Anti-Bullying Policy

This policy should be read in conjunction with the academy’s policies on Safeguarding, Behaviour and Online Safety.

At Co-op Academy Medlock we endeavour to make all our children feel safe and secure. Bullying undermines relationships and is not conducive to the learning environment. Therefore, bullying is not only undesirable, but unacceptable. Every child has the right to learn, work and play in a friendly, safe and nurturing environment where their voices are heard. They  should be able express their views, feelings and wishes in all matters affecting them and to  have their views considered and taken seriously.  

Bullying involves the dominance of one person by another (or a group of others). It is  premeditated and usually forms a pattern of behaviour. Therefore it is usually defined as  behaviour that is:  

• Repeated
• Intended to hurt someone either physically or emotionally
• Often aimed at certain groups, e.g. because of race, religion, gender or sexual orientation.  

It takes many forms and can include:

• Physical assault  
• Teasing  
• Making threats  
• Name calling  
• Cyberbullying – bullying via mobile phone or online (e.g. email, social networks and instant messenger).  

Everybody has the right to be treated with respect. No one deserves to be a victim of bullying. Where bullying is identified, the perpetrator will receive targeted support to explore why they have chosen to behave in this way, pastoral support to help them explore developing empathy and see the impact of their behaviour as well as consequences in line with the Academies behaviour policy.

It is important to understand that bullying is not isolated incidents, periodical ‘falling out’ in friendship groups or ill-advised tricks or jokes played on someone.

Aims of this Policy

• To make it clear that all forms of bullying are unacceptable. We will therefore do all we can to prevent it and make it clear bullying isn’t tolerated.  
• Promote high standards by modelling positive behaviours at all times.
• To produce a safe and secure environment where all can learn without anxiety and encourage pupils to report incidences of bullying.  
• We aim to ensure that all adults and children treat each other with mutual  respect and consideration.
• To enable children to make their own choices and have a say in how they  are treated and how they should treat others.
• To support and protect victims of bullying and ensure they are listened to.
• To deal effectively with bullying and ensure all staff feel supported in doing this.
• To help and support bullies to change their attitudes as well as their behaviour and understand why it needs to change.
• To liaise with parents and other appropriate members of the community.
• To produce a consistent school response to any bullying incidents that may occur.

Reasons for Bullying

Bullying can be related to:

• Race
• Religion
• Culture
• Special Educational Needs
• Disabilities
• Appearance
• Health conditions
• Sexual orientation (lesbian, gay, bisexual)
• Gender (including Transgender)
• Young carers
• Looked After Children
• Home Circumstances
• Sexist or sexual bullying.

Types of Bullying

Bullying can be:  

• Physical – punching, kicking, hitting, pinching, spitting or any use of violence.
• Verbal – name calling of the victim or their family, sarcasm, rumour spreading and  teasing.
• Emotional – excluding from groups, games or work, tormenting (i.e. hiding or  damaging belongings, threatening gestures), being unfriendly and inciting others to  be unfriendly.
• Racial – racial taunts, graffiti and gestures.
• Sexual – unwanted physical contact or abusive comments.
• Cyber – threatening or abusive texts or emails.  

Signs of Bullying

The child may:

• behave out of character.
• be frightened to walk to or from school.
• be unwilling to go to school.
• be showing signs of struggling with school work.
• be withdrawn or start stammering.
• have books, clothing torn, lost or damaged.
• become distressed or stop eating.
• cry easily.
• become disruptive or aggressive.
• have possessions or money that regularly goes missing.
• start stealing money.
• be frightened to say what is wrong.
• have a ‘mystery’ illness.
• Responding to incidents when they occur

Pupils who have been bullied should report this to:  

• Any member of staff (Teachers, Teaching Assistants or Senior Leaders).
• Their class member of the school council
• Their parents  
• A school friend

Pupils who see others being bullied should report this to any of the above. Members of staff  who receive reports that a pupil has been bullied should report this to a member of the senior  leadership team. Reports of bullying will be logged by the class teacher on CPOMS. Where  bullying is of a racist or homophobic, bi-phobic or transphobic nature, we log this onto  CPOMS and report this to the Trust. All reports will be taken seriously and will be followed  up by the class teacher or member of SLT.  

