Anti-Bullying Policy

(Including EYFS and Moreton Hall Prep) (Peer on Peer Abuse)

This policy has been drawn up with due regard to DfE Guidance 2015 Preventing and Tackling

Bullying

Other policies that need to be taken into account are: Safeguarding Policy, Prevent Policy, E-Safety Policy, Confidentiality, PSHE, Equal Opportunities and Behaviour Policy, Rewards, Sanctions and Exclusions Policy, Student Code of Conduct.

Aims and Objectives Bullying takes place in schools as it does in other workplaces. The aim of the anti-bullying policy is to ensure that students in this school learn in a supportive, caring and safe environment without fear of being bullied. The policy is made available to staff, parents and students (abridged version). Bullying is anti-social behaviour and affects everyone; it is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. The school recognises the seriousness of bullying in causing psychological damage and even suicide (although bullying is not a specific criminal offence, there are criminal laws which apply to harassment and threatening behaviour). Only when all issues of bullying are addressed will students be able to fully benefit from the opportunities available at this school. Definition of Bullying There are many definitions of peer on peer abuse, but most consider it to be:

● behaviour by an individual or group, usually repeated over time, that intentionally hurts another individual or group either physically or emotionally.

● Difficult for victims to defend themselves against This can occur both inside and outside of school.

Bullying (peer on peer) can be related to: ● race, religion or culture

● radicalisation

● special educational needs or disabilities

● appearance or health conditions

● sexual orientation: homophobic, sexist or sexual bullying, transgender discrimination

● young carers or looked-after children or otherwise related to home circumstances

● Cyber (social websites, mobile ‘phones, text messages, photographs and email)

● verbal (name calling, sexist, racist and homophobic remarks, and other discriminatory language)

● indirect (cyber bullying, spreading rumours, excluding someone from social groups)

Bullying (peer on peer) includes: ● name-calling, taunting, mocking, making offensive comments, kicking, hitting, pushing or taking

belongings

● inappropriate text messaging and emailing, sending offensive or degrading images by phone or via the internet

● producing offensive graffiti

● Gossiping, excluding people from groups, and spreading hurtful and untruthful rumours.

● ‘Initiation ceremonies’ intended to cause pain, anxiety or humiliation

● pressure to follow extremist activities/views

Although sometimes occurring between two individuals in isolation, bullying quite often takes

place in the presence of others, for example, between students, between students and staff, or

between staff; by individuals or groups; face to face, indirectly or using a range of methods.

The seriousness of bullying is underlined by the effects it can cause, such as psychological damage

(although bullying is not a specific criminal offence, there are criminal laws which apply to

harassment and threatening behaviour). Students being bullied may demonstrate emotional

and/or behaviour problems including signs of depression, physical problems such as headaches

and stomach pains, taking unusual absences or clinging to adults. There may be evidence of

changes in work patterns, lacking concentration or truanting from school.

Prevention:

● A spirit of mutual cooperation and teamwork is consciously fostered within the school ● Promote British Values (see Prevent Policy) ● There is a code of thoughtful pastoral care encouraging good relationships ● There is an expectation of good behaviour, common sense, courtesy and kindness (see

Behaviour Policy) ● Students are encouraged to report bullying at Moreton Hall through discussions in the

curriculum and through the PSHE curriculum (see Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy – prevention in the curriculum) as well as through other subject areas, tutorials and through assemblies.

● School Prefects and Pastoral Mentors have a specific brief to bring any indications of bullying to the attention of a member of staff. The prefects are briefed on Safeguarding and Child protection, including Prevent, and given the ‘Five Point’ Child Protection procedure to read and follow at the beginning of the Academic year. There are Prefects’ meetings every week with the Vice Principal, and Mentor meetings with Team Leaders.

● Students are always encouraged to seek help wherever necessary – there are posters in each House on ‘Where can I get help?’ to encourage students to find someone they can talk to. Reports could be made to the student’s housemistress, tutor, mentor or any other member of staff or senior student in a position of authority.

