Alder Brook PRU
Anti-Bullying Policy
Statement of Intent
We are committed to providing a caring, friendly and safe environment for all of
our pupils so they can learn in a relaxed and secure atmosphere. Bullying of any
kind is unacceptable at our school. If bullying does occur, all pupils should be
able to tell and know that incidents will be dealt with promptly and effectively.
We are a TELLING school. This means that anyone who knows that bullying is
happening is expected to tell the staff.
Objectives of this Policy
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All management committee members, teaching and non-teaching staff,
pupils and parents should have an understanding of what bullying is.
All management committee members and teaching and non-teaching staff
should know what the school policy is on bullying, and follow it when
bullying is reported.
All pupils and parents should know what the school policy is on bullying,
and what they should do if bullying arises.
As a school we take bullying very seriously. Pupils and parents should be
assured that they will be supported when bullying is reported.
Bullying will not be tolerated.
“My son has attended Alder Brook and there have been occasions where we have
had to address bullying. The staff at Alder Brook have always been very
supportive and proactive in dealing with this issue, so I would encourage any
parents or children with a concern, even if they felt it was trivial to discuss it
with a member of staff. You will be treated fairly and considerately” (Comment
from a parent)
What Is Bullying?
Bullying is the use of aggression with the intention of hurting another person.
Bullying results in pain and distress to the victim.
Bullying can be:
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Physical
being unfriendly, excluding, tormenting (e.g. hiding books,
threatening gestures)
pushing, kicking, hitting, punching or any use of violence
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Verbal
name-calling, sarcasm, spreading rumours, teasing
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Cyber
All areas of internet ,such as email & internet chat room
misuse
Mobile threats by text messaging & calls
Misuse of associated technology , i.e. camera &video facilities
Bully can also be:
• Racist
racial taunts, graffiti, gestures
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Sexual
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Homophobic because of, or focussing on the issue of sexuality
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Disablist
unwanted physical contact or sexually abusive comments
because of, or focussing on areas of disability
Prevention
We will use methods for helping children to prevent bullying. As and when
appropriate, these may include:
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signing a behaviour contract prior to a pupil starting at Alder Brook
a set of school rules written collaboratively by children and staff
use of Positive Action/SEAL programmes to promote good social skills and
resilience, in addition to providing a safe forum to talk about issues that
may affect us
anti-bullying assemblies, workshops and designated focus days/weeks
(Anti-Bullying Week, Stop Cyber-Bullying Day, Safer Internet Week)
use of worry boxes in classrooms
weekly nurture group sessions and extra-curricular activities in order to
build healthy relationships within classes and throughout the school
use of external agencies such as Kidscape, Childline, CaMHS, NSPCC,
Barnardos, Place2Be
daily circle /reflection time at the beginning and the end of the school
day to promote good social skills and celebrate positive actions, in
addition to addressing any issues that may have occurred.
School Council class representatives consulting regularly with other pupils
to gain feedback on how to keep our school a safe and happy place
the use of pupil surveys to obtain feedback regarding what children think
of our school, bullying, in addition to surveys to gain insight into online
activity at home/school and existing knowledge of online safety
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writing stories or poems or drawing pictures about bullying displayed as
visual reminders around the school
using short films about bullying and anti-bullying websites as valuable
resources to promote awareness and discussion
reading stories about bullying, or having them read to a class or assembly
making up role-plays
having regular discussions about bullying and why it matters during
Positive Action, reflection sessions, nurture group sessions and School
Council meetings
inviting parents/carers into school to work with their children to promote
healthy relationships
group sessions with parents/carers to encourage and support dialogue
surrounding sensitive issues such as bullying and online safety
signposting parents/carers to appropriate websites and organisations
that could provide help and advice
Outcomes
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pupils will feel safe and confident in speaking to their parents/carers or
staff if they are being bullied, or if they witness bullying
pupils will be able to confidently discuss why bullying of any kind is
unacceptable both inside and outside school
pupils will develop healthy networks of peer support as a result of
Positive Action, reflection sessions, nurture group sessions, School
Council consultations/meetings and extra -curricular activities
pupils will feel safe with, and supported by the rest of the school
community in every aspect of school life
parents/carers will feel confident in reporting any incidents of bullying to
school staff and feel reassured that they will be supported, with their
concerns being taken seriously and acted on
parents/carers will feel confident in discussing sensitive issues such as
bullying and e-safety with their children
Why is it Important to Respond to Bullying?
Bullying hurts. No one deserves to be a victim of bullying. Everybody has the
right to be treated with respect. Pupils who are bullying need to learn different
ways of behaving.
Signs and Symptoms
A child may indicate by signs or behaviour that he or she is being bullied.
