Anti-Bullying Policy
Cloughduv National School March 2023
1. In accordance with the requirements of the Education (Welfare) Act 2000 and the Code of Behaviour Guidelines issued by the NEWB, the Board of Management of Cloughduv National School has adopted the following Anti-Bullying Policy within the framework of the school’s overall Code of Behaviour (October 2020) and the Internet Acceptable Use Policy. This policy fully complies with the requirements of the Anti-Bullying Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools which were published in September 2013. https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/cb6966-anti-bullying-procedures-for-primary-and-post-primary-schools/
2. The Board of Management recognises the very serious nature of bullying and the negative impact that it can have on the lives of pupils, and is therefore fully committed to the following key principles of best practice in preventing and tackling bullying behaviour:
- A positive school culture and climate which –
- is welcoming of difference and diversity and is based on inclusivity;
- encourages pupils to disclose and discuss incidents of bullying behaviour in a non-threatening environment; and
- promotes respectful relationships across the school community;
- See Appendix 1
- Effective leadership
- A school-wide approach
- A shared understanding of what bullying is and its impact
- Implementation of education and prevention strategies, including awareness raising measures that-
- build empathy, respect and resilience in pupils
- address the issues of cyber-bullying and identity-based bullying
- Effective supervision and monitoring of pupils
- Supports for staff
- Consistent recording, investigation and follow up of bullying behaviour. Serious behaviour incident forms are kept in the staff room for recording purposes.
- On-going evaluation of the effectiveness of this Anti-Bullying Policy.
3. In accordance with the Anti-Bullying Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools bullying is defined as follows:
Bullying is unwanted negative behaviour, verbal, psychological or physical conducted, by an individual or group against another person (or persons) and which is repeated over time.
The following types of bullying behaviour are included in the definition of bullying:
- deliberate exclusion, malicious gossip and other forms of relational bullying
- cyber-bullying
- Identity-based bullying such as homophobic bullying, racist bullying, bullying based on a person’s membership of the Traveller community and bullying of those with additional needs.
However, in the context of this policy, placing a once-off offensive or hurtful public message, image or statement can be viewed and /or repeated by other people will be regarded as bullying behaviour.
Negative behaviour that does not meet this definition of bullying will be dealt with in accordance with the school’s code of behaviour.
Appendix 2 to this policy lists specific examples of what is considered bullying behaviour. This list is not exhaustive.
4. The teacher(s) who are responsible for investigating and dealing with bullying are as follows:
The teacher (s) responsible depend on the individuals/ class involved.
- All Class teachers
- Special Education Teachers
- Deputy principal – Sarah Purcell
- Principal – Sylvia Linehan
5. The following education and prevention strategies, at the appropriate and relevant level for each class, will be used by the school:
- Prevention and awareness raising measures across all aspects of bullying and involves strategies to engage pupils in addressing problems when they arise. In particular, such strategies need to build empathy, respect and resilience in pupils
- Provide pupils with opportunities to develop a positive sense of self-worth
- Prevention and awareness raising measures focusing on cyber-bullying by educating pupils on appropriate online behaviour and how to stay safe while online
- Teachers can influence attitudes to bullying behaviour in a positive manner
- The education and prevention strategies (including strategies specifically aimed at cyber-bullying and identity based bullying) used by the school include both of the following:
- The anti-bullying module of the SPHE programme as it applies during each school year, particularly the relevant exercises from the “Walk Tall” and “Stay Safe” programmes, and RSE Programmes
Using a combination of exercises from these programmes on a monthly basis, pupils will experience approximately 10 short awareness-raising exercises each year. In the process:
- Pupils are helped to examine the issue of bullying in a calm rational way, outside of the tense context of particular bullying situations and so become more aware of the nature of bullying and the various forms that it can take.
- Pupils are made aware that the consequences of bullying behaviour are always bad for those who are targeted, even if this is not always obvious at the time.
- Pupils are encouraged to recognise, reject and report bullying behaviour, either spontaneously or through surveys that are regularly used in the school each year – e.g. a survey of all pupils who can read and write every half-term.
