Unless otherwise stated this college policy includes Early Years and out-of-school care and has been written with safeguarding of all pupils in mind.

Aims and Objectives of the Policy

We at Shoreham College are committed to providing a caring, friendly and safe environment for all of our pupils so they can learn in a supportive and secure atmosphere. Bullying of any kind is unacceptable in our college. If bullying does occur, all pupils should be able to tell and know that incidents will be dealt with promptly and effectively. Shoreham College is a telling college - anyone who knows that bullying is happening is expected to inform staff. College staff are supported through appropriate training and pupils are aware of the reporting procedures in place to create an environment of zero tolerance towards bullying behaviour.

Limits of the Policy

What is bullying?

Bullying can be:

The three main types are physical, verbal and indirect. Name calling is the most common direct form. Pupils may be called names because of their ethnic origin, nationality or colour, sexual orientation or some form of disability, though this is not an exclusive list.

It is not bullying when there is no intention to hurt or harm – for example when the behaviour is thoughtless or accidental.

As an anti-bullying college, we view any action taken by one or more pupils against another pupil, which makes them feel powerless, afraid or victimised, to constitute unacceptable behaviour. In addition, to enable all students to feel valued and self-confident, anti-bullying strategies must be of the highest priority throughout the college.

Bullying can happen anywhere and at any time. It can cause serious and lasting psychological damage and even suicide. Harassment and threatening behaviour are criminal offences. We always treat it very seriously. It conflicts sharply with the college’s policy on equal opportunities, as well as with its social and moral principles.

In Early Years the children follow planned activities which develop skills and understanding in the following areas:

• Being safe and protected
• Making choices
• Discovering boundaries
• Equality and diversity
• Positive interactions
• Understanding feelings

These activities and discussions are embedded into our practice of ‘Positive Relationships’ and ‘A Unique Child’. They provide the children with the skills to keep themselves safe and to know how to identify and explain to their key person or parent when they feel unsafe.

Signs and Symptoms:

• is frightened of walking to or from college
• is unwilling to go to college
• failure to produce work, or producing unusually bad work, or work that appears to have been copied, interfered with or spoilt by others
• becomes withdrawn or unusually quiet, excessively anxious, starts stammering
• change to established habits (e.g. giving up music lessons, change to accent or vocabulary)
• psychological damage and diminished levels of self confidence
• frequent visits to matron with symptoms such as stomach pains, headaches
• unexplained cuts and bruises
• frequent absence, erratic attendance, late arrival to class
• choosing the company of adults
• displaying repressed body language and poor eye contact
• regularly has books or clothes destroyed
• becomes distressed, stops eating
• cries easily
• becomes disruptive or aggressive
• has possessions go “missing”
• has money continually “lost”
• starts stealing money (to pay bully)
• is frightened to say what is wrong
• talking of or attempting suicide or runs away
• has nightmares or difficulty in sleeping
• In the case of Early Years children this may also include bed-wetting

These signs and behaviours could indicate other problems, but bullying should be considered a possibility and should be investigated.

Procedures for Responding to, Reporting and Recording Bullying

Staff:

Staff must report verbally all incidents of bullying, reported bullying / suspected bullying immediately to the relevant Assistant Head or Deputy Headmaster when the Assistant Head is unavailable. This is to be confirmed in writing / by email using the ‘Bullying Incident / Concern Form’ as soon as possible but at the latest within 24 hours. (A copy of the Form can be found on the ‘staff drive’ in the ‘Bullying’ folder)

• A copy of the ‘Bullying Incident/Concern Form’ will be placed in the pupil’s file with relevant statements and an entry will be made in the Bullying Log kept. An entry will also be made College’s Conduct Log.
• Parents will be notified and appropriate support offered

Pupils:

• Pupils will be made aware of the College’s Anti-Bullying Policy through assemblies, Form time and PSHE.
• A reminder of the importance of reporting incidents / concerns will be placed in all classrooms together with a list of people pupils can raise their concerns with: their Form Tutor, Assistant Head, Teaching Staff, Matron, Prefects or any other member of the College Staff.
• Pupils can raise their concerns directly with a member of staff, using the Yellow Suggestion Box placed in the downstairs corridor next to the kitchen or the ‘thoughts and ideas’ box in the junior corridor.

Parents:

• Parents are encouraged to contact the Form Tutor/Assistant Head/Headmaster immediately if they have any concerns of bullying behaviour.

