Anti-bullying Policy

Section 1: Introduction and Statement
At City of Armagh High School we believe all forms of bullying behaviour are unacceptable.
We believe that all pupils have the right to learn in a safe and supportive environment.
Section 2: Context
This policy is informed and guided by current legislation and DE Guidance listed below:
The Legislative Context:
 The Addressing Bullying in Schools Act (Northern Ireland) 2016
 The Education and Libraries Order (Northern Ireland) 2003 (A17-19)
 The Education (School Development Plans) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010
 The Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995
 The Human Rights Act 1998
 The Health and Safety at Work Order (Northern Ireland) 1978
The Policy & Guidance Context
 The Addressing Bullying in Schools Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 Statutory Guidance
for Schools and Boards of Governors (DE, 2019)
 Pastoral Care in School: Promoting Positive Behaviour (DE, 2001)
 Safeguarding and Child Protection in Schools: A Guide for Schools (DE, 2017)
 Co-operating to Safeguard Children and Young People in Northern Ireland (Dept. of
Health, Social Services and Public Safety, 2016)
 Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland Policies and Procedures (SBNI, 2017)
The International Context
 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)
The key points to note are: The Addressing Bullying in Schools Act (Northern Ireland) 2016:
 Provides a legal definition of bullying.
 Places a duty on the Board of Governors to put in place measures to prevent bullying
behaviour, in consultation with pupils and parents.
 Requires schools to record all incidents of bullying behaviour and alleged bullying
incidents.
 Sets out under which circumstances this policy should be applied, namely:
 In school, during the school day
 While travelling to and from school
 When under control of school staff, but away from school (eg. school trip)
 When receiving education organised by school but happening elsewhere
(eg. in another school in the ALC)
 Requires that the policy be updated at least every four years.
4
 The Education and Libraries Order (NI) 2003, requires the Board of Governors to:
 ‘Safeguard and promote the welfare of registered pupils’ (A.17)
 The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) sets out every
child’s right to:
 Be protected from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse,
maltreatment or exploitation. (A.19)
 Be protected from discrimination. (A.2)
 Express their views, in a supported and accessible way, on issues that
affect them, and to have their opinions taken seriously. (A.12)
 Education. (A.28)
Section 3: Ethos & Principles
At City of Armagh High School, we believe in a society where bullying is unacceptable and
where every child and young person is safe and feels safe from bullying. We understand
that everyone in our school community has a role to play in taking a stand against bullying
and creating a safe and welcoming environment for all.
Our school aims are:
 To provide a sense of community and belonging in a caring environment in which
everyone is encouraged to contribute to the life of the school
 To enable pupils, irrespective of their abilities or social background, to develop their
interests and aptitudes enabling them to take responsibility for themselves and their
activities
 To encourage pupils to work to their full potential within an appropriate curriculum
that encompasses their academic and vocational needs
 To encourage growth of moral, spiritual and cultural awareness, based on Christian
values, so that pupils become responsible, tolerant citizens
 To foster and maintain positive relationships with parents recognising the importance
of high quality communication between the school, the home and the community
Central to the prevention of bullying in school is the promotion of positive behaviour within all
aspects of the school community. City of Armagh High School’s Positive Behaviour Policy
provides an agreed course of action amongst teachers, pupils and parents, which promotes
effective teaching and learning, the worth and value of each person and respects the rights
of all members of the school community. We believe a healthy balance between sanctions
and rewards is fundamental and encourage everyone to implement the school rules fairly
and consistently.
5
Section 4: Consultation and Participation
This policy has been developed in consultation with registered pupils and their
parents/carers, in compliance with the Addressing Bullying in Schools Act (NI) 2016.
Consultation with stakeholders (parents, pupils and staff) took place when devising this
policy through the use of:
 Pupil surveys
 Kirkland Rowell survey completed in May 2019 with pupils, staff and parents
 Anti-bullying workshops with all year groups and staff
 Class based activities
Section 5: What is Bullying?
The Addressing Bullying in Schools Act (NI) 2016 provides schools with a legal definition
which states:
Addressing Bullying in Schools Definition of “bullying”:
1.(1) In this Act “bullying” includes (but is not limited to) the repeated use of—
(a) any verbal, written or electronic communication,
(b) any other act, or
(c) any combination of those, by a pupil or a group of pupils against another pupil or group of
pupils, with the intention of causing physical or emotional harm to that pupil or group of
pupils.
