Nova Hreod
A Specialist College in Science and Mathematics & Computing

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RATIONALE

 

Bullying behaviour will not be accepted or unchallenged at Nova Hreod College.

 

The College’s vision statement and policies on Equal Opportunities and Whole College Behaviour set the context within which every member of the College community has a right not to be bullied and a responsibility to uphold that right for others.

 

Definition

 

Bullying is defined as the abuse of power, which is persistent and personal to an individual person.

 

Bullying is not a one-off act of random violence against a person who happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. While requiring serious action, this would not be taken under this policy.

 

Bullying can take many forms including:

• physical attack

• verbal abuse

• non verbal gesturing

• extortion of money or property

• threats

• psychological abuse (e.g. spreading rumours, isolation)

• racially motivated harassment

• targeting of perceived weakness (e.g. disability)

• sexual harassment

• “imported” intimidation (e.g. where families are in dispute)

Bullying behaviours can be seen in individuals or a group.

 

AIMS

 

To promote a community, which is built on:

• co-operation

• caring

• courtesy and respect

and in which the principles of inclusiveness, rights and responsibilities and equal opportunities for all are upheld.

 

To encapsulate the Policy in an Anti-Bullying Charter which is made known to all.

 

OBJECTIVES

• To reduce instances of bullying behaviour in the College community.

• To establish clear procedures for dealing with bullying whenever it occurs.

• To encourage disclosure of cases of bullying.

• To ensure that all known cases of bullying are dealt with consistently and effectively.

• To reflect anti-bullying throughout the teaching and learning activities of the College and to promote a positive approach to personal relationships through the taught Personal and Social Education programme.

 

The Nova Hreod College

 

Anti Bullying Charter

 

_______

 

Bullying behaviour is not acceptable in this College

 

All staff and Students will work together to prevent bullying

 

If bullying occurs then victims and bullies will be dealt with fairly

 

______

 

If you feel that you are being bullied or know of any bullying –

 

Tell someone that you trust straight away

 

Tell your tutor, Progress & Quality leader or another adult

 

If you feel unable to tell anyone then place a note in the ‘bully box’ in the Resource Centre.

 

GUIDANCE

• Student Response

Students who are being bullied will be encouraged to:

• Tell a trusted adult

• Tell themselves they don’t deserve to be bullied

• Stay with groups of people

• Try to ignore the bullying and not to show upset

• Avoid being alone in places where bullying happens

• Be assertive not aggressive

• Walk quickly and confidently away

• If in danger, get away

• Not to fight back (which may make it worse)

• Be proud of being an individual

• Students’ Disclosure

Students will be encouraged to report instances of bullying through the regular promotion of a “listening culture” and in particular through:

• the availability of staff to listen*

• the peer-group listening service*

• the use of “bully boxes” located in the Resource Centre

• the use of the College Nurse and Counsellor*

• the encouragement of parents/friends of the victim to pass on information*

• text someone

“Bully boxes” will be emptied once in every 24 hours and all disclosures will be followed up as quickly as possible and actioned in line with this policy.

 

* Note: For disclosures made in confidence the counsellor (Student, parent, other

professional) is advised to seek the Student’s permission to pass on the information to a member of the College staff in order that this may be followed up. For disclosures made in confidence to a teacher, he/she will signal the possible need to pass on information to a more senior member of staff early in the conversation.

• Teacher Actions

• Modelling Anti-bullying Behaviour

All teachers will uphold the Aims and Objectives of the Anti-bullying policy in particular by demonstrating these in their manner of working with colleagues, Students and parents.

• Identifying the Victim

All teachers are encouraged to identify the risk factors in victims of bullying which include:

• lack of close friends

• being shy

• coming from over-protective family

• being in a minority racial/ethnic or religious group

• having special educational needs

• behaving provocatively

• being “different” to the peer norms.

The building of self-esteem and friendships with these Students needs to be promoted by all teachers but is seen as a particular role of the Tutor. Please complete the green bully log forms and pass on to the Progress and Quality Leader, Deputy Head (P&Q), Learning Leader for monitoring purposes.

• Listening to Disclosures

While victims of bullying may more readily reveal their distress at being bullied to peers, parents or tutor it is the role of all staff to listen to Students’ disclosures and to ensure that action is taken.

• Principles of Action

• Incidents need to be resolved not just smoothed over

• Those who feel aggrieved need to see that justice is done

• Blame may not be on one side

• There must be account taken of Students’ different levels of tolerance

• There must be effective communication with the victim and the bully on actions taken

• Many cases will require on-going monitoring and support for both victim and bully, which may involve parents.

