ANTI-BULLYING POLICY

Transcription

1 NORTHGATE HIGH SCHOOL ANTI-BULLYING POLICY 1 What is the Legal Position Regarding Bullying? 1.1 Section 69 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 states that maintained schools must have measures in place to prevent all forms of bullying amongst pupils. These measures should be part of the school s behaviour policy which must be communicated to all pupils, students, staff and parents/carers. Furthermore, all schools are required to comply with the Equality Act 2010, and the public sector Equality Duty which came into force in April This essentially requires that we uphold people s rights to be protected from discrimination, harassment and victimisation on grounds of race, gender, disability, religion, personal beliefs and sexual orientation. 1.2 Although bullying itself is not a specific criminal offence in the UK, some types of harassing or threatening behaviour or communications can constitute a criminal offence. For example, under the Malicious Communications Act 1988, it is an offence for a person to send an electronic communication to another person with the intent to cause distress or anxiety or to send an electronic communication which conveys a message which is indecent or grossly offensive, a threat, or information which is false and known or believed to be false by the sender. 2 What is Bullying? 2.1 Bullying refers to any words or actions, which are deliberately aimed at causing someone to feel insecure, unhappy, frightened or defenceless in school. The definition of bullying according to the DCSF publication Safe to Learn: embedding anti-bullying work in schools (September 2007) is any behaviour by an individual or group, usually repeated over time, that intentionally hurts another individual or group either physically or emotionally. 2.3 Bullying could include the following: name-calling; taunting; mocking; making offensive comments; kicking; hitting; pushing; taking belongings; inappropriate text messaging and ing; sending or posting offensive or degrading images by phone or via the internet; producing offensive graffiti; gossiping; excluding people from groups; spreading hurtful and untruthful rumours. 2.4 Pupils/students are bullied for a variety of reasons. Specific types of bullying include: bullying related to race, religion or culture bullying related to SEN learning needs or disabilities bullying related to appearance or health conditions bullying related to sexual orientation bullying of young carers, looked-after children or otherwise related to home circumstances bullying related to gender or sexual bullying 3 The Right to be Safe 3.1 The DCSF publication, Don t Suffer in Silence, states that: Everybody has a right to come to school and be safe from unkindness, threats and violence People who bully need to be stopped and made to understand that this behaviour is unacceptable People who are bullied need to learn how to avoid it happening by e.g. walking tall, developing positive self-esteem and presenting a confident front 1

2 3.2 Furthermore, the document Safe to Learn recognises that providing a safe and happy learning environment is integral to achieving the wider objectives of school improvement: raising attainment improving school attendance promoting equality and diversity ensuring the well-being of all members of the school community 3.3 In the light of the above, the aim of Northgate High School is to create a climate in which bullying is viewed as totally unacceptable, and where those who are being bullied have the confidence to talk to others about bullying and are supported to do so. 4 Prevention 4.1 The extent of bullying in any school is closely related to the ethos of the school. At Northgate High School, we are committed not only to dealing with bullying but also to doing all we can to prevent it happening in the first place. We seek to build self-esteem in pupils/students and to develop tolerance of others through a variety of methods: We use curriculum time in Lower School PSHEE/Citizenship lessons to explore issues round bullying and consideration of other people s points of view, including the role of friendships, feelings and self-esteem. Tutors play an active role in overseeing the interaction of pupils/students in their tutor groups so that potential problems can be spotted and dealt with at an early stage. In years 10 and 12 there is a Tutor period for individual or group mentoring. Relevant issues are further covered in the School s Tutorial programme. Bullying is a topic that is raised in year assemblies in order to highlight awareness of its potential to cause real harm and misery. We tackle bullying in a proactive manner through our PALS initiative, where trained pupils offer support to their peers through a daily drop-in service We offer the services of a Youth Worker (Middle School) and a Counsellor (Middle and Lower Schools) to support young people for whom bullying may be an issue We have an offsite intervention provision to provide intensive remedial work with youngsters who have been guilty of different types of bullying or discriminatory behaviour (as defined by the Equality Act). We make our policy openly available to parents/carers, e.g. via the school website 5 What to do if Bullying Takes Place Pupils/Students If a pupil/student is being bullied, he/she should report the bullying immediately to his/her tutor or a member of staff that he/she likes and feels comfortable with or he/she should talk to a PAL (peer support mentor) about the problem. If pupils/students are uncomfortable going on their own either to see staff or to visit PALS, they should take along a friend to give moral support. All PALS have been fully trained regarding issues of confidentiality. Pupils/students should not allow themselves to be intimidated by threats from the bully of what will happen if they tell. They should feel confident that they will be protected. Pupils/students are advised to report cases of bullying earlier rather than later so that the situation can be dealt with before it gets out of hand. Pupils/students need to know that all reported incidents will be taken seriously and followed up. If any pupil thinks another is being bullied, he/she should report it immediately. Where cyberbullying has occurred, copies of the exchange should be kept and brought into school. A report should be made via the report abuse buttons. 2