(2) For the purposes of subsection (1), “act” includes omission.
Therefore, in summary, according to City of Armagh High School’s Anti-Bullying Policy:
Bullying is behaviour that is usually repeated, which is carried out intentionally to
cause hurt, harm or to adversely affect the rights and needs of another or others.
While bullying is usually repeated behaviour, there are instances of one-off incidents that the
City of Armagh High School will consider as bullying.
When assessing a one-off incident, to make a decision on whether to classify it as bullying,
the school shall consider the following criteria:
 severity and significance of the incident
 evidence of pre-meditation
 impact of the incident on individuals (physical/emotional)
 impact of the incident on the wider school community
6
 previous relationships between those involved
 any previous incidents involving the individuals
Any incidents which are not considered bullying behaviour will be addressed under the
Positive Behaviour Policy.
At City of Armagh High School we understand that Bullying will often involve an individual or
a group using their power, or perceived power, over another person or persons. People who
are bullied often feel unable to stop it from happening.
The following unacceptable behaviours, when repeated, targeted and intentionally hurtful,
may be considered a bullying behaviour:
 Verbal or written acts
 Saying mean and hurtful things to, or about, others
 Making fun of others
 Calling another pupil mean and hurtful names
 Telling lies or spread false rumours about others
 Try to make other pupils dislike another pupil/s
 Physical acts
 Hitting
 Kicking
 Pushing
 Shoving
 Material harm, such as taking/stealing money or possessions or causing
damage to possessions
 Omission (Exclusion)
 Leaving someone out of a game
 Refusing to include someone in group work
 Electronic Acts
 Using online platforms or other electronic communication to carry out many of
the written acts noted above
 Impersonating someone online to cause hurt
 Sharing images (eg. photographs or videos) online to embarrass someone
This list is not exhaustive and other behaviours which fit with the definition may be
considered bullying behaviour
7
In developing this policy, City of Armagh High School has noted the various motivations
behind bullying, including those named in the Act. These include, but are not limited to:
 Age
 Appearance
 Breakdown in peer
relationships
 Community background
 Political affiliation
 Gender identity
 Sexual orientation
 Pregnancy
 Marital status
 Race
 Religion
 Disability / SEN
 Ability
 Looked After Child status
 Young Carer status
Bullying is an emotive issue; therefore, it is essential that we ensure we use supportive,
understanding language when discussing these matters. For that reason we will not refer to
a child as ‘a bully’, nor will we refer to a child as ‘a victim’. Instead, we will refer to the child
by describing the situation surrounding that child, for example:
 A child displaying bullying behaviours
 A child experiencing bullying behaviours
We encourage all members of the school community to use this language when discussing
bullying incidents.
In City of Armagh High School we define harm in accordance with DE guidance. Therefore
‘harm’ is defined as:
 Emotional or psychological harm as intentionally causing distress or anxiety by
scaring, humiliating or affecting adversely a pupil’s self-esteem.
 Physical harm as intentionally hurting a pupil by causing injuries such as bruises,
broken bones, burns or cuts.
8
Section 6: Preventative Measures
This policy aims to promote a strong anti-bullying ethos within the school and the wider
school community.
Under the legislation, the focus for all anti-bullying work should be on prevention and
therefore the following key actions are in place with the aim of preventing bullying and
creating a safe learning environment:
 Raising awareness and understanding of the positive behaviour expectations, as set
out in the Positive Behaviour Policy
 Promotion of anti-bullying messages through the curriculum e.g. inclusion of age-
appropriate material specific to individual subject areas related to bullying, positive
behaviour and inclusion
 Addressing issues such as the various forms of bullying, including the how and why it
can happen, through assemblies, external organisations and PD/LLW (eg. sectarian,
racist, homophobic, transphobic, disablist, etc.)
 Involvement in meaningful and supportive shared education projects, supporting
pupils to explore, understand and respond to difference and diversity.
 Through the preventative curriculum actively promote positive emotional health and
wellbeing
 Participation in the NIABF annual Anti-Bullying Week activities
 Engagement in key national and regional campaigns, eg Safer Internet Day, Good
Relations Week, etc.