Through presentations or other exercises, the school staff and parents/guardians are made aware of the nature of bullying and the signs that might indicate that a pupil is being bullied. They are encouraged to be vigilant in watching out for signs of bullying and to report any suspicion of bullying they may have to the ‘Relevant Teacher’ (in the case of staff members) or any staff member (in the case of parents/guardians).
Through regular reports in school newsletters and other communications, as well as at meetings with parent/guardian groups, parents/guardians are regularly informed of the anti-bullying activities of the school and encouraged to support its work.
- An annual anti-bullying/friendship day/week
- Webwise.ie provides a range of free teaching resources for addressing a range of topics including cyberbullying and image-sharing.
- The work could be extended into many other areas such as Art, Drama, Religious Education, and Physical Education. Co-operation and group enterprise can be promoted through team sports, project work, Green Schools, as well as through practical subjects
- Sporting activities in particular can provide excellent opportunities for channelling and learning how to control aggression. GAA and rugby coaching is offered to some classes from outside agencies and teachers are also involved in coaching the school’s sports teams.
- Since bullying is often hidden from teachers and not reported, but pupils “see everything,” surveys may be done to uncover possible bullying situations, allowing pupils to suggest to their teacher who s/he should talk to in relation to these.
6. The school’s procedures for investigation, follow-up and recording of bullying behaviour and the established intervention strategies used by the school for dealing with cases of bullying behaviour are as follows:
The primary aim in investigating and dealing with bullying is to resolve any issues and to restore, as far as is practicable, the relationships of the parties involved (rather than to apportion blame).
With this in mind the schools procedures are as follows:
(i) In investigating and dealing with bullying, the teacher(s) will exercise his/her/their professional judgement to determine whether bullying has occurred, what type if it has, and how best the situation might be resolved
(ii) All reports, including anonymous reports of bullying must be investigated and dealt with by the relevant teacher(s). In that way, pupils will gain confidence in “telling’. This confidence factor is of vital importance. It should be made clear to all pupils that when they report incidents of bullying, they are not considered to be telling tales but are behaving responsibly.
(iii) Non-teaching staff such as secretaries, special needs assistants (SNAs), must be encouraged to report any incidents of bullying behaviour witnessed by them or mentioned to them, to the relevant teacher
(iv) Parents and pupils are required to co-operate with any investigation and assist the school in resolving any issues and restoring, as far as is practicable, the relationships of the parties involved as quickly as possible.
(v) It is very important that all involved (including each set of pupils and parents) understand the above approach from the outset
(vi) Teachers should take a calm, unemotional problem-solving approach when dealing with incidents of alleged bullying behaviour reported by pupils, staff or parents
(vii) Initial investigations of bullying will be done in class where possible but some incidents might be best investigated outside the classroom situation to ensure the privacy of all involved. Children may be asked to write an account of what they have been involved in or witnessed.
(viii) All interviews should be conducted with sensitivity and with due regard to the rights of all pupils concerned. Pupils who are not directly involved can also provide very useful information in this way
(ix) If a group is involved, each member should be interviewed individually. Two adults will be present. Thereafter, all those involved should be met as a group. At the group meeting, each member should be asked for his/her account of what happened to ensure that everyone in the group is clear about each other’s statements
(x) Where the relevant teacher(s) has/have determined that a pupil has been engaged in bullying behaviour, it should be made clear to him/her how he/she is in breach of the school’s anti-bullying policy and efforts should be made to try to get him/her to see the situation from the perspective of the pupil being bullied
(xi) In cases where it has been determined by the relevant teacher(s) that bullying behaviour has occurred, the parents of the parties involved should be contacted to inform them of the matter and explain the actions being taken. The school may give parents an opportunity of discussing ways in which they can reinforce or support the actions being taken by the school
(xii) It must also be made clear to all involved (each set of pupils and parents) that in any situation where disciplinary sanctions are required, this is a private matter between the pupil being disciplined, his or her parents and the school
(xiii) Follow-up meetings with the relevant parties involved may be arranged separately with a view to possibly bringing them together at a later date if the pupil who has been bullied is ready and agreeable
(xiv) An additional follow-up meeting with parents of the children involved may take place after an appropriate time to ensure that the matter has been resolved satisfactorily
(xv) Where a parent is not satisfied that the school has dealt with a bullying case in accordance with these procedures, the parents must be referred, as appropriate, to the school’s Complaints and Grievances procedures
RECORDING: Noting and reporting of bullying behaviour is to be documented using the Template for Recording Bullying Behaviour (Appendix 3). Other templates, including those from the Anti Bullying Campaign programme can be used if deemed suitable. All records must be maintained in accordance with relevant data protection legislation. The school’s procedures for noting and reporting bullying behaviour will adhere to the following:
(i) While all reports, including anonymous reports of bullying must be investigated and dealt with by the relevant teacher(s), the relevant teacher(s) will use his/her/their professional judgement in relation to the records to be kept of these reports, the actions taken and any discussions with those involved regarding same
(ii) If it is established by the relevant teacher(s) that bullying has occurred, the relevant teacher(s) must keep appropriate written records which will assist his/her efforts to resolve the issues and restore, as far as is practicable, the relationships of the parties involved.
