FERN HILL PRIMARY SCHOOL ANTI- BULLYING/HARASSMENT POLICY

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1 Reviewed Autumn 2010 FERN HILL PRIMARY SCHOOL ANTI- BULLYING/HARASSMENT POLICY This policy is complimentary to our Behaviour & Discipline Policy and they should be considered together. Behaviour Code The Headteacher and staff are responsible for behaviour in school and it is expected that parents will support and co-operate with them. We are aware that we share responsibility with parents for the children in our care. School rules are drawn up in the interest and safety of individual pupils and the school community as a whole. These rules are kept to a minimum and are designed to encourage self discipline and to promote safety. Children are expected to conduct themselves with consideration for others at all times, showing respect for adults and other children, their own and other people's property. Bullying usually involves the following:- Deliberately hurtful behaviour, which is repeated over a period of time, when it is difficult for those being bullied to defend themselves. Three main types of bullying are as follows:- physical - hitting, kicking taking personal belongings verbal - name calling, insults, racist and homophobic remarks indirect - spreading nasty stories about someone or excluding someone from social groups Harassment: Being worried or pestered by repeated attacks Cyberbullying: using technologies such as , instant messaging, social networking sites, text messaging or VLE, to bully either verbally or indirectly. These are also unacceptable and part of our Anti-Bullying Policy At Fern Hill Primary we are committed to challenging bullying and harassing behaviour for the following reasons:- 1. We aim to be an effective, caring school. We aim to reassure parents that we will respond positively and effectively to bullying, even if only slight or infrequent. 2. We aim to provide a safe environment for all pupils. Bullying will cause unhappiness, loss of self confidence, self esteem and possibly physical injury which are all contrary to the school aims. 3. The unhappiness of bullied children is likely to affect their concentration and learning.

2 4. It is important to provide a model for good behaviour. Bullying which goes unchallenged provides an unwanted hidden message that bullying is a quick and effective way of getting what they want. Strategies for preventing bullying/harassment 1. With reference to the good behaviour policy:- If you have a problem, share it. a) Promote an atmosphere of trust between all people in the school. b) Encourage children to tell someone if they have a worry or fear. c) Teach children to be aware of what is happening and to tell someone if they see anyone behaving in a wrong way. 2. Children are taught and encouraged not to: a) allow someone to be deliberately left out of a group. b) smile or laugh when someone is hurt or being bullied. Children are taught and encouraged to: a) tell a member of staff what is happening b) tell the bullying pupil to stop what they are doing. c) show the bullying pupil that they don't like what he/she is doing. Staff watch for children who start to behave in an uncharacteristic manner which might be an indicator that they are being bullied. 3. Regular reviews of our behaviour policy and its implementation within the school are carried out. 4. Regular reminders of appropriate behaviour and reinforcement of our school behaviour policy through:- Collective Worship themes on friendship, conflict, power, trust, rules etc. Role Play or stories Class projects High expectations of standards of behaviour Good role models provided from the staff in their relationships with children and colleagues Use of circle time Social communications groups PSHCE schemes of work School Council 5. Displays and artwork in prominent areas promoting our school behaviour policy. 6. A weekly item at staff meetings to discuss discipline in the school.

3 7. Whole staff approach to reinforce the behaviour policy throughout the school. 8. Encouraging co-operative behaviour through:- 1. Acknowledgement of the importance of being kind, helpful, caring in weekly commendation assemblies. 2. Praise and recognition for co-operative behaviour. 3. Teaching co-operative games and activities. 9. Providing a variety of different activities for children to do in the play areas. 10. Regular circle time sessions give children the opportunity to articulate how they feel in a non-threatening secure environment. It also encourages the children to develop empathy with others and begin to understand how the things they do or say can affect others and also themselves. 11. Children in Year 5 and Year 6 are trained as peer mentors and help their peers to resolve playground conflicts. 12. PSHE lessons on safe internet use and cyberbullying. Procedures to follow when a bullying/harassment incident takes place 1. All staff will be informed at the next staff meeting. These occur twice weekly. Lunchtime supervisors will be informed when necessary, through their line manager or class teacher. 2. The children involved will be spoken to openly and fairly in order to discover the accurate picture of events. It is not always easy to discern who is telling the truth. This would be handled sensitively. 3. Families are often the first to detect if a problem exists. Parents are encouraged to talk to their child's teacher if they are worried that their child might be involved in bullying others or being bullied. 4. Parents will be involved at an early stage where bullying is clearly proven. 5. When a one off minor incident occurs their will be a reprimand from the class teacher and counselling or problem solving approaches may be considered (see DfES Bullying Don t suffer in Silence Section 2). 6. When a serious incident occurs:- a) Accurate records will be kept which include the following information: who was involved where and when it happened what happened what action was taken how it was followed up The class teacher is responsible for ensuring the above information is collated.

4 b) The headteacher should be informed and parents co-operation sought in addressing the issue. c) Both the victim and the aggressor will be seen separately by the headteacher and in the presence of a parent/guardian. d) Behaviour targets will be set and agreed between child, school and parents. These targets should be positive, manageable and appropriate to each individual child. If necessary these would involve Behavioural I.E.P. e) Targets will be reviewed regularly with child, parents and school. New targets will be set if necessary. Initially there should only be short periods of time between each review ie daily or weekly. This can lengthen as behaviour improves. f) A risk assessment is completed to ensure the safety of the child and other pupils and staff at the school. g) If necessary an action plan is drawn up with the co-operation of the parents to help the child to behave appropriately towards other children. h) Appropriate referral to external agencies may be made ie Education Psychologist, E.W.O., Educational Behaviour Difficulties Unit. Exclusions If the strategies above prove to be ineffective then exclusion strategies may need to be considered. Exclusion as a response to bullying should be used sparingly and always as a last resort If the child does not respond to the targets set and the well being of other children in the school is put significantly at risk the school may exclude a child for part or all of a school day. This policy is written with reference to Bullying: Don t Suffer in Silence Published for DFEE by HMSO September 1994 and updated on DfES website Teachernet. The policy is written to take into account Human Rights Act of 1998 and Race Relations Amendments Act 2000 This policy links with the e-safety policy, with regard to cyber-bullying.

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