Governors, staff, parents/carers and pupils at BMS are firmly opposed to all forms of bullying.  Each pupil has a right to enjoy an education free from fear and distress.

All members of the school are expected to treat each other with consideration and respect. The school will react firmly and promptly to cases of bullying.

What is bullying?

Bullying is behaviour which

• deliberately makes another person feel uncomfortable, distressed or threatened
• is repeated over time
• makes those being bullied feel powerless to defend themselves

Bullying may take many forms, such as

• physical: for example, hitting, pushing, kicking
• name-calling and verbal abuse: face-to-face, in writing, by phone, on-line, or by text message

• making racist, sexist, gender or disability based comments, jokes or graffiti
• making threats
• taunting or mocking
• spreading rumours
• making jokes to make someone look ‘small’
• shutting out a person
• ganging up on someone
• refusing to co-operate with someone
• hiding equipment or other possessions
• demanding money

BMS works to prevent bullying by:

Involving pupils in

• discussions and decision making processes about policies and practical ways to prevent bullying
• PSHCE programmes and assemblies
• displays of appropriate work
• national anti-bullying week
• playground buddy system

Raising awareness in staff, parents and governors through

• awareness-raising sessions for teaching and non-teaching staff
• the school prospectus and other publications to parents/carers

GUIDANCE and ADVICE

For pupils

These ideas as to what you can do have been suggested by pupils

If you are being bullied

• tell someone you trust
• remember you are not the one with the problem!
• if you can, ignore the bully
• if you can, do not show you are upset
• if possible, avoid being alone in the places bullying happens
• be assertive, if you can
• walk away quickly and confidently, even if you do not feel that way inside
• your safety is more important than your possessions. If you are in danger, don’t hold on to them.

Friends

• listen and talk it through
• try to be sensitive
• try not to leave the 'victim' on their own
• persuade the person being bullied to talk to an adult

Bystanders

• even if you don’t take part in bullying but see it and walk away, you are ignoring your responsibilities

• get help
• give sympathy to the person being bullied

FOR PARENTS/CARERS and TEACHERS:

Recognising the signs

Someone who is being bullied may

• be frightened of walking to or from school
• insist on being driven to school
• change the route to school
• be unwilling to go to school
• regularly have books or clothes damaged
• have possessions ‘go missing’
• continually ‘lose’ money
• begin doing badly in schoolwork
• have unexplained bruises, scratches, cuts
• ask for money or begin stealing money
• become withdrawn or start stammering
• have noticeable and prolonged changes in mood
• become distressed
• become bad-tempered
• refuse to say what is wrong
• lose appetite, or start overeating
• cry himself/herself to sleep or have nightmares
• attempt or threaten to harm him/herself

For Parents/Carers:

Any of the behaviour above may indicate other problems. However, if you become aware of and are concerned by any of this behaviour, and think your child is being bullied

• encourage him/her to talk about the problem
• reassure him/her of your support
• try to listen calmly and not overreact
• attempt to find out when and where the bullying takes place. Is there a pattern?
• contact the school to discuss the problem, ask to speak directly to the Head of Year
• work with your child’s Head of Year to support your child within or outside school
• if the bullying takes place outside school, report the matter to the police

For Staff :

All members of staff, teaching and non-teaching, should deal with any incident of

suspected or observed bullying by

• talking to the pupil and giving reassurance
• taking action appropriate at the time
• Report the incident to child’s Head of Year as soon as possible
• producing a written statement of what has happened and the action taken and pass this to the Head of Year

The Head of Year will:

• arrange for support and reassurance for the pupil
• interview the person responsible for the bullying
• contact parents/carers of those involved
• take any appropriate disciplinary action
• inform the SMT, during regular Pastoral Meetings, of any incidents of bullying
• if necessary, refer the matter to the Head
• work with pupils, parents/carers and other teachers to support those involved and prevent the bullying
• Keep an accurate and up to date record of all incidents on the whole school bullying/incident log 

Update February 2012

Attachments:

Anti-Bullying Parents Guide Jan 12.pdf

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