Adults should be aware of these possible signs and should investigate if a child:
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is frightened of walking to or from school
doesn't want to go on the school / public bus
begs to be driven to school
changes their usual routine
is unwilling to go to school (school phobic)
begins to truant
becomes withdrawn anxious, or lacking in confidence
starts stammering
attempts or threatens suicide or runs away
cries themselves to sleep at night or has nightmares
feels ill in the morning
begins to do poorly in school work
comes home with clothes torn or books damaged
has possessions which are damaged or " go missing"
asks for money or starts stealing money (to pay bully)
has dinner or other monies continually "lost"
has unexplained cuts or bruises
comes home starving (money/lunch has been stolen)
becomes aggressive, disruptive or unreasonable
is bullying other children or siblings
stops eating
is frightened to say what's wrong
gives improbable excuses for any of the above
is afraid to use the internet or mobile phone
is nervous & jumpy when a cyber message is received
These signs and behaviours could indicate other problems, but bullying should be
considered a possibility and should be investigated
“I’m being bullied. Mum reported it too and had a meeting at school” (comment
from a pupil in Phoenix class)
Schools have a responsibility to respond promptly and effectively to issues
of bullying.
In order to respond to bullying effectively, Alder Brook observes the following
legislations:
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Section 89. Education and Inspections Act 2006
Equality Act 2010
Human Rights Act 1998
Children Act 1989
Education Act 2011
Although bullying in itself is not a specific criminal offence, we are aware that
some types of harassment, threatening communication and behaviour may be a
criminal offence. In such cases we also comply with the following legislations:
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Protection from Harassment Act 1997
Malicious Communications Act 1988
Communications Act 2003
Public Order Act 1986
If members of staff feel that an offence has been committed, they are advised
to seek further assistance from the police.
What Alder Brook pupils think about bullying
“I do say inappropriate words, but I understand it’s wrong” (pupil - Phoenix
class)
“I don’t understand, but I know people can hang themselves. I know it’s
important to talk” (pupil - Phoenix class)
“Stand up to bullies by telling a teacher” (Beehive class)
“Don’t judge a book by it’s cover” (pupil - Beehive class)
“Use the 5 Finger Strategy” (pupil - Beehive)
“A strong man stands up. A stronger person stands up for others” (pupil Beehive class)
“A stronger person walks away” (Beehive class)
“Don’t judge people because of the way they are. It doesn’t matter” (pupil Beehive class)
“You don’t have to take your anger out on others. Speak to an adult” (pupil Beehive class)
“Stand together and look after each other as a school family” (Beehive class)
Procedures
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Report bullying incidents to staff
Ms Corinne Stevens (anti-bullying coordinator and governor) will
investigate all complaints of bullying in order to stop it from happening
All complaints and investigations into them will be recorded
Initially, the victim and the perpetrator will counselled by Ms Stevens,
using restorative justice skills. The bully will receive a consequence linked
to the behaviour steps, depending on severity of the incident.
An attempt will be made to help the bully (bullies) change their behaviour
Parents/carers will be informed at the schools discretion. This may
depend on criteria such as: the severity of the bullying, the age of the
child, whether the child is on the SEN register and the number of times
the bullying has taken place.
In serious cases parents/ carers will be informed and asked to attend a
meeting with their children to discuss the problem
Advice may be sort from other relevant agencies, and Ms Stevens may
decide that a CAF needs to be completed and liaise with Ms Gail Carey
If the bullying becomes persistent, exclusion will be considered.
All instances of bullying will be reported to the Local Authority on a monthly
basis, in line with the LA’s procedures
Outcomes
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The bully (bullies) will be supported to reflect on their bullying behavior
and genuinely apologise to the victim in order to repair and restore the
relationship. Other consequences may take place in line with our
behaviour steps.
In serious cases, exclusion will be considered
If possible, the pupils will be reconciled
After the incident/incidents have been investigated and dealt with, each
case will be monitored to ensure repeated bullying does not take place.
Follow up will take place with the victim to ensure that their emotional
wellbeing is addressed with their resilience being nurtured and supported
Evaluation and Review
School governors will monitor instances of bullying regularly via meetings with
the anti-bullying coordinator and the Head Teacher.
This policy will be reviewed via consultation with pupils, parents and staff every
two years to ensure it is relevant and suitable.
Links to other Policies and Strategies
Please see:
• Behaviour Policy
• Equality Policy
• Safeguarding Policy
• Online Safety Policy
• Acceptable Use of ICT Agreement
• PHSCE scheme of work
• Inclusion Policy
This policy was agreed by staff on
This policy was ratified by Governors on
The policy will be reviewed in
Anti-Bullying
Policy