As bullying is part of the school’s safeguarding duties to protect children, this policy needs to be read in conjunction with the school’s Safeguarding/Child Protection policy and others listed at the

beginning of this document. Parents are encouraged to read the Anti-bullying policy and report any concerns they may have regarding any kind of bullying to their daughter’s Housemistress in order for the school and parents to work together to bring about a satisfactory conclusion for all parties.

Parents are informed of the school’s stance on anti-bullying, its definition of bullying and how parents and the school can work together through the Website, induction events and House handbooks.

All school staff must be alert to the signs of bullying and act promptly, sensitively and effectively against it in accordance with school policy. There is no “hierarchy” of bullying – all forms of bullying should be taken equally seriously and dealt with appropriately.

Procedure:

The Specific Procedure for EYFS and Moreton Hall Prep can be found in Appendix one.

Where bullying or unkindness is alleged, whether inside or outside of school, the Housemistress/es should be informed as soon as possible and all information regarding the incident should be passed on to her. Both/all parties are spoken to and the action taken by the Housemistress/es will depend upon the circumstances. Some cases prove to be little more than a misunderstanding, and generally clear guidance as to the standards of behaviour expected will suffice. It may also be appropriate to investigate more closely any underlying reason for the bully behaving as they did. It is recognised that a bullying incident should be addressed as a child protection concern when there is ‘reasonable cause to suspect that a child is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant, emotional or physical harm.’ Where this is the case, the school staff would report their concerns to the Designated Safeguarding and Child Protection Lead, who would notify external agencies if appropriate, such as Shropshire Safeguarding Children’s Board (SSCB).

In all cases the Vice Principal will be informed and a summary given in writing regarding the incident via CPOMs. This will be reviewed on a termly basis to identify the effectiveness of the approach or to enable patterns to be identified; the Principal will also be informed (each house mistress also has a regular weekly meeting with the Principal).

Possible further steps include:

● Guidance with sanction and warning of consequences of further misconduct, including notifying parents

● Notifying the Safeguarding and Child Protection (including Prevent) Designated Lead, who will in turn notify external agencies if appropriate, such as Shropshire Safeguarding Children’s Board.

● Suspension ● Expulsion (if severe and persistent – the decision to be shared with the Chairman of

Governors) – see Disciplinary and Exclusion Policy.

It is important that:

● the victim feels that they are receiving support ● The witness feels comfortable and safe knowing that the school will act upon any actual or

threat of reprisal ● The suspected bully/bullies feel that they are getting a fair hearing

All staff have a responsibility to report any incidents of bullying via CPOMS - this will feed through to the Housemistress and tutors of those students involved, to ensure all parties can be suitably supported (the Senior Leadership team will also be alerted). Any action will be noted on CPOMS, and there will be a follow-up with the victim concerned by the Housemistress and tutors a few days later to ensure that all is well, and occasionally thereafter for a period of weeks. Appropriate rewards and sanctions, in line with the school’s behaviour policy will be used to support the improvement of student’s behaviour.

Persistent Bullying is a serious offence – please see Rewards, Sanctions and Exclusions Policy

Opportunities to promote anti-bullying messages through curriculum

Through the curriculum:

● The contribution of all students is valued ● All students can feel secure and are able to contribute appropriately ● Stereotypical views are challenged and students learn to appreciate and view positively

differences in others when rising from race, gender, sexuality, ability or disability ● Students learn to take responsibility for their actions and behaviours both in school and in

the wider community (see behaviour policy) ● All forms of bullying and harassment are challenged ● Students are supported to develop their emotional and social skills

Further information about specific types of bullying

Bullying can be related to: ● Race, religion or culture, including radicalisation.

● Special educational needs or disabilities: Children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities do not always have the levels of social confidence and competence and the robust friendship bonds that can protect against bullying.

● Appearance or health conditions: Those with health or visible medical conditions, such as eczema, may be more likely than their peers to become targets for bullying behaviour. Perceived physical limitations, such as size and weight, and other body image issues can result in bullying.

● Sexual orientation: Homophobic or transgender bullying is perhaps the form of bullying least likely to be self-reported, since disclosure carries risks not associated with other forms of bullying. The students may not want to report bullying if it means ‘’coming out’’ to teachers and parents.

