Page 24 - Prospectus 2023-2024

Bleakhouse Primary School
Anti-Bullying Policy

Rationale
The school recognises that bullying is a serious issue. We recognise the damage it can cause to the
education of the victim, the perpetrator and the pupil body as a whole. All children at our school are
entitled to be safe, to be respected and to enjoy the environment around them. They have a right to
receive their education in an environment free from fear, abuse and without the threat of bullying.
This policy is a result of consultation with parents, children, staff and Governors. It is further
informed by Preventing and Tackling Bullying (DfE, 2012) and the Equality Act (2010).

Definition of Bullying.
Bullying is the repetitive, intentional hurting of one person or group by another
person or group, where the relationship involves an imbalance of power. Bullying
can be physical, verbal or psychological. It can happen face-to-face or in cyberspace.
Children’s Commissioner, 2017

At Bleakhouse Primary School we believe that bullying is when children threaten, hurt or frighten
other children Several Times On Purpose. Those children who are bullied often find it difficult to
defend themselves against repeated attacks or often prefer not to retaliate.

It is not bullying when children fall out with each other or hurt someone accidentally. Where there
is ‘considerable cause to suspect that a child is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm’ the
school will address the issue as a child protection concern as described in the Children’s Act (1989).

Forms of Bullying.
Bullying can take many forms but the five main types are:
Physical- Hitting, kicking, taking/damaging belongings.
Verbal- Name-calling, insults, racist remarks, remarks about disabilities/differences.
Indirect- Spreading rumours/stories about someone, excluding children from social groups,
gesturing/body language.
Cyber- threatening e-mails, abusive text messages, comments as listed under verbal above on
social networking sites.
Homophobic/Racist/Disability- these can take any of the above forms.
The school also recognises there are additional groups such as young carers who can also be
subjected to bullying.

Objectives.
To ensure that pupils, parents, Governors and staff are aware of the school’s policy on bullying.
To reduce the instances of bullying throughout the school.
To develop an ethos which promotes the acceptance, tolerance and respect of individual differences.
To provide strategies for dealing with instances of bullying, both for the victim and the bully.
To ensure that incidents of bullying are reported so they can be investigated and recorded in line
with this policy.

Prevention
In order to reduce incidents of bullying the school will:

• Develop a school ethos that promotes tolerance and respect of all,
• Participate in Anti-bullying activities every year to promote the school’s Anti-bullying

Policy,
• Deliver anti-bullying lessons in PSHCE, other relevant subject areas and

assemblies,
• Deliver training to staff on the Anti-bullying Policy and other associated issues,
• Have displays that provide an Anti-bullying message,
• Train playground buddies annually.

Guidelines.
• Pupils’ awareness should be raised about the issues around bullying through the
following processes: PSHCE, Assemblies, The Curriculum, Bully Box, Children’s Anti-