Anti-Bullying

Information and guidance about bullying in schools and resources for you to use.

This page is designed to enable schools to access up-to-date information, guidance and training to support their work in creating safe learning environments in which commonalities are identified and celebrated, difference is valued and nurtured, and bullying, harassment and violence are never tolerated. 

Policy and guidance

To access documents (e.g. model policy, self-assessment and action planning tools, incident form templates, etc.) that support your work to effectively prevent and tackle all forms of bullying, visit our Policies and guidance page.

We All Matter

‘We All Matter’ is a termly publication from the Lead for Learner Engagement which aims to share good practice, raise awareness of topical issues, distribute resource links and promote training on issues that impact on learner engagement in Oxfordshire.

Please contact us if you would like to see previous editions.

Types of bullying

Resources and guidance to help you tackle the following types of bullying:

For general resources to support you with tackling bullying, including lesson plans and activities.

Parent/carers and young people

Direct parents/carers and young people to our Help if your child is being bullied page for more information on bullying, what to do if they are experiencing (or accused of) bullying and for useful links.

Universal offer to all Oxfordshire Schools:

Oxfordshire County Council’s Learner Engagement Service has a designed officer who works in partnership with our young people, schools, families and professional networks to:

  • Offer support where relationships have broken down and young people don’t feel safe to attend school;
  • Capture data to inform our work to prevent and tackle all forms of bullying in schools;
  • Promote and provide training on creating a safe environment for all;
  • Promote and provide training on the different ways that schools can celebrate diversity and achieve a sense of belonging and connectedness for young people;
  • Promote and provide training on relationships (restorative) practice; and
  • Share quality inclusive practice through the termly ‘We All Matter’ newsletter, webpages and Twitter @OCC_Be_Kind

For more information on free training available to all Oxfordshire Schools, go to: learner-engagement-school-training-offer

For more information on Learner Engagement Services, go to: learner-engagement-service

Early Intervention / Preventative Curriculum

In addition to the above training, you can access information and guidance to support you work in delivering the statutory Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (Secondary) and Health Education Curriculum on the below page: rshe-curriculum-resource-hub

Read our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Self-Evaluation for Educational Settings (docx format, 120KB) to support your ongoing work to:

  • Eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct that is prohibited by or under the Equality Act 2010 
  • Advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it 
  • Foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it. 

Becoming a Restorative School

Dealing with conflict and bullying in school can be challenging and time consuming. If dealt with effectively, the whole school community benefits. If not dealt with effectively, the whole school community can end up suffering.

A restorative school is one which takes a restorative approach to resolving conflict and preventing harm. Becoming a restorative school has many benefits, including increased attendance, reduced exclusions and improved achievement.  Staff who have been trained in