• There must be effective communication with the victim and the bully on action taken

• Few incidents can be resolved by removing the bully from the College

• Procedures in dealing with a case of Bullying

A written record should be kept on the file of the victim and bully in relation to each of the following stages:

• Interview the victim

Obtain a full account of which has taken place:

• what has been said/done?

• Over what period?

• How has the victim felt? How would they want others to feel about them?

• Are there ways in which their behaviour has contributed to their role as victim?

Pledge support and action.

• Interview with the bully/bullies

• Joint meeting of victim(s) and bully(s)

In some cases a ‘round the table’ meeting can be very successful. This is useful for “clearing the air” and giving clear messages to all involved. It is desirable to have the same number of Students on each ‘side’ and minutes will need to be kept.

The meeting is likely to be run by the Progress & Quality team or Learning Mentor, but it could be conversed by other staff such as a Pastoral Care Workers, Student Supervisors, tutor etc. It is important that everyone feels that they have had an opportunity to speak.

 

Non-confrontational and operating to a simple format:

• what has been said/done

• help bully to understand more about how the victim is feeling

• seek commitment that they will try to help the victim (e.g. leave them alone, try to be their friend, not spread rumours about them etc).

• in a group situation use the group to reinforce the promises made.

• Offer support to the bully/ies in meeting this end.

• Inform Victim of follow-up Action

• Stage what has been done and assurances received.

• Offer advice and support to victim in their responses to the individual/group.

• Stress review and future support should there be further problems.

• Pledge help in working with them to reduce the Risk Factors (above).

4. Where appropriate (and certainly in the cases where the issue was originally raised by parents), parents need to be informed of the actions taken.

• Review

A week later:

• initiate a check with both parties on the current situation

• if all is going well arrange a meeting of both parties to praise progress reach public agreement and discuss longer term strategies

• emphasise what Students have in common/importance of finding a “middle ground”.

• Support for Students

At each stage of the above procedure the availability of support both within and outside the College should be stressed. This may include:

• availability of confidential counselling services through

the College Counsellor

child Line

The NSPCC

Kidscape

Connexions – personal advisors.

• College groups in behaviour management and assertiveness training

• the Peer Listening Group

• time with Group Tutor/Progress & Quality Leader

• the involvement of parents of both parties either individually or together (dependent on the circumstances and with preview of approach being taken).

• Dealing with the Persistent Bully

It is recognised that in a minority of cases the above process of mediation will not be effective often due to the deep-seated and ingrained feelings and behaviour patterns of the individual or the encouragement of community or peer pressure.

 

It is proposed that such on-going behaviour problems should be recognised in the placing of the individual on the Special Education Needs register (Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties) and first-aid support identified accordingly. The purpose of so doing will again be to effect remediation through the setting up of a Pastoral Support Plan.

 

It is further recognised that in cases of persistent bullying or a particularly vicious attack which invokes the “severe clause” the Head Teacher may find it necessary for the sake of the victim (and other Students involved) to exclude the Student concerned for a fixed term or as a permanent measure as determined by the extent of prior intervention.

• Monitoring and Evaluation

All reported and re-reported cases of bullying will be passed to the victims’ Progress & Quality Leader and the Deputy Head who will keep a record of the number of instances per term and provide a brief progress report to the Annual Review.

 

Outcomes from this Review will be referred to the Curriculum Sub Committee of Governors for incorporation in future policy revisions.

• Whole College Projection of Policy

The policy, including the Anti-bullying Charter, will be promoted by all staff through assemblies, tutor time and implicitly in daily classroom interactions.

 

Special promotions will take place from time to time to raise the profile of the policy e.g. Students and staff may be encouraged to be part of the turquoise ribbon campaign as an overt demonstration of their commitment.

 

There will be direct teaching on inter-personal relationships through Personal and Social Education throughout the College and this will be used as a means to promote the policy.

 

The College’s Anti-Bullying policy should be read in conjunction with Swindon Borough Council’s “Children’s Behaviour in Colleges”, and the College’s policies on Equal Opportunities and Whole College Behaviour.

 

January 2004

(Reviewed June 2004, January 2008)

Bullied?

 

Remember – we do not put up with it in

this College!

• Tell your tutor

• Put a note in a bully box

• Tell a Peer Mentor

• Tell your Progress & Quality Leader

• Text someone

Don’t keep it to yourself! Together we can stamp it out

 

Bully boxes in Resource Centre

 

Text Someone 24/7 reporting of bullying Text 20662 and your message to: 0778 147 4660 Or contact by phone at: 0845 225 8230 www.textsomeone.com

 

 

Below are some useful links.