Procedures for Dealing with Incidents / Concerns

• Our main priority is the welfare of the pupil.
• The member of staff to whom it was reported or who first discovers the situation, will control the situation, reassure and support the pupils involved.
• Staff will complete the ‘Bullying Incident / Concern Form’ and pass to the relevant Assistant Head or Deputy Headmaster when the Assistant Head is unavailable.
• The Assistant Head / Deputy Headmaster will deal with the matter (using the flow chart – Appendix 1) and will ensure that the Form Tutor and member of staff reporting the incident are kept informed as appropriate.
• Pupils (both the victim and the bully) will be given the necessary support as appropriate.
• Follow-up checks will be made regularly by the relevant Assistant Head / Deputy Headmaster with all concerned to ensure that the bullying has ceased, liaising with the Tutor and Class Teacher as appropriate.
• Cases are only closed when all parties concerned are satisfied that the bullying has ceased.
• Early Years – the class teacher will be the first point of call. If appropriate and it is deemed necessary then the relevant steps detailed below will be followed.

Procedures for Dealing with Complaints

• If parents have any concerns about the way the college is dealing with or has dealt with an issue, they should make their concerns known using the College’s Complaints Procedures. Details of these procedures can be found on the College website or are available by contacting the College Office.

Supportive Measures for Pupils, Parents and Staff

• In order to support pupils, we have a number of strategies available. The appropriate support will be offered dependant on the individual circumstances.
• Assistant Heads may offer one or more of the following: regular meeting with the Assistant Head / Tutor / Prefect / Matron or another designated member of staff.
• The College will offer support to parents of any child who is experiencing difficulties with and or using bullying behaviour.
• A record of the all support offered / given will be kept.
• Every effort will be made to all pupils involved (including the bully) to move on from the incident and to address the unacceptable behaviour.
• All College staff receive training to support the delivery of this policy.

Preventative Measures

The College seeks to prevent bulling behaviour through the following:

• Vigilance by staff who are always on duty at times when pupils are not in class and patrol the college site, particularly areas where bullying might occur. They are trained to be alert to inappropriate language or behaviour. We reserve the right to investigate incidents that take place outside college hours, on college visits and trips and that occur in the vicinity of the college, involving our pupils. We welcome feedback from parents and guardians on the effectiveness of our preventative measures.
• A whole-college awareness created through the delivery of assemblies, Form activities, PSHE, Anti-Bullying weeks and cross-curricular activities such as in English, RS, Drama, etc.
• The appointment of Prefects attached to Form Groups to ensure that pupils have an older pupil they can talk to.

Cyberbullying – Preventative Measures

The College:

• Expects all pupils to adhere to its charter for the safe use of the internet. Certain sites are blocked by our filtering system and our IT Department monitors pupils’ use.
• May impose sanctions for the misuse, or attempted misuse of the internet.
• Issues all pupils with their own personal college email address. Access to sites such as “hotmail” is not allowed.
• Offers guidance on the safe use of social networking sites and cyberbullying in PSHE lessons, which covers blocking and removing contacts from “buddy lists.
• Offers guidance on keeping names, addresses, passwords, mobile phone numbers and other personal details safe.
• Mobile phones are not permitted in classrooms, public areas of the college, or where they may cause annoyance to others.

Intervention Strategies

Intervention will be dependent upon the severity of the incident and the College employs a variety of intervention strategies. Some are conducted by the College staff, others may involve outside agency support being brought in depending on the pupil’s needs.

Implementation of the Policy

The whole college is aware of the college’s stance on bullying through assemblies, Pupil Planner (due to be included in the 2010 Print of the Prep Diary), the policy being on the College Website, raising awareness of the problem through training for new and existing staff.

Sanctions

Sanctions will be in line with the College’s Behaviour Policy and may include the use of external agencies or exclusion as appropriate. In very serious and persistent cases, and only after the Headmaster has been involved, it may be necessary to make a report to the Police or to the Social Services. However, it is College policy to attempt to resolve such issues internally under the college’s own disciplinary procedures, unless the matter is of such gravity that a criminal prosecution is likely.

Evaluating the Process

The College will systematically evaluate specific areas of the policy and its effectiveness. Staff procedures within the policy will be reviewed to ensure they are effective and sustainable.

September 2009
To be reviewed September 2010

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