SAFETY - School Anti-bullying Policies

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Samuel Whitbread Anti-bullying Policy

All schools have a policy, written or other wise to which they adhere in cases of bullying. Some schools will follow guidelines laid down by national or local Government, others will have working practices drawn up by their Governors, including procedures, regulations and forms. But the Policy of every school in the Samuel Whitbread pyramid can be summed up in two simple words: ZERO TOLERANCE!

That simple policy is how Samuel Whitbread does it and it applies whether your child is in pre-school, the upper sixth form , or at any point in between. Every Head Teacher, teacher, classroom assistant and member of the support staff takes bullying seriously and considers it totally unacceptable. For those who bully, the following applies:-

  • No reasons - No excuses - No justification - No hiding place

To the victims of bullying we say,

  • Talk about it - Tell someone - Don't suffer in silence

The key to beating bullying is - Talk about it! Make sure your child knows that if they are the victim of an actual or cyber bully then they should tell someone straight away. Parent, carer, teacher or a member of the school support staff, as once the problem is aired the school will do all they can to sort it out.

Find out about your school policy:

If you want to know the policy adopted by your school, then all you have to do is ask either the Head Teacher or School Manager and they will be more than happy to fill you in on how their school deals with the problem.

Many schools will have an anti bullying charter which every single pupil and staff member signs to declare their intent to "Beat the Bully" and to show that they find bullying in a school totally unacceptable.

With 23 schools in the SWCC Pyramid it would be impossible to detail the anti-bullying policy for all of them so we have taken the policy of one school, Samuel Whitbread, to give you some idea of how a school tackles the problem. Click on the PDF link below to open and read the document, and please bear in mind this document was drawn up by students as well as staff:

The Samuel Whitbread Community College Anti-bullying Policy

So if the situation emerges at a school within the Pyramid, you know the school will act, and act quickly and efficiently to deal with it, but what should you do if your child tells you at home that they are being bullied?

Central Bedfordshire Council has an excellent web site and one section deals with this issue. They have kindly let Best Advice reproduce part of that section here and it gives clear and concise advice, together with a three point action plan to help you tackle the problem if it emerges at home.

What should I do if I am concerned that my child is being bullied?

Step One

If you think your child is being bullied then start by asking them some questions like the ones below to try and help you find out more. Listen and talk to your child and offer reassurance.

  • Who have they played with?
  • What have they enjoyed at school?
  • Are they feeling happy about going to school the next day?
  • Did anything happen that they did not like?
  • Who are their friends?
  • Is there anything at school they are not happy about?
  • Is there anything they would like to be different?

Following your conversation if you’re still concerned about bullying you may decide to contact the setting where the bullying is happening. This may be your child’s school, youth club, sports club or any other setting where your child spends time. It is important that you reassure you child that they have done the right thing in telling you. You need to be clear about what actions you are taking and the reasons why. Keep your child informed about what you are going to do. It is important not to confront the child who you suspect has been bullying, or their parents, yourself. Make sure your child knows you are going to support them.

Step Two

Tell your child’s school (this applies to other settings)

  • After chatting with your child, if you do feel there is a problem and you think that bullying is happening at your child’s school, you should contact the school.
  • Explain the situation clearly and calmly as it might be the first time the school has heard of the issues. The school will have a policy for dealing with reports of bullying behaviour. It can be helpful to have read this prior to a meeting because it should tell you what your child’s school does if bullying happens. It is important to remember that your child’s school will want the bullying to stop. The best way to achieve this is to work together.
  • It is usually helpful to arrange a meeting, depending on the seriousness. It is usually better in the first instance to suggest meeting with the class teacher or head of year. Explain your concerns clearly to the school and tell them what your child has told you.

Step Three

Agree an action plan: You need to agree a plan of support for your child with the school, and jointly monitor the situation. In most cases, by working with the school, bullying problems can be resolved quickly. Make sure that the plan clearly states how the school is going to communicate with you any actions that they have taken and plan to take. Also include who your child should speak to in the future if they are concerned and make sure that you listen to your child about who they feel comfortable talking to. Make sure you leave the meeting knowing who is going to take which actions and how and when.

What should I do if the situation still does not improve?

Bullying situations can often be very complex and take time to resolve it is important to give the school time to deal with the situation. If, after your initial meeting with the school, you still do not feel the situation has improved then it might be useful to speak to a more senior person in the school, for example the Head Teacher. If you still do not feel that the situation has been resolved then a complaint can be made to the schools Chair of Governors. Your child’s school can advise you on the process for doing this.

The Central Beds Council site has lots more information and is well worth a visit. You can go straight to it at www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk and look for the section entitled parent support.

It is important that you, as a parent or carer, relative or friend of a bullied child follow the same rules as apply to the child. If you find out about bullying, tell someone, especially if it is school based. It is equally important that reassure the child that:

  • It isn't their fault they are being bullied, the problem lies with their tormentor.
  • They did exactly the right thing by telling you, and that the old adage of "a problem shared, is a problem halved" is never truer than with bullying.
  • You will support them.
  • The matter will be sorted out and the problem will stop.

Of course, the bullies have parents as well, so what do you do if you find out that your child is involved in bullying? Well once again the CBC website has some good advice.

What should I do if I think my child is bullying other people?

It is important to remember that a child can be both a victim of bullying and possibly also involved in bullying others. Sometime a child or young person may not realise that what they are doing is hurting or upsetting the person they are bullying.

Is my child bullying others? Spend some time talking with your child about what is happening. Ask them how they feel about school. What they do and don’t enjoy. Ask your child about their friendship groups and try to find out more about them. If you think they are bullying others try to find out if they are doing this on their own or as part of a group. You need to ensure that your child has the opportunity to tell their side of the story.

It is important that you child understands that bullying behaviour is not acceptable but that there is support to help them change their behaviours. Make sure your child know that you still support them and love them but that their bullying behaviour must change. Try to understand why this might be happening; is there something that is making your child unhappy? Is there something at home or out of school that might be causing upset? Talk to your child about why bullying is wrong. It is important that your child understands the consequences of their behaviour. You will need to talk to the school so that you can all work together to improve the situation. Your child may need help to find new behaviour to cope with difficult situations.

Further links

Finally the site gives a comprehensive list of other service providers who can help you with this problem. Where else can I go for help?

For advice and support:

Other websites:

(Reproduced by kind permission of, and copyright to, Central Bedfordshire Council.)