Staunton & Corse C of E Academy

Anti Bullying

Rights Respecting School

Our school promotes a caring ethos in which each child is important. Caring relationships are fostered at all times and reinforced through our daily acts of worship, the curriculum and the spirit of Christianity that we celebrate through our Church of England status. The safety of all children at Staunton and Corse Academy is imperative – please also see the Child Protection policy for full details of how we aim to protect all children from harm.

At Staunton and Corse Academy, we are committed to being a rights-respecting school and upholding the universal Rights of a Child as described in the United Nations Convention. The following articles from the convention are of particular relevance to our Anti-bullying and Child Protection Policies.

• Prepare children to live peacefully and responsibly in a free society
• All children have a right to relax and play and join in with a wide range of activities
• All children should be protected from violence, abuse and neglect
• Nobody can do anything to your body that you do not want them to do and adults should protect you

Bullying

A definition: “Bullying is understood to be the deliberate causing of physical, mental or emotional pain to another person (child) for no reason other than to enjoy some form of self-gratification.”

Bullying is an unacceptable form of behaviour and is any deliberate act which results from a conscious desire to hurt, threaten or frighten someone. It is an abuse of power and results in pain and distress to the victim, who has in no way provoked the bullying. Usually, bullying is a campaign over time against a child, but sometimes there can be just one incident. A bully has power over his/her victim which may not be instantly recognisable. The school will not tolerate bullying in any form whether verbal, physical, emotional or racial. All members of the school, both staff and children will be aware of this.

Bullying can be physical, verbal, social or psychological and may take many forms:

• derogatory name-calling, mimicry, racist and sexist remarks
• nasty teasing
• physical violence
• spreading rumours
• verbal threats
• writing hurtful things about someone
• demanding money or possessions
• being deliberately unfriendly
• tormenting
• taunting
• threatening or rude gestures

Identifying the Problem

Staff’s alertness is very important in recognising early signs that a form of bullying is taking place. It is very important therefore, that a child tells a teacher if they are experiencing any form of behaviour from other school children that is worrying or upsetting them.

Staff also remain vigilant through excellent communication lines in school and also keeping eyes and ears open during break/lunch times.

School Action

1. All school children, parents, governors, staff and non-teaching staff, must take all incidents of bullying seriously and they must be reported to the class teacher and head teacher. Incidents will be recorded in the school incident book and the local advisors will be informed.
2. Children are regularly made aware of what bullying means and that it is unacceptable – assembly, acts of worship, class topics dealing with relationships, whole class circle time.
3. Children are encouraged to speak out and report if they feel they are being bullied, or to report the possibility that somebody else is being bullied.
4. Any report of bullying will be investigated.
5. A bully will be confronted about his/her behaviour and a counselling programme developed to explore the reasons for such behaviour. Emphasis will be placed on pastoral care and:
   • the unacceptable behaviour
   • the effect that anti-social behaviour has on the victim
   • such behaviour in the future is not to be tolerated. Reference will be made to the whole class circle time themes which reinforces positive behaviour.
6. The parents of the bully and the victim are informed. The parents of the bully are asked to support the school sanctions.
   • Playtimes and lunch times will be forfeited. Privileges may also be withdrawn eg school visits and out-of-school activities.
7. If the bully continues to display anti-social behaviour then lunchtimes and playtimes will be suspended and privileges withdrawn.
   • Parents of the bully are informed and asked to attend a meeting with the head teacher, class teacher and child. The child asked to justify actions, and how such incidents can be prevented in the future. An agreed range of home and school sanctions are agreed and a timetable of action is formulated.
8. In the event of a child being a persistent bully, the head teacher and governors would consider the option of temporary exclusion.