● Sexist or sexual bullying: Sexist and sexual bullying affects all genders. Sexual bullying may be characterized by name calling, comments and overt ‘’looks’’ about appearance, attractiveness and emerging puberty. Students identifying as transgender or experiencing gender dysphoria (feeling that they belong to another gender or do not conform with the gender role prescribed to them) can also be targeted by bullies.

Changes in behaviour of those being bullied:

Students being bullied may demonstrate emotional and/or behaviour problems including signs of

depression, physical problems such as headaches and stomach pains, taking unusual absences or

clinging to adults. There may be evidence of changes in work patterns, lacking concentration or

truanting from school.

All school staff must be alert to the signs of bullying and act promptly, sensitively and effectively against it in accordance with school policy. There is no “hierarchy” of bullying – all forms of bullying should be taken equally seriously and dealt with appropriately. As bullying is part of the school’s safeguarding duties to protect children, this policy needs to be read in conjunction with the school’s Child Protection policy and others listed at the beginning of this document.

Cyberbullying (Peer on Peer)

Cyberbullying can be defined as the use of Information and Communications Technology, particularly mobile phones, the internet and social networking sites deliberately to upset someone else. It can be an extension of face-to-face bullying, with technology providing the bully with another route to harness their target. However, it differs in several significant ways from other kinds of bullying: the invasion of home and personal space; the difficulty in controlling electronically circulated messages; the size of the audience; perceived anonymity; and even the profile of the person doing the bullying and their target.

It can also affect members of the school staff and other adults; there are examples of staff being ridiculed, threatened and otherwise abused online by students.

Cyberbullying should be taken very seriously.

Although cyberbullying is not a specific criminal offence, there are criminal laws that can apply in terms of harassment and threatening and menacing communications. Schools should contact the police if they feel that the law has been broken.

Some cyberbullying is clearly deliberate and aggressive, but it is important to recognise that some incidents of cyberbullying are known to be unintentional and the result of simply not thinking about the consequences. What may be sent as a joke may not be received as one, and indeed the distance that technology allows in communication means that the sender may not see the impact of the message on the receiver. There is also less opportunity for either party to resolve any misunderstanding or to feel empathy. It is important that students are made aware of the effects of their reactions.

Preventing Cyberbullying

1. Ensure that all staff are made aware of cyberbullying

2. Raise awareness of cyberbullying and the unacceptability of it through discussion in PSHE; tutorials and presentations made by the ICT teaching staff. Discuss what students should do if they feel they are a victim of cyberbullying

3. Students have sessions with ICT safety lead and also workshops with external speakers about Internet Safety either in the first term of the academic year or in the summer term.

4. Moreton Hall invites all parents to a presentation on Internet Safety – this takes place at the beginning or end of the academic year

5. Ensure that students are aware of the procedures and sanctions for dealing with cyberbullying – through personal tutor time and occasionally in house meetings.

6. Ensure annual review of the policy regarding use of school ICT networks and mobile phones

7. Record and monitor incidents of cyberbullying in the same way as all other forms of bullying (see Procedures in the anti-bullying policy) by reporting the incident on CPOMS and ensuring the relevant staff, including Senior Management, are alerted.

8. Discuss the responsible use of technologies and e-safety

9. Stay up-to-date regarding new technologies and services that become popular.

Responding to Cyberbullying

● Cyberbullying is a form of bullying and should be dealt with as any other form of bullying, following the same use of sanctions – consideration should be given to the victim of cyberbullying taking into account the different nature of cyberbullying. The invasiveness of cyberbullying and the size of the audience should be taken into account when dealing with the victim and the perpetrator.

● The person being bullied should keep any evidence (print off internet material, save texts etc., even if the material is embarrassing – such material will be treated with discretion but may be crucial in dealing with the issue. If necessary there are additional reporting routes available, through mobile phone companies, internet service providers and social networking sites. Detailed information on retaining evidence, containing incidents, and contacting the relevant organisations can be found in DCSF Safe to learn: Embedding anti-bullying work in schools document.

● Advise those experiencing cyberbullying on steps they can take to avoid recurrence – for example, advise those targeted not to retaliate or reply; provide advice on ‘blocking’ or removing people from ‘buddy lists; and ask them to think carefully about what private information they may have in the public domain.

