Anti-Bullying
Preventing Bullying at St Robert's
St. Robert's aims to prevent bullying through:
The school’s ethos and mission of Jesus at the heart of all we do and say, showing respect and kindness.
A curriculum which fosters and builds good relationships with each other.
Every classroom has a ‘worry box’ which teachers will check regularly.
Annual anti-bullying and internet safety weeks.
Assemblies with anti-bullying and respect for others’ themes.
The school’s life curriculum which encompasses PSHE, RSE, mental health and well-being.
Virtues to Live by Curriculum, living out respect, kindness, compassion and caring for others.
St Robert's Anti-Bullying Policy
What Children Should Do
Walk away from a bullying incident.
Ask for the bullying behaviour to stop.
Report an incident of bullying to any trusted adult or through the use of the classroom worry box.
Have an expectation that something will be done about it.
Feel that they are listened to and believed.
Feel safe and included.
Our Strategy for Dealing With Bullying
A member of staff talks with those involved and decides if further action is required.
The school’s stance with regard to bullying is reinforced with those involved. This should be handled quickly and sensitively.
An appropriate member of staff will use the following procedures:
Talk with the victim to understand feelings
Talk with the bully to give the “evidence” of distress / hurt; to reinforce the view of unnacceptable behaviour; to encourage the bully to make a response to the victim seeking to improve their relationship
In talks with both victim and bully the adult will seek to discover whether there are underlying “reasons” for behaviour
Feedback to the victim
Monitoring (may involve use of staff or peers)
Possible strategies:
Anti-bullying policy/charter – shared/ understood by all
Whole school awareness raising via assemblies, display, competitions, drama etc
Anti-bullying education via PSHE etc
Appropriate adult supervision during both curriculum and non-curriculum time
Whole staff development including additional adult support if needed– awareness and responding to incidents
Transparent systems for reporting bullying incidents
Clear hierarchy of consequences on our School Behaviour Policy
Increased positive behaviour strategies
TA support listening
Pupil interviews
Wave 2
If a child is being bullied over a period then the Headteacher informs the child’s parents. If a child is repeatedly involved in bullying other children, we inform the Headteacher and the SENCO. We then invite the child’s parents into the school to discuss the situation.
Behaviour needs to be further investigated by the appropriate member of staff
Behaviour investigated to assess nature and severity of the behaviour: all those involved including bystanders talked to: behaviour records checked: parents informed, involved as appropriate and provided with regular feedback
Priority is to protect and provide support for the victim (s) of bullying, and then to seek to resolve the conflict
Provide help to change behaviour of those bullying
Bystander behaviour addressed
Parents informed and involved
Possible strategies:
Headteacher monitoring
Support for targets of bullying via peers or adults
Mediation opportunities
Restorative practices
Groupwork opportunities around self- esteem, anger management strategies etc.
Audit of opinions and experience of bullying within specific vulnerable groups
Meetings with parents/carers
Wave 3
If behaviour is potentially so serious that it has to be referred to a senior member of staff, and if appropriate the Child Protection Designated Person – Miss Collins or in her absence Mrs Ward or Ms Forster.
The senior member of staff will inform parents immediately and a meeting will be arranged as soon as possible (unless such action could put a child at risk)
The appropriate senior member of staff instigates an investigation and decides whether the case needs to be referred to external agency, for example Child Protection and / or Police or Early Help.
Where external agencies are involved further school action needs to be agreed with the involved agencies.
Possible Strategies
One to one counselling opportunities
Multi-agency support
One to one learning opportunities around self-esteem, anger management strategies
Early Help Assessment