3 6 What to do if Bullying Takes Place Parents/Carers 6.1 If a parent/carer is concerned that their child is being bullied, he/she should: contact the school and ask to speak to the relevant form tutor, Assistant Head of School or Head of School. Parents/carers can also support the PALS initiative by advising their sons/daughters to see a PAL. not allow children to miss time from school if possible as this only defers the problem and does not help to deal with it. 6.2 Parents/carers who wish to work positively with the school will always be welcome to come into school and see a member of staff either with or without their child being present. 6.3 Parents/carers are encouraged to monitor their child(ren) s use of social networking sites. 7 What to do if Bullying Takes Place Members of Staff 7.1 If a pupil/student comes to a member of staff and says that he/she has been bullied, the member of staff should: i. Listen to what they say ii. Always take it seriously iii. Record what the pupil/student tells him/her iv. Pass the information on to the pupil/student s Assistant Head of School and Head of School who will inform the tutor if another member of staff has highlighted the problem v. Make it clear that the pupil/student has made the right decision by telling vi. Explain to the pupil/student that total anonymity may not be possible vii. Offer the possibility of counselling and support, which can be the Youth worker, Counsellor, or staff mentor of the young person s choice. viii. Highlight and offer the lunchtime clubs run by the Learning Support Department including: Friendship Club every lunchtime; individual mentors; Lower School girls group; Middle School girls group; Breakfast Club and the FRIENDS course which addresses issues of anxiety. There is also a Friday Club for Year 7 pupils to help them settle into school; it provides support and gives confidence. ix. Liaise with the Learning Support Department re appropriate courses and referral to appropriate interventions. 8 What to do if Bullying Takes Place Tutors/Assistant Heads of School/Heads of School 8.1 If a member of staff reports an incident of bullying or a pupil/student or parent/carer reports one directly, Tutors/Assistant Heads of School/Heads of School should: Follow steps 1-3 and 5-7 above Offer a safe place to stay at break and lunchtimes, and allow the pupil/student to be kept away from the bully(ies) until the situation is resolved Suggest that the pupil(s) in question talk to a PAL Interview the bully(ies) Interview and take statements from anyone else who has information about the incident(s) in question File statements so a record is kept in the bullying incidents file held in the school offices. The following categories of bullying must be recorded: o Bullying due to sexual orientation o Bullying due to SEN/disabilities o Bullying due to race/ethnic origin o Cyberbullying 3

4 Review the situation based on the information gleaned and decide how to proceed e.g through offering restorative Justice and mediation 9 Dealing with an Established Case of Bullying 9.1 As well as taking different forms, bullying can also range in degrees of seriousness. Staff involved in investigating all incidents of bullying will need to judge whether an incident is a case of real bullying or simply a petty low-level dispute. Where it is clear that bullying has taken place, the following sanctions will apply: Formal warning given to bully Meeting arranged between bully and victim if felt that this will be helpful Punishment such as detention or time in the school Inclusion Room Remedial action such as that offered by the new offsite provision Letter and/or phone call to parents/carers of bully Exclusion a last resort for persistent bullying, but one that both pupils/students and parents/carers need to be aware of 9.2 Bullies who have a genuine problem, often to do with self-esteem, should also be given support and counselling where this is felt to be appropriate. Tackling the root cause of the bullying may well be the best way to prevent it happening in the future. It is also important that the victim and the victim s parents/carers are kept informed of what is happening and the conclusion so that confidence is instilled in the efficacy of our systems. 10 Cyberbullying 10.1 The DCSF's Guidance on Cyberbullying (April 2009) outlines the importance of this issue and the ways in which schools tackle it. As a school community, we are committed to talking openly about cyber bullying, and encouraging pupils and parents/carers to report instances to us. As already stated, cyberbullying may constitute an offence against the Malicious Communications Act, and in appropriate cases will mean the school involving the police Being aware of the threat posed by cyber bullying, Northgate has clear rules in place regarding the use of equipment, software and network access provided by the school for the use of staff and pupils/students for example, laptops, Virtual Learning Environments, and internet access. We also have clear rules regarding pupil-owned equipment such as mobile phones, digital cameras, and laptops We have a clear code of acceptable behaviour for staff and pupils regarding the use of technology which includes behaviour outside of school for example teachers' and pupils' use of social networking services and other sites insofar as harming others and bringing the school into disrepute are concerned Cyberbullying is a live and ongoing issue and the school recognises the importance of treating it very seriously indeed. Pupils and parents/carers are encouraged to report cases of cyber bullying just as they would any other perceived examples of bullying. 11 Bullying Outside the School Premises 11.1 Teachers have the power to discipline pupils for misbehaving outside the school premises to such an extent as is reasonable (DFE: Preventing and Tackling Bullying, March 2014). Therefore, as a school, we have the right to deal with bullying that goes on outside the school grounds e.g. incidents that occur on the home/school route or cyber bullying. If bullying outside the school is reported, the school should therefore do the following: 4

5 In extreme or persistent cases, or if there are likely to be repercussions in school, advise the pupil/student s parents/carers to contact the police Speak to the pupils/students involved (and warn them where necessary) even though the incident has not taken place on school property Liaise with parents/carers concerning pupils/students who are frightened about leaving the school premises or concerned about internet/text messaging communication Talk to pupils/students about how to avoid or handle bullying outside the school premises Talk to the local police or school community Police Officer about problems on local streets Talk to the bus company about problems on buses Inform the police directly in the cases of physical/verbal threats and/or threatening text/cyber communication This policy has been drawn up within the framework laid down by our Equality and Diversity Policy and will be evaluated and monitored for its impact on pupils, staff, parents and carers from the different groups that make up our school. April