Anti-bullying

At King James's we are determined to provide our students with a safe, secure and happy environment in which to learn. We expect high standards of behaviour and do our best to encourage our students to develop into responsible and valued members of the community.

Bullying

Bullying includes:

• Deliberately hurtful behaviour
• Repeated, often over a period of time
• Situations where it is difficult for those being bullied to defend themselves.

It usually takes four forms:

• Physical e.g. hitting, fighting, taking belongings
• Verbal e.g. name-calling, insulting remarks
• Indirect e.g. rumour-mongering, excluding someone from social groups
• Cyber-bullying e.g. texting, use of websites etc

Raising awareness through the curriculum

The issue of bullying is raised in a variety of contexts throughout the curriculum

• It is a major element of our PSHCE programme; students are made aware that bullying behaviour is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.
• Form tutors and the pastoral staff are encouraged to discuss bullying, as and when appropriate.
• Assemblies are periodically used as a vehicle for raising awareness, using relevant examples.

What action will the school take if I report bullying?

At King James's we have a zero tolerance bullying policy. However, we do recognise that confronting the bullies could make the situation worse. As long as the safety of your child or any other is not at risk, we are happy to deal with the problem as your child wishes. This may mean simply monitoring the situation or we can do a full investigation. This will involve collecting statements from the all students concerned, including witnesses. On receiving these, we will do an investigation to establish the facts and from this sanctions will be given if necessary.

Dealing with incidents

All incidents are treated seriously by staff and referred to the pastoral staff/senior member of staff as soon as possible.

• Written statements are taken from all students involved.
• Both the ‘victim’ and the ‘bully’ are made aware that the school views any instance of bullying very seriously.
• It is imperative that the victim is supported and is given help.
• Every effort must be made to resolve the situation immediately. Where appropriate, ‘victim’ and ‘bully’ should be brought together to discuss the incident.
• Follow up procedures should check that the bullying has not resumed.
• The lead member of staff will judge the seriousness of the incident. In the case of a minor ‘one off’ incident, in which no physical harm is done, a reprimand may be sufficient. More serious or persistent cases will necessitate the involvement of the Pastoral Lead or other senior staff. In these cases, parents must be informed and invited into school.

What to do if you think your child is being bullied?

It is really important that you talk to your child about the issues and try to gather as much information as possible, particularly the names of the bullies. It is also helpful to find out when and where the incident happened and the names of any witnesses. You should try to encourage your child to speak to a member of staff they feel comfortable with at school. With the permission of your child, the bullying can then be investigated thoroughly and dealt with appropriately.

What support will my child receive if they are being bullied?

Your child will receive daily support from their Pastoral Team. The offer of mentoring sessions will be given, either 1-1 or in a small group of students working on building resilience and confidence.