● Take steps to identify the person responsible for the bullying. Steps can include looking at the school system and computer logs; identifying and interviewing possible witnesses; and, with police involvement, obtaining user information from the service provider.

● Once the person responsible for the cyberbullying has been identified, it is important that, as in other cases of bullying, sanctions are applied, as laid out in the Anti-bullying policy and other related policies as named at the beginning of this policy. Steps should be taken to change the attitude and behaviour of the bully, as well as ensuring access to any help that they may need. It is important to refer to the ICT internet safety policy and apply sanctions where applicable and practical.

Persistent Cyberbullying is a serious offence – please see Rewards, Sanctions and Exclusions Policy

Website with specific links to specific advice are:

http://www.thinkuknow.co.uk advice about staying safe on the internet

http://www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk – information and advice about bullying in general

http://www.safeguardingshropshireschildren.org.uk/scb/par_esafety.html - useful information about cyberbullying and internet safety

The above and links to many other sites may be found at the following DfES site: http://www.education.gov.uk/

Roles and responsibilities

The Principal (in consultation with the Governor with responsibility for Pastoral Care – Mrs Sue Groves, will ensure that: The anti-bullying policy is in place, that it reflects the school's values and practice, and is reviewed

annually.

Governors are informed of, and monitor, the numbers of incidents and steps the Principal and staff have taken to deal with these on a regular basis.

The aims of the school’s anti-bullying strategies and intervention systems are to: ● prevent, de-escalate and/or stop any continuation of harmful behaviour in line with the

Behaviour Policy ● react to bullying incidents in a reasonable, proportionate and consistent way ● safeguard those students who have experienced bullying and those who have been involved in

the act of bullying, and to trigger actions to support these students. The role of the Vice Principal and staff 1. Policy and procedures ● There is a senior member of staff who leads on anti-bullying:

Name: Carolyn Tilley Role: Vice Principal ● All staff are made aware of the principles of the school policy and its clear links to other key

policies. They understand their legal responsibilities and what actions to take to resolve and prevent problems, this is done through on-going awareness raising and induction training for new teachers.

● The School will take action to reduce the risk of bullying at times and in places where it is most

likely.

● The following steps will be taken by staff when dealing with incidents: ▪ if bullying is suspected or reported, the incident will be taken seriously and appropriate first

steps are taken promptly by the member of staff who has been approached ▪ each incident will be investigated thoroughly, sensitively and effectively ▪ a clear account of the incident by the member of staff/Housemistress; actions taken and

review date will be recorded on CPOMS by the Housemistress; the Principal, Vice Principal and Head of Senior School will monitor regularly.

▪ Relevant staff will be kept informed and if the bullying persists they will record this on CPOMS, and appropriate further action will be taken. Sanctions such as exclusion may be necessary in cases of severe and persistent bullying.

▪ parents/carers will be kept informed appropriately ▪ appropriate rewards and sanctions in line with the school’s Behaviour Policy will be used to

support the improvement of students’ behaviour ▪ the school will inform the Local Authority of any racist incident.

2. Student support ● Students who have been bullied will be supported as appropriate by:

▪ having an immediate opportunity to discuss the incident(s) with an appropriate member of staff

▪ being reassured ▪ being offered support ▪ raising their self-esteem and confidence ▪ being encouraged to report further issues ▪ arranging a review date/time to discuss outcomes and appropriate follow-up

● Students who have bullied will be supported by: ▪ having an immediate opportunity to discuss the incident(s) with an appropriate member of

staff ▪ establishing what behaviour was inappropriate and why the student became involved ▪ establishing clearly what behaviour needs to change, and how the school can support this

change (linked to Behaviour Policy) ▪ informing parents/carers of agreed actions, and establishing how they can support ▪ arranging a review date/time to discuss outcomes and appropriate follow-up

3. Curriculum ● Students will have opportunities to develop their understanding of the nature of bullying, to

explore their own and others attitudes to bullying and to develop the skills to deal with bullying through PSHE, other subject areas and through assemblies and the use of outside speakers. Projects, drama, stories, literature, historical events, current affairs are all educational elements that can be utilised.