(iii) The relevant teacher(s) must use the recording template at Appendix 3 to record the bullying behaviour. Hard copies are available to all teachers.
(iv) The BOM will be notified of any bullying incidents under investigation, while no specific names will be given
7. The school’s programme of support for working with pupils affected by bullying involves a whole school approach.
Given the complexity of bullying behaviour, no one intervention/support programme works in all situations. Therefore various approaches and intervention strategies may be used including suggesting that parents seek referrals so that appropriate outside agencies, in order to receive further support for the pupils and their families if needed.
The school’s programme of support for working with pupils affected by bullying is as follows:
- For bullied pupils (as required under Procedures 5.2.2 (vii) and Appendix 1. 7.):
- Ending the bullying behaviour,
- Changing the school culture through ongoing awareness-raising to (a) foster more respect for bullied pupils and for all pupils and (b) foster greater empathy towards, and support for, bullied pupils,
- Indicating clearly that the bullying is not the fault of the targeted pupil (a reassurance bullied pupils often need), through ongoing awareness-raising and through the speedy identification of those involved in bullying and speedy resolution of bullying situations and, after resolution, enabling bullied pupils to complete a victim-impact statement,
- Making adequate support and/or counseling facilities available to pupils who need them (who seem less resilient and are slower to recover, make friends and enjoy school life again), within or outside the school as applicable, in a timely manner,
- Helping bullied pupils raise their self-esteem by encouraging them to become involved in activities that help develop friendships and social skills (e.g. participation in group work in class and in extra-curricular group or team activities during or after school).
- Implementing a ‘buddy system’ in the school (if applicable).
- For bullying pupils: (as required under Procedures 5.2.2 (vii)):
- Making it clear that bullying pupils who reform are not blamed or punished and get a ‘clean sheet,’
- Making it clear that bullying pupils who reform are doing the right and honorable thing and giving them praise for this,
- seeking other ways to “catch them doing the right thing” and giving appropriate praise,
- Supporting them to overcome learning difficulties through Support Staff provision and to overcome emotional and/or social difficulties through class management and pastoral care within the school,
- Helping those whose self-esteem is low by encouraging them to become involved in activities that develop friendships and social skills (e.g. participation in group work in class and in extra-curricular group or team activities during or after school),
- Using learning strategies throughout the school and the curriculum to help enhance pupils’ feelings of self-worth, including creating opportunities to use appropriate praise,
- In dealing with negative behaviour in general, encouraging teachers and parents to focus on, challenge and correct the behaviour while supporting the child,
- In dealing with bullying behaviour seeking resolution and offering a fresh start with a ‘clean sheet’ and no blame in return for keeping a promise to reform.
8. Supervision and Monitoring of Pupils: The Board of Management confirms that appropriate supervision and monitoring policies and practices are in place to both prevent and deal with bullying behaviour and to facilitate early intervention where possible. This policy is available to school personnel and will be published on the school website.
This policy will be reviewed when necessary. This policy was adopted by the Board of Management in March 2023.
