Anti-Bullying Policy

ST ALBAN'S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

ANTI-BULLYING POLICY

At St. Alban's School we work together, play together and pray together.

AIM

The aim of our anti-bullying policy is to ensure that pupils learn in a supportive, caring and safe environment without fear of being bullied. Everyone at St Alban's has the right to feel welcome, secure and happy. Bullying is anti-social behaviour and affects everyone; it is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Only when all issues of bullying are addressed will pupils be able to fully benefit from the opportunities available at this school.

WHAT IS BULLYING?

Bullying is defined as deliberately hurtful behaviour, repeated over a period of time, where it is difficult for those being bullied to defend themselves. The three main types of bullying are:

- Physical (hitting, kicking, theft)

- Verbal (name calling, racist remarks)

- Indirect (spreading rumours, excluding someone from social groups)

Pupils who are being bullied may show changes in behaviour, such as becoming shy and nervous, feigning illness, taking unusual absences or clinging to adults. There may be evidence of changes in work patterns, lacking concentration or truanting from school. Pupils must be encouraged to report bullying in schools. Where bullying exists the victims must feel confident to activate the anti-bullying systems within school to end the bullying. It is our aim to challenge attitudes about bullying behaviour, increase understanding for bullied pupils and help build an anti-bullying ethos. Our School Council are actively involved in combating any bullying in our school.

School teaching and support staff are alert to signs of bullying and will act promptly and firmly against it in accordance with school policy. Prevention is better than cure, we will be vigilant for signs of bullying and always take reports of incidents seriously. We will use the curriculum whenever possible to reinforce the ethos of the nursery and help pupils to develop strategies to combat bullying-type behaviour.

Statutory Duty of Schools

The Head Teacher has a legal duty under the School Standards and framework Act 1998 to draw up procedures to prevent bullying among pupils and to bring these procedures to the attention of staff, parents and pupils.

Implementation

Procedures for staff

The following steps may be taken when dealing with incidents:

- If bullying is suspected or reported, the incident will be dealt with immediately by the member of staff who has been approached

- A clear account of the incident will be recorded and given to the head teacher

- The head teacher will interview all concerned and will record the incident

- Class teachers will be kept informed

- Parents will be kept informed

- Punitive measures will be used as appropriate and in consultation with all parties concerned.

Procedures for Pupils

Pupils who have been bullied will be supported by:

- Offering an immediate opportunity to discuss the experience with a class teacher or member of staff of their choice

- Reassuring the pupil

- Offering continuous support

- Restoring self-esteem and confidence

Pupils who have been bullied will be helped by:

- Discussing what happened

- Discovering why the pupil became involved

- Establishing the wrong doing and need to change

- Informing parents/carers to help change the attitude of the pupil.

The following disciplinary steps can be taken:

- Official warnings to cease offending

- Exclusion from certain areas of school premises

- Minor fixed term exclusion

- Major fixed term exclusion

- Permanent exclusion

Within the curriculum the school will raise the awareness of the nature of bullying through inclusion in PSHE, class tutorial time, assemblies and subject areas, as appropriate, in an attempt to eradicate such behaviour.

Policy reviewed January 2007

Bullying Report Form

St Alban's Bullying Report Form

To be filled in as soon as possible after the incident and given to a member of the Leadership Team

Completed by:

Time:                                                                                                      Date:

Reported by (if different to person above)

CATEGORY (brief description)

Verbal abuse:

Threats:

Sexist / Racist:

Violence:

VICTIM(S)

Name(s):                                                                                                  Class:

Injury / Treatments

WITNESSES

Name(s):                                                                                                 Post / Class:

RESPONSIBLE

Name(s):                                                                                                 Class:

CIRCUMSTANCES (including where and when incident(s) occurred)

ACTION TAKEN (to be filled in by Head Teacher / Deputy Head Teacher)

OUTCOME (as a result of monitoring ? pupils, parents, staff)