● The policy will be promoted and implemented throughout the school through feedback in PSHE lessons, through the curriculum and informally in tutorial sessions.

Monitoring, evaluation and review ● The school will review this policy annually and assess its implementation and effectiveness

regularly by the Principal and/or Vice Principal monitoring the record of incidents at least every term via CPOMS.

● House Tutors, teachers and House Staff will monitor behaviour in the classroom, in House and in activities, this is on-going. Any issues will be reported to the relevant staff via CPOMS. The Housemistress/House Parent also meets with the Principal every week to discuss each student under their care, to ensure there are no on-going situations.

● Evaluation takes place through student questionnaires as to the effectiveness of the systems in place and with staff through House Tutor meetings.

Appendix one: Anti-Bullying Procedure Specific to Moreton Hall Prep For EYFS – refer to the EYFS Behaviour Management Policy

MORETON HALL PREP ANTI-BULLYING POLICY Context Bullying takes place in schools as it does in other workplaces. The aim of the Anti-Bullying policy is to ensure that students in this school learn in a supportive, caring and safe environment without fear of being bullied. Bullying is anti-social behaviour and affects everyone; it is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. The school recognises the seriousness of bullying in causing psychological damage and even suicide (although bullying is not a specific criminal offence, there are criminal laws which apply to harassment and threatening behaviour). Only when all issues of bullying are addressed will students be able to fully benefit from the opportunities available at this school.

Bullying is defined as: ● behaviour by an individual or group, usually repeated over time, that intentionally hurts another

individual or group either physically or emotionally. This policy has been drawn up with due regard to DfE Guidance 2015 Preventing and Tackling Bullying

What is bullying? Bullying can be related to: ● race, religion or culture

● special educational needs or disabilities

● appearance or health conditions

● sexual orientation, sexist or sexual bullying, transgender discrimination

● young carers or looked-after children or otherwise related to home circumstances

● verbal (name calling, sexist, racist and homophobic remarks, and other discriminatory language)

● indirect (cyber bullying, spreading rumours, excluding someone from social groups)

Bullying includes: ● name-calling, taunting, mocking, making offensive comments, kicking, hitting, pushing or taking

belongings

● inappropriate text messaging and emailing, sending offensive or degrading images by phone or via the internet

● producing offensive graffiti

● gossiping, excluding people from groups, and spreading hurtful and untruthful rumours.

● ‘Initiation ceremonies’ intended to cause pain, anxiety or humiliation

● pressure to follow extremist activities/views

At Moreton Hall Prep we define bullying as: A persistent, deliberate attempt to threaten hurt or frighten someone, physically, verbally or mentally.

● PHYSICAL (hitting, kicking, theft) ● VERBAL(name calling, racist remarks) ● EMOTIONAL- being unfriendly, excluding, tormenting, spreading rumours and spiteful looks ● INDIRECT (spreading rumours, excluding someone from social groups)

To children, we explain that a person displaying bullying behaviour is: Someone who likes to make others feel frightened, sad or hurt and keeps on doing it. Sometimes they do it on their own and sometimes they might gather a gang together to help them. A person displaying bullying behaviour might try to make you too scared to tell an adult about what he or she is doing. Main aims

● To ensure that everyone at Moreton Hall Prep has an understanding of bullying and the forms it can take.

● To ensure that everyone at Moreton Hall Prep is aware that bullying in any form is not

acceptable.

● To encourage everyone, including students, to report all incidents of bullying to an adult in school

● To offer comfort and support to the victims of bullying.

● To confront a child displaying bullying behaviours with the seriousness of their actions and

offer support to help change their behaviour.

● To ensure a consistency of approach to all aspects of bullying.

● To seek the support and cooperation of parents and peers at all times.

● To take a zero tolerance approach to bullying at Moreton Hall Prep.

● For all children to develop a caring approach in the way they treat each other.

● We wish to encourage an environment where independence and diversity is celebrated and individuals can flourish without fear.

● Every member of the school has the right to be safe and happy whilst in school and to be

protected when they are feeling vulnerable.

● Establish recognition of celebrating differences’ through studying other cultures, and countries.

● Where taking part in charity initiatives encourages the children to value and appreciate the

life and struggles of others. Thus assist them develop empathy.