 Development of peer-led systems (eg. School Council) to support the delivery and
promotion of key anti-bullying messaging within the school
 Development of effective strategies for playground management, e.g. training for
supervisors, zoning of playgrounds and identified boundaries
 Focused assemblies to raise awareness and promote understanding of key issues
related to bullying.
 Development of effective strategies for the management of unstructured times (eg.
break time, lunch supervision)
 Provision and promotion of extra- and co-curricular activities, aimed at supporting the
development of effective peer support relationships and networks. For example
sporting activity, creative arts, leisure and games, etc.
Preventative measures that are put in place by City of Armagh High School to prevent
bullying behaviour on the way to and from school include:
 Development of a culture where pupils take pride in their school and are viewed as
ambassadors for their school within the community. This includes regular reminders
of the positive behaviour expectations of pupils whilst travelling to and from school.
 Regular engagement with transport providers (e.g. Translink, EA Transport, etc.) to
ensure effective communication and the early identification of any concerns.
 Promotion of key anti-bullying messages and awareness of behaviour expectations
of pupils amongst the local community (e.g. local shops, cafes, service providers,
residents, etc.), including information on how to raise any concerns with the school.
9
 Appropriate deployment of staff to support the transition from school day to journey
home (e.g. staff duty at school gate/bus stops, where appropriate)
City of Armagh High School have taken measures to raise awareness of the nature and
impact of online bullying and support their pupils to make use of the internet in a safe,
responsible and respectful way. This includes:
 Addressing key themes of online behaviour and risk through PD/LLW/assemblies,
including understanding how to respond to harm and the consequences of
inappropriate use.
 Participation in Anti-Bullying Week activities/assembly
 Engagement with key statutory and voluntary sector agencies (e.g. C2k, PSNI,
Public Health Agency, Safeguarding Board for NI e-Safety Forum) to support the
promotion of key messages.
 Development and implementation of robust and appropriate policies in related areas
(e.g. Acceptable Use of the Internet Policy, Mobile Phone Policy – within Positive
behaviour policy etc.)
Section 7: Responsibility
Everyone in City of Armagh High School has responsibility for creating a safe and supportive
learning environment for all members of the school community.
Everyone in the school community, including pupils, their parents/carers and the staff of the
school are expected to respect the rights of others to be safe.
Everyone has the responsibility to work together to:
 Foster positive self-esteem
 Behave towards others in a mutually respectful way
 Model high standards of personal pro-social behaviour
 Be alert to signs of distress and other possible indications of bullying
behaviour
 Inform the school of any concerns relating to bullying behaviour
 Refrain from becoming involved in any kind of bullying behaviour, even at the
risk of incurring temporary unpopularity.
 Refrain from retaliating to any form of bullying behaviour
 Intervene to support any person who is being bullied, unless it is unsafe to do
so.
 Report any concerns or instances of bullying behaviour witnessed or
suspected, to a member of staff.
 Emphasise the importance of seeking help from a trusted adult about bullying
behaviour when it happens or is observed
 Explain the implications of allowing the bullying behaviour to continue
unchecked, for themselves and/or others.
10
 listen sensitively to anyone who has been bullied, take what is said seriously,
and provide reassurance that appropriate action will be taken
 know how to seek support – internal and external
 resolve difficulties in restorative ways to prevent recurring bullying behaviour
and meet the needs of all parties
11
Section 8: Reporting a Bullying Concern
Pupils Reporting a Concern
Pupils are encouraged to raise concerns with any member of staff, including teaching and
non-teaching staff.
Pupils can report bullying concerns in one or more of the following ways:
 Verbally- talking to a member of staff
 By writing a note to a member of staff (eg. in a homework diary)
 By sending an email to a member of staff or to a dedicated email address
ANY pupil can raise a concern about bullying behaviour, not just the pupil who is
experiencing this behaviour. All pupils are encouraged to ‘get help’ if they have a concern
about bullying that they experience or is experienced by another.
Parents/Carers Reporting a Concern
Parents and carers should raise concerns about alleged bullying behaviour with the school
at the earliest opportunity. They should encourage their children to react appropriately to
bullying behaviour and to not do anything to retaliate or to ‘hit back’.
