Anti-bullying Policy – Golftyn C.P School
At Golftyn we endeavour to ensure that the secure and caring environment created and the general atmosphere within the school actively discourages bullying. The Governors, Head teacher and staff of the school are keen to promote good behaviour and discipline. We will:
- promote self-discipline and proper regard for authority.
- encourage good behaviour and respect for others.
- ensure that pupils’ standard of behaviour is acceptable.
- regulate pupils’ conduct and record incidents.
- communicate with parents when necessary.
Definition of Bullying
Bullying is intentional and repeated harmful behaviour towards one and the same individual.
Bullying Behaviour
Verbal bullying (i.e. name calling, constant unkind remarks, mocking or ridiculing someone.)
Physical bullying (pushing, shoving, hitting and/or taking someone’s things and destroying them with the intention to create fear and use power improperly.)
Relational bullying (social exclusion, spreading lies or rumours)
Material bullying (breaking or taking someone’s belongings)
Manipulative bullying (manipulating others so that they start avoiding the victim, spreading unkind rumours and exclude them from the group)
Cyber bullying (posting/circulating embarrassing photographs, sending nasty emails or text messages, or mocking the target on a social media site)
Bullying may also fall into the following categories:
- Racist bullying
- Sexual bullying
- Gender-based bullying
- Bullying on the basis of sexual orientation
- Bullying on the basis of special educational needs or disabilities
- Bullying of those with long-term health conditions.
Whole School Prevention
At Golftyn we strongly believe that to tackle bullying effectively we need a consistent whole school approach and therefore we follow the KiVa programme. KiVa is an innovative anti-bullying programme that has been developed using cutting-edge research on bullying and incorporating experiences from previous intervention programmes used around the world.
Explorers:
Nursery and Reception will become familiar with the KiVa ambassadors and the meaning of KiVa.
Adventurers:
Year 1 and 2 will become familiar with the KiVa rules
Year 3 will follow Unit 1 of the programme
Innovators:
Year 4 will continue to follow Unit 1 of the programme
Year 5 and 6 will follow Unit 2 of the programme.
The KiVa lessons are:
- Child centred – Children are encouraged to think for themselves and find solutions to the themes on their own.
- Experiential – Children will be able to clarify matters through different exercises and learning by doing.
- Versatile – Children will experience lessons where themes are handled in many different ways.
The lessons consist of discussions, group work, short films about bullying and role play exercises. They proceed from Universal topics such as the importance of respect in human relationships – to bullying, including its mechanism and consequences. Many lessons concentrate on the role that the group plays in maintaining and stopping bullying. Group exercises help the pupils to think and practise different ways of supporting victimised peers. Over the course of the KiVa lessons the whole class adopts the anti-bullying rules. At the end of the school year, all the rules that have been adopted form a KiVa contract which all the pupils sign. The skills learned in lessons should also transfer into interactions outside the lessons.
Bullying will also be raised in other ways at a number of levels including:
- Whole School level – whole school and Progression Step assemblies, Anti-bullying Week, School Rules developed by pupils, Golftyn Government leaflets for pupils, KiVa Champions.
- Classroom level – Worry Box, Calm Room, pupil posters, class rules developed by pupils, Circle Time, Jigsaw, class discussions, and cross-curricular activities.
- Individual Pupil level – children who are felt to be at risk of bullying will be offered additional support and guidance via Nurture groups and the Learning Coach.
- Parent level – Parent information evenings, Parent network – behaviour management advice available on school website, leaflets created by the Golftyn Government providing advice for parents.
- Teacher level – KiVa training followed by in-house training for staff.
Recording of Incidents
Form 1 – ‘Screening: Is it bullying?’ – to be filled in by the adult who is the first to know about a suspected bullying case.
Form 2 – ‘Discussion with the victim’ – to be filled out by the KiVa team.
Form 3 – ‘Individual discussions with the bullies’ – to be filled out by the KiVa team.
Form 4 – ‘Group discussion with the bullies’ – to be filled out by the KiVa team
Form 5 – ‘Follow-up discussion with the victim’ – to be filled out by the KiVa team.
Form 6 – ‘Follow up discussion’ – to be filled out by the KiVa team.
The forms will be kept in a secure folder in the Head Teacher’s Office.
Roles
The role of Governors
The Governing Body supports the Head Teacher in all attempts to eliminate bullying from Golftyn C.P School. This policy statement makes it very clear that the Governing Body does not allow bullying to take place in Golftyn and that any incidents of bullying that do occur are taken very seriously and dealt with appropriately.
The Governing Body monitors the incidents of bullying that occur, and reviews the effectiveness of the school policy. The Governors require the Head Teacher to keep accurate records of all incidents of bullying and to report to the Governors on an annual basis about the effectiveness of school anti-bullying strategies.
The Governing Body responds within ten days to any request from a parent to investigate incidents of bullying. In all cases, the Governing Body notifies the Head Teacher and asks him/her to conduct an investigation into the case and to report back to a representative of the Governing Body.
The role of the Head teacher
It is the responsibility of the Head Teacher to implement the school Anti-bullying Strategy and to ensure that all staff (both teaching and non-teaching) are aware of the school policy and know how to deal with incidents of bullying. The Head Teacher reports to the governing body about the effectiveness of the Anti-bullying Policy and ensures that all staff receive sufficient training to be equipped to deal with all incidents of bullying.
