Cramlington Learning Village has been recognised for its work on anti- bullying by United Against Bullying and awarded their Gold status certificate.
Respect
At the heart of our school is an ethos of respect. We aim to ensure that all pupils have the opportunity to attend a school where pupils, parents and staff are respectful to each other and where they feel safe and secure so they can focus on learning. This brief guide is intended to help you understand our approach to dealing with abusive and bullying behaviour between pupils.
How can pupils or parents report a behaviour concern or incident of bullying?
- We encourage our pupils and parents to let us know quickly about behaviour concerns, instances of abusive behaviour or bullying, whether it is happening to them/their child or to others
- Pupils can report an issue to any adult in school (teacher, learning guide, teaching assistant, learning manager etc.)
- Pupils can use their Gmail or Tootoot to ask for advice or support
- Parents can email or phone school – direct your query to your child’s Learning Manager, Pastoral Co-ordinator or senior staff such as Mr Clark (Head of JLV) or Mr Bell (Head of SLV).
What happens when someone reports a behaviour concern, abusive behaviour or bullying?
- Every incident reported is investigated and statements taken
- Every incident reported is logged centrally in school and a record is kept
- Where appropriate, staff may work to resolve the situation between pupils
- We use a wide range of sanctions with pupils (including exclusion)
- Communication with parents is an important part of this process and meetings take place regularly alongside sanctions for pupils
- Pupils who bully may be asked to complete an intervention module to help them avoid making the same mistakes in future
- Pupils who bully more than once face more serious sanctions. We do involve the Police where there are serious incidents and issues outside of school or online
- The Governors of the school are informed about the incidents which take place in school and they monitor the work of staff to create a safe and respectful school. The link governor for this area of the school’s work is Mr Ivan Wintringam
- We aim to keep parents and guardians informed about what actions we are taking in school and to check with parents that issues have been resolved.
Does school become involved with online bullying?
Yes. Issues occurring on social media, messages and inappropriate online behaviour are all investigated and dealt with by school. Parents have a responsibility to monitor and educate their child about their online behaviour but school does deal with issues where pupils bully or act inappropriately online in the same way as behaviour in school.
What actions do we take to support people affected by bullying?
- We encourage all pupils to be open and let us know when issues occur
- We have vigilant staff who challenge pupils about their behaviour not only in lessons but at social times and at the end of the school day
- We listen and take action swiftly
- We treat bullying seriously and make sure pupils are supported in school
- We check in with pupils regularly and make sure they feel safe
- We may do some extra work with pupils to ensure that they have the confidence and skills to deal with issues
- We talk to parents and guardians to gain feedback about how a child is doing in school.
What if a problem continues?
- We aim to deal with all issues reported to us quickly and effectively. It is important that if bullying occurs you let us know as early as possible.
- We aim to monitor pupils carefully when concerns such abusive behaviour or bullying occurs. However, if a problem persists or if a pupil repeats bullying behaviour then the consequences for that child can become very serious. We ask that you let us know immediately if a problem persists so we can act.
How can I help my child if they are being bullied?
The following advice comes from the anti-bullying alliance:
- Listen and reassure them that coming to you was the right thing to do. Try and establish the facts. It can be helpful to keep a diary of events to share with the school or college
- Assure them that the bullying is not their fault and that they have family that will support them. Reassure them that you will not take any action without discussing it with them first
- Don’t encourage retaliation to bullying – such as violent actions. It’s important for children to avoid hitting or punching an abusive peer. Reacting that way has negative and unpredictable results – they may be hurt even further, and find that they are labelled as the problem. Rather, suggest that they walk away and seek help
- Find out what your child wants to happen next. Help to identify the choices open to them; the potential next steps to take; and the skills they may have to help solve the problems
- Encourage your child to get involved in activities that build their confidence and esteem, and help them to form friendships outside of school (or wherever the bullying is taking place).
When do pupils learn about our anti-bullying approach?
Throughout the school year there are important events which are linked closely to our anti-bullying programme:
- All pupils complete the #Nobystanders pledge – each Sept
- National Anti-bullying ‘Big Assembly’ – each October
- Anti-bullying Week – each November
- World Mental Health Day – October
- Black History Month – November
- Mental Health Awareness Week – May
- Pride Month – June
- National Carers Week – June.
Pupils also learn in depth about the following topics as part of the PSHE programme, Well Being Days and tutor work carried out in school:
- Year 7 topics: Respect Day; Diversity, prejudice and bullying; building positive relationships and boundaries; Healthy Heads day – positive mental health and how to create it
- Year 8 topics: Digital literacy and e-safety day; identity and relationships; Emotional well being; anti-bullying Well Being Day
- Year 9 topics: Being internet citizens; exploring influence; anti-social behaviour
- Year 10 topics: Anti-social behaviour; exploring mental health stigma; relationships expectations; addressing extremist views and discrimination; relationship challenges and abuse
- Year 11 topics: bullying in the workplace; assertive communication; relationship challenges; changing relationships.
Links to school policies
You can view our Anti Bullying and Behaviour Policies on our policies page
Further advice and support is available here: