- The school should be properly patrolled during break and lunch periods
- At least one member of staff should be regularly present during those periods
- All staff should be sensitive to changes in behaviour, moodiness, and patterned absenteeism.
- Create a “Be Prepared to Tell” Culture
In order to combat the culture of silence, a culture of being prepared to tell should be encouraged. Training for the Year 7 Buddy System will also address the problem of bullying and encourage the culture of being prepared to tell. Assemblies will, from time to time, focus upon it. There must be an emphasis that not only is it right to tell, but it is important to do so. We need to listen carefully to girls when they are willing to talk about bullying and be sensitive to their need for privacy and respect.
- Create an Ethos of Respect
- Strategies for dealing with bullying
- Close monitoring by staff
- One to one discussion between staff and victim/bully
- Counselling for the victim/bully
- A log/diary kept by the victim
- Intervention strategies such as games to extend friendship groups, role play, deliberate pairings
- Finding a buddy for the victim
- A round table discussion led by a teacher
- Disciplinary action (from detention through to exclusion, depending on the incident involved)
- Support
Both victim and bully will need support to move on from any incident. This will be provided by her Form Tutor, the Assistant Head (P&W), Head of Sixth Form and the progress of those involved will be carefully monitored.
Dunottar Junior School Anti-Bullying Procedures
Objectives
- To describe whole school strategies to prevent, reduce and deal with bullying.
- To have strategies in place to support pupils who suffer from, and those who display, bullying behaviour.
- To ensure that all pupils recognise bullying behaviour and that they are aware of the consequences if they behave in this way.
- To ensure that all pupils are aware of whom to approach if they are being bullied or if they observe bullying behaviour directed towards others.
- To ensure that all parents, carers, staff and responsible adults are aware of whom to approach if they are concerned that any pupil is being bullied or is displaying bullying behaviour.
Bullying is unacceptable because it is an abuse of power. The school works hard to ensure that the children know the difference between bullying and simply 'falling out'. The occasional disagreement between children of the same age does not count as bullying.
How does the Junior School strive to prevent bullying?
The most important of our anti bullying objectives is preventing bullying behaviour from taking place. We strive to achieve this by:
- Using our PHSCE programme from Nursery to Year Six to reinforce the anti bullying ethos of the school. This includes assertiveness training, anger management ideas and managing relationships.
- Using circle time, drama and role play activities to explore bullying issues.
- Asking the children to devise and agree to class rules or codes of conduct which are regularly reinforced.
- Using stories in assembly or in the classroom with anti bullying messages.
- Awarding caring credits in assembly to reinforce positive behaviour, citing why the credit was awarded.
- Ensuring that all members of staff are aware of the contents of the anti bullying policy at the beginning of each academic year, or when new members of staff are appointed.
- Evaluating and reviewing the anti bullying policy every three years.
- Producing a child speak version of the anti bullying policy for the children.
- Asking the children to devise playground rules or codes of conduct, and displaying them in the playground, reminding the children regularly of these codes.
- Providing a friendship bench in the playground for those feeling lonely or having no one to play with.
- Training pupils in each year group to be playground pals for those children who are feeling left out.
- Providing a variety of adequate playground equipment for structured play, with secure storage, and appointing and training play leaders from the older children.
The Junior School procedures are reinforced through the use of their age-differentiated anti-bullying booklets Keep it Out and Feeling Safe at School.
Monitoring and Review
The Headmistress will be made aware of all reported incidents of bullying, whether confirmed or otherwise, through weekly and other regular meetings. The Assistant Heads, Head of Juniors and Head of Sixth Form will make a regular report to the Headmistress. The Headmistress may make this information available to the Trustees. The Senior Leadership Team will address procedures for consideration of what can be learned from bullying incidents.
The policy will be reviewed every two years.
Updated October 2009
(This policy makes use of the DCSF guidelines issued in September 2007 incorporating all previous guidance, see references below)
- Safe to Learn: the new overarching anti-bullying guidance for schools, launched, Sept. 2007
- http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/behaviour/tacklingbullying
- Don't Suffer in Silence DCSF website:
- http://www.dfes.gov.uk/bullying/
Other Useful References