Signs of bullying

Students who are experiencing behaviour which can be described as bullying may show changes in behaviour, such as becoming shy and nervous, feigning illness, taking unusual absences or clinging to adults. There may be evidence of changes in work patterns, lacking concentration or truanting from school. Students must be encouraged to report bullying in schools.

Schools' teaching and ancillary staff must be alert to the signs of bullying and act promptly and firmly against it in accordance with school policy.

Preventing Bullying

We acknowledge that all areas of Moreton Hall Prep cannot be supervised all the time and that there are areas around the school grounds and times during the day when bullying incidents are more likely to take place. These are:

● The playground at break and lunch time.

● Cloakrooms, changing rooms and toilets.

● Quiet areas of the school site. Although these are not exclusive we must make all supervising adults aware of this policy and the procedures to follow.

Whole school systems for preventing bullying:

Everyone at Moreton Hall Prep is committed to the establishment of an anti-bullying ethos. In order to promote this ethos, form teachers: Highlight the importance of kindness and consideration by rewarding such behaviour in weekly Celebration Assembly Display the definition and consequences of bullying in a prominent position in each classroom

Establish a communication system / ‘Worry Box’ to enable a child to contact their Class Teacher to discuss any issues.

Celebrate Friendship week and encourage discussions about caring for everyone in the school.

Follow the PSHE Scheme of Work. This includes activities which tackle bullying and aims to equip children with the skills to deal with a variety of situations. Use assemblies and form, as well as workshops to develop strategies for recognising the differences between bullying and day to day relationships, and to empower students to report any incidents. In the School/ playground the following systems are in place: Stickers and Achievement awards are given to students who demonstrate positive personal qualities and fair play. This is the Kindness Tree award.

Roles and responsibilities

The Principal and Head of Moreton Hall Prep (in consultation with the Governor with responsibility for Anti-bullying – Mrs Sue Groves (Pastoral Governor)) will ensure that: The anti-bullying policy is in place, that it reflects the school's values and practice, and is reviewed

annually.

The Principal and the governing body must make, and from time to time review, a written statement of general principles to determine measures to promote good behaviour.

Governors are informed of, and monitor, the numbers of incidents and steps the Principal and staff have taken to deal with these on a regular basis.

The aims of the school’s anti-bullying strategies and intervention systems are to: ● prevent, de-escalate and/or stop any continuation of harmful behaviour in line with the

Behaviour Policy ● react to bullying incidents in a reasonable, proportionate and consistent way ● safeguard those students who have experienced bullying and those who have been involved in

the act of bullying, and to trigger actions to support these students.

The role of the staff 4. Policy and procedures ● There is a senior member of staff who leads on anti-bullying:

Name: Head of Moreton Hall Prep School ● All staff are made aware of this policy and its clear links to other key policies through on-going

CPD and induction training for new teachers. ● The School will take action to reduce the risk of bullying at times and in places where it is most

likely.

● The following steps will be taken by staff when dealing with incidents: ▪ if bullying is suspected or reported, the incident will be taken seriously and appropriate first

steps are taken promptly by the member of staff who has been approached ▪ each incident will be investigated thoroughly, sensitively and effectively ▪ a clear account of the incident, actions taken and review date will be recorded on CPOMS

which is shared with the Head of Moreton Hall Prep so incidents can be monitored ▪ relevant staff will be kept informed and if the bullying persists they will record this and

inform the Head, and appropriate further action is taken. Sanctions such as exclusion may be necessary in cases of severe and persistent bullying.

▪ parents/carers will be kept informed appropriately ▪ appropriate rewards and sanctions in line with the school’s Behaviour Policy will be used to

support the improvement of students’ behaviour ▪ the school will inform the Local Authority of any racist incident.