Our policy will be to use our discretion to respond flexibly and in an appropriate way to  each occasion. Staff will work with children who have been bullied could involve some or  all of the following:  

• Assure them that it was right to report the incident.  
• Try to ascertain the extent of the problem.
• Engage them in making choices about how the matter may be resolved. - Ensure that they feel safe.  
• Discuss strategies for being safe and staying safe.  
• Ask them to report any further incidents to us immediately.
• Affirm that bullying can be stopped and that our school will persist with intervention until it does.  
• Involve their friends/older pupils in peer support/circle of friends.

We may then adopt strategies from the following list as appropriate:  

• Interview the pupil (or pupils) involved in bullying separately.
• Listen to their version of events.
• Use restorative approaches  
• Talk to anyone else who may have witnessed the bullying.
• We will reinforce the message that bullying is not acceptable, and that we expect bullying to stop.
• Use a problem solving approach; asking pupils involved to help us find  solutions to the problem.
• Consider sanctions under our school’s Behaviour Policy.  
• Ensure the pupil/pupils responsible for bullying understands that we will  be checking to ensure that bullying stops.
• Ensure that those involved know that we have done so.
• Contact the parents of the pupils involved at an early stage.

Once the incident has been dealt with, staff complete follow-up checks to ensure the  bullying has not started again.

Roles and Responsibilities  

If necessary, we will invoke the following range of sanctions that are in line with the  academy’s Behaviour Policy.  

Governors will:  

• Support the Headteacher in all attempts to eliminate bullying from our academy.  This policy statement makes it clear that the governing body does not allow bullying  to take place in our academy, and that any incidents of bullying that do occur are  taken very seriously and dealt with appropriately.
• Monitors incidents of bullying that occur, and reviews the effectiveness of the  academy’s policy regularly. The governors require the Headteacher to keep accurate  records of all incidents of bullying and to report to the governors on request about  the effectiveness of school anti-bullying strategies.  

The Headteacher will:  

• Implement the academy’s anti-bullying strategy and to ensure that all staff (both  teaching and non-teaching) are aware of the academy’s policy and know how to deal  with incidents of bullying. The headteacher reports to the governing body about the  effectiveness of the anti-bullying policy on request.  
• Ensure that all children know that bullying is wrong, and that it is unacceptable  behaviour in our academy. The Headteacher will draw the attention of children to this  fact at suitable moments. For example, if an incident occurs, the Head teacher may  decide to use assembly as a forum in which to discuss with other children why this  behaviour was wrong, and why a pupil is being punished.
• Ensure that all staff receive sufficient training to be equipped to deal with all incidents  of bullying.
• Set the academy’s ethos of mutual support and praise for success, so making bullying less likely. When children feel they are important and belong to a friendly  and welcoming school, bullying is far less likely to be part of their behaviour.  

Teachers will:

• Take all forms of bullying seriously, and intervene to prevent incidents from taking  place. They keep their own records of all incidents that happen in their class on  CPOMS and make others aware in the school.  
• Do all they can to support the child who is being bullied. If a child is being bullied  over a period of time, then, after consultation with the Head teacher, the teacher  informs the child’s parents.  
• Be aware of any bullying taking place between members of a class, dealing with the  issue immediately. This may involve counselling and support for the victim of the  bullying, and punishment for the child who has carried out the bullying.
• Spend time talking to the child who has been bullied.
• Spend time talking to the child who was the perpetrator, explain why the action of the  child was wrong, and endeavour to help the child change their behaviour in the future.  If the child is repeatedly involved in bullying other children, teachers will inform the Head teacher. The child’s parents will be invited into the school to discuss the  situation. In more extreme cases, for example where these initial discussions have  proven ineffective, the Head teacher may contact external support agencies such  as social services.
• Use restorative approaches.
• Attend training, which enables them to become equipped to deal with incidents of  bullying and behaviour management.
• Support all children in their class and to establish a climate of trust and respect for all. By praising, rewarding and celebrating the success of all children, aiming to  prevent incidents of bullying.  
• Identify any young carers and ensure they are protected from all forms of bullying.

Parents will:

• Parents who are concerned that their child might be being bullied, or who suspect  that their child may be the perpetrator of bullying, should contact their child’s class  teacher immediately.
• Parents 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.  

This policy is also linked to the following policies:

Safeguarding Policy

Behaviour Policy

Online Safety Policy

Monitoring and review

This policy is reviewed regularly by the Headteacher, who reports to governors about the effectiveness of the policy on request.

This anti-bullying policy is reviewed in conjunction with the school’s Governing Council. They review its effectiveness annually. They do this by examining the academy’s anti-bullying CPOMS reports and by discussion with the Head teacher. Governors analyse  information with regard to gender, age and ethnic background or all children in  bullying incidents.