Anti Bullying Policy

Bourne Community College

Anti-Bullying Policy

We are committed to providing a caring, friendly and safe environment for all of our students so that they can learn in a relaxed and secure atmosphere.  Bullying of any kind is unacceptable at our College.  If bullying does occur, all students should be able to feel safe to tell and know that incidents will be dealt with promptly and effectively.  We are a telling College.  This means that anyone who knows that bullying is happening is expected to tell the staff.


What is Bullying?

Bullying is a deliberate act with the intention of hurting another person.  Bullying results in pain and distress to the victim.

Bullying can be:-

Why is it important to respond to bullying

Bullying does sometimes occur and must be taken seriously
Bullying is destructive
Bullying interferes with education
Bullying effects everybody
Bullying hurts.

No one deserves to be a victim of bullying.  Everyone has the right to be treated with respect.  Students who are bullying need to learn different ways of behaving and how their behaviour affects others.  The Bourne Community College has a responsibility to act promptly and effectively to issues of bullying.


Aims of the Anti-Bullying Policy

The aims of the Policy are to:-

• create a climate where bullying is not accepted
• help prevent bullying from starting
• ensure staff respond consistently and appropriately to bullying
• empower victims to seek help
• involve everyone (students, staff, parents and governors) in acting against bullying whenever and wherever it occurs
• help those involved in bullying to change their behaviour.


Creating the Climate for Reducing Bullying

All members of the College community are encouraged to:-
• have a positive self-regard
• look after each other
• be open about bullying
• turn to someone with the concerns and fears.

Everyone in the College community is made aware of the College’s stance and the strategies to deal with bullying through:-

• Year 6 students/parents transfer and transition programmes
• Year 7 students induction programme
• the Peer Mediation service provided by Year 11 students
• all students through Personal, Social and Emotional Development programmes of study
• all students during Form Tutor time, assemblies, and through Behaviour for Learning
• all parents and members of the College and wider community through Newsletter, prospectus and information leaflets
• staff development
• governors meetings.

The College recognised that students model their behaviour on older students and adults:  teachers and parents in particular.  The College’s Behaviour Policy requires that all staff:-

• set an example of the behaviour we seek to promote
• work together through referral and support
• strive to achieve consistency in response to behaviour.

When travelling to and from the College and on College business the normal College rules apply.


Intervention Strategies

The College uses a variety of intervention strategies to deal with bullying issues with the response depending on the particular circumstances of the issue.  Strategies used may include:-

• counselling
• conciliation
• mediation
• discussion
• involving parents
• involving outside agencies.


Procedures to Follow

Reporting incidents:-

• all members of the College community are responsible for reporting incidents of bullying to a member of staff:-

This could be:-

• by word or mouth
• by letter/note
• by email using the special link on the College website
• by texting 07914 006297
• all bullying incidents need to be followed up using the same procedures as for other types of behaviours as outlined in the College Behaviour Policy.

Recording Incidents:-

• all bullying incidents will be recorded on a negative Incident Form with the appropriate action taken clearly indicated
• each incident will be recorded on our student tracking system – Sleuth.

Sanctions:-

• bullying incidents are dealt with using the same system as for other behaviours which are outlined in the College Behaviour Policy using a staged approach
• continued low-level bullying over a period of time will be considered to be more serious and students will face increasingly severe sanctions in line with the College’s Behaviour Policy
• very serious incidents will be dealt with by a member of the Leadership Team and may result in permanent exclusion.


Monitoring

The Assistant Headteacher (Student Support) will monitor the Anti-Bullying Policy in order to identify progress and enable follow-up.  This will show whether the policy is effective.


Evaluation

Data from monitoring and feedback, which staff, families, students and governors will be used to review and update the policy on an annual basis.

This policy has been written after consultation with the School Council, College staff and the College Change Group.  Advice and guidance has also been sought from the Behaviour and Attendance Consultation (West Sussex Children’s Services), Kidscape and the Department for Education and Science.

Anti Bullying Policy Leaflet