The process of parents/carers reporting bullying concerns is as follows:
 In the first instance, all bullying concerns should be reported to the Class
Teacher/Form Teacher
 Where the parent is not satisfied that appropriate action has been taken to prevent
further incidents, or where further incidents have taken place, the concern should be
reported to Head of Year.
 Where the parent is not satisfied that appropriate action has been taken by the Head
of Year to prevent further incidents, or where further incidents have taken place, the
concern should be reported to Vice Principal.
 Where the parent is not satisfied that appropriate action has been taken by the Head
of Vice Principal to prevent further incidents, or where further incidents have taken
place, the concern should be reported to Principal.
Where the parent/carer remains unsatisfied that the concern has not been appropriately
responded to, the school’s complaints procedure should be followed. This involves making a
formal, written complaint, to the Chair of the Board of Governors (See Complaints Policy for
full details)
All reports of bullying concerns received from pupils and/or parents/carers will be responded
to in line with this policy and that feedback will be made to the person who made the report.
However, it must be noted that no information about action taken in relation to a pupil can be
disclosed to anyone other than the pupil and his/her parents/carers.
12
Section 9: Responding to a Bullying Concern
The processes outlined below provide a framework for how City of Armagh High School will
respond to any bullying concerns identified.
The member of staff responding to the concern will:
 Clarify facts and perceptions
 Check records (SIMS/Behaviour Management module)
 Assess the incident against the criteria for bullying behaviour
 Identify any themes or motivating factors
 Identify the type of bullying behaviour being displayed
 Identify intervention level
 Select and implement appropriate interventions for all pupils involved, including
appropriate interventions, consequences and sanctions not listed in the Effective
Responses to Bullying Behaviour resource
 Track, monitor and record effectiveness of interventions
 Review outcome of interventions
 Select and implement further interventions as necessary
When responding to a bullying concern, school staff shall implement interventions aimed at
responding to the behaviour, resolving the concern and restoring the wellbeing of those
involved. Where appropriate, school staff may implement sanctions for those displaying
bullying behaviour.
Section 10: Recording
As set out in the Addressing Bullying in Schools Act (NI) 2016, a record of all incidents of
bullying and alleged bullying behaviour will be maintained. This will include:
 how the bullying behaviour was displayed (the method)
 the motivation for the behaviour
 how each incident was addressed by the school
 the outcome of the interventions employed.
Records may be kept on the online SIMS Behaviour Management Module, which is part of
the C2k system in schools. Access to these records will be restricted and only provided to
those members of school staff with a legitimate need to have access.
All records will be maintained in line with relevant data protection legislation and guidance
and will be disposed of in line with the school’s Retention and Disposal of Documents Policy.
Collated information regarding incidents of bullying and alleged bullying behaviour will be
used to inform the future development of anti-bullying policy and practice within the school.
13
Section 11: Professional Development of Staff
At City of Armagh High School:
 We are committed to ensuring that staff are provided with appropriate
opportunities for professional development as part of the school’s ongoing
CPD/PRSD provisions
 Opportunities for safeguarding training are afforded to Governors and all staff –
teaching and non-teaching
 CPD records will be kept and updated regularly
Section 12: Monitoring and Review of Policy
To appropriately monitor the effectiveness of the Anti-Bullying Policy, the Board of
Governors shall:
 Maintain a standing item on the agenda of each meeting of the Board where a report
on recorded incidents of bullying will be noted
 Identify trends and priorities for action
 Assess the effectiveness of strategies aimed at preventing bullying behaviour
 Assess the effectiveness of strategies aimed at responding to bullying behaviour
This Anti-Bullying Policy shall be reviewed as required, in consultation with pupils and their
parents/carers, every four years.
Section 13: Links to Other Policies
In the development and implementation of this Anti-Bullying Policy, the Board of Governors
has been mindful of related policies, including:
 Positive Behaviour Policy
 Pastoral Care Policy
 Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy
 Special Educational Needs Policy
 Health and Safety Policy
 Relationships and Sexuality Education
 E-Safety Policy & Acceptable Use of Internet Policy
 Mobile Phone Policy
 Educational Visits
 Staff Code of Conduct