The Head Teacher ensures that all children know that bullying is wrong and that it is unacceptable behaviour. The Head Teacher may use an assembly as a forum in which to raise bullying and reinforce key messages.
The role of Teachers
All staff involved in the education and supervision of children at Golftyn are made aware of the issue of bullying and will apply the school’s policy consistently when episodes of bullying are witnessed or reported. Staff will undertake appropriate training in order to tackle bullying and will reinforce the message that bullying is unacceptable and will take positive action to prevent and control it.
All staff at Golftyn take all forms of bullying seriously and intervene to prevent incidents from taking place. They record incidents using the KiVa forms.
Teachers will support all children in their class to establish a climate of trust and respect for all. By praising, rewarding and celebrating the success of all children, we aim to prevent incidents of bullying.
The role of Parents
Golftyn is firmly committed to working in partnership with parents/carers and believes that the best outcomes emerge when professionals and parents are able to work together.
Parents/carers who believe their child is the target of bullying should share their concerns with school at the earliest opportunity. All expressions of concern will be taken seriously and investigated thoroughly.
In the event where parents/carers are unhappy with the way the school has investigated an alleged incident of bullying, then they have the right to complain to the head teacher/Governing Body through the Chair of Governors, in accordance with the schools Complaints Policy.
Parents/carers have a responsibility to support the school’s Anti-bullying Policy and to actively encourage their child to be a positive member of the school.
Management of Bullying Related Incidents
Golftyn is committed to creating a safe environment and will ensure that this policy is applied rigorously. All staff involved in the teaching and supervision of children will take responsibility for addressing incidents which fall within the school’s definition of bullying.
All children need to be aware that they need to tell staff of any incidents or concerns and that action will be taken when bullying is reported.
It is always important to make clear that:
- The bully’s behaviour is unacceptable and the bullying must stop.
- Everything that happens is carefully recorded.
- The application of sanctions will depend on the individual circumstances of each incident.
- Revenge is not appropriate for the victim.
- The school will work with the parents of both the victim and the bully.
- Support will be available for all concerned.
Support for the victim
Golftyn will offer a proactive, sympathetic and supportive response to children who are the targeted individuals of bullying. The exact nature of the response will be determined by the particular child’s individual needs and may include:
- Immediate action to stop the incident and secure the child’s safety
- Positive reinforcement that reporting the incident was the correct thing to do
- Reassurance that the targeted individual is not responsible for the behaviour of the bully
- Strategies to prevent further incidents
- Sympathy and empathy
- Counselling
- Befriending
- Assertiveness training/raising self esteem
- Extra supervision/monitoring
- Creation of a support group
- Peer mediation/peer mentoring
- Informing/involving parents/carers
- Adult mediation between the perpetrator and the targeted individual (provided this does not
increase the targeted individual’s vulnerability)
- Arrangements to review progress
Support for the Bully
Golftyn takes bullying behaviour very seriously and will adopt a supportive, pragmatic problem-solving approach to enable bullies to modify their behaviour, which may include:
- Rewards/positive reinforcement for the child in order to promote change and bring
unacceptable behaviour under control
- Immediate action to stop an incident of bullying in progress
- Engagement with the bully to reinforce the message that their behaviour is unacceptable
- Loss of lunch/break time privileges
- Removal from class/group (time-out) – removing the pupil from the group, not so much as a punishment, but rather as a time when he or she can think about their behaviour and often a solution
- Individual Behaviour Management Plan
- Parents/carers informed
- Counselling/instruction in alternative ways of behaving
- Referral to appropriate outside agency
- Mediation
- Fixed periods of exclusion
- Permanent exclusion (in extreme cases which may involve violence)
Confidentiality and Safeguarding
It may be necessary to invoke local Child Protection Procedures if a pupil’s safety or welfare (or that of another pupil) is under threat. A duty is placed upon those professionals involved to exchange information in order to safeguard a “child” adhering to the ‘All Wales Child Protection Procedures 2008’. Teachers and professionals cannot offer unconditional confidentiality to pupils in bullying incidents and this should always be made clear at the outset.
If a pupil discloses information which is sensitive, not generally known and which the pupil asks not to be passed on, it will be discussed with the head teacher/safeguarding coordinator. The request will be honoured, however confidentiality will be broken against the wishes of a pupil when:
- there is a safeguarding issue
- the life of a person is at risk
- there is a risk of serious harm to others
- criminal offences are disclosed
However, we will make every effort to inform the pupil first, explain why this needs to happen and secure the pupil’s agreement to the way in which the school intends to use any sensitive information.
Development and Review
- This policy was written in 2023 after becoming a KiVa School. It has been written in conjunction with the Golftyn Governors and agreed by Governors.
- The KiVa team is responsible for reviewing the KiVa program to ensure it is responsive to the needs of pupils.
- The Headteacher and governing body responsible for monitoring incidents (e.g. the number, nature, outcomes of incidents and how many referrals were made to outside agencies) and reviewing incident management procedures.
- The Head teacher will ensure that the findings from staff, parent/carer and pupil evaluations contribute to our school’s self-evaluation process and to the policy review process.