5. Student support ● Students who have been bullied will be supported as appropriate by:

▪ having an immediate opportunity to discuss the incident(s) with an appropriate member of staff

▪ Informing their parents to enlist their support ▪ being reassured ▪ being offered support ▪ raising their self-esteem and confidence ▪ being encouraged to report further issues ▪ arranging a review date/time to discuss outcomes and appropriate follow-up

● Students who have bullied will be supported by: ▪ having an immediate opportunity to discuss the incident(s) with an appropriate member of

staff ▪ establishing what behaviour was inappropriate and why the student became involved ▪ establishing clearly what behaviour needs to change, and how the school can support this

change (linked to Behaviour Policy) ▪ informing parents/carers of agreed actions, and establishing how they can support ▪ arranging a review date/time to discuss outcomes and appropriate follow-up

6. Curriculum ● Students will have opportunities to develop their understanding of the nature of bullying, to

explore their own and others attitudes to bullying and to develop the skills to deal with bullying through PSHE, other subject areas and through assemblies.

● The policy will be promoted and implemented throughout the school through feedback in PSHE lessons, student welfare questionnaires and informally in Form Teacher time.

To Students If you are being bullied or you know that someone else is, please tell us straight away and it will be dealt with sensitively and in consultation with yourself. Not telling, means the victim will continue to suffer and the bully will carry on, probably with others too. We all have a responsibility to make sure that bullying is not allowed to continue in our school. You may choose whom you may prefer to tell: Such as House Parent, Tutor, Mentor, Parent, friend, Prefect, Head, Principal or any other member of Staff. Moreton Hall Prep is a happy school and by telling you are helping everybody, including the bully. To Staff All Staff should be aware and vigilant. If suspicious, contact The Head immediately. If a student tells you they are being bullied, record the facts in writing and pass on a copy to The Head. Students should not be promised confidentiality but should be assured that their concerns will be dealt with sensitively and discreetly. To Parents If you think your child may be being bullied, or tells you that they are, please let us know straight away, initially via the form teacher or Head of Moreton Hall Prep. Reassure your child that we will deal with it sensitively and fairly and that they and you will be consulted at all stages. If your child tells us they are being bullied or we discover they are bullying others we will contact you and will discuss together how the situation can be improved.

Cyber bullying

Cyber bullying can have a far greater impact than bullying because of the following factors: ● Invasion of personal space; ● The anonymity (at least initially) of the bully; ● The ability to broadcast upsetting messages and images rapidly to a potentially huge

audience and to continue to do so repeatedly over a long period of time

For the above reasons we at Moreton Hall Prep deem it necessary to have a separate Cyber bullying policy.

Monitoring and Evaluation

The systems in this policy need to be monitored to ensure a consistency of approach. The following table gives guidance as to when in the school year monitoring and evaluation should take place.

Aspect to be monitored

How By whom When

Consistency of approach by all staff

Observations in playground / classrooms, notes from meetings, Anti bullying Report Forms submitted to DH/HT

All Staff / Senior Managers/ Head

Termly

Display of Bullying definition and Consequences

Observations by Head and Senior staff

Head Termly

Anti-Bullying Ethos

Student Questionnaire Students by School Council

Annually

Review of Policy Staff Meetings Discussion, Staff, Head and Principal

Annually

Communicating this policy with the school community

This policy will be shared with the students of Moreton Hall Prep by:

1. Class Teachers referring to the Policy during appropriate PSHE lessons. 2. Class Teachers introducing and referring to the Worry Box communication system

whenever appropriate. 3. The Head Teacher and staff referring to the policy during the relevant assemblies. 4. The recognition of initiatives such as Friendship week

Other policies, which relate to this policy, include the Behaviour Policy, PSHE and Citizenship policy and Racial Harassment Policy. Links to: PSHE policy, Cyber Bullying policy, Behaviour policy, Child Protection, Equal Opportunities, Confidentiality, Moreton Hall Anti Bullying Policy Revised July 2020 C.M. FORD

Annual Check

Policy: Anti-Bullying Policy

Applies to: All students in both the Senior and Moreton Hall Preparatory School

Author(s): C. Tilley (Vice Principal), Catherine Ford (Head of Moreton Hall Prep )

Approved by: Sue Groves (Pastoral Governor)

Annual Review: I certify that I have reviewed this policy, and verify that, to the best of my knowledge, it reflects current legislation and is in accordance with the wishes of the Governing Body and Principal.

Reviewer to enter initials and appropriate date:

Reviewed By CT and CMF July 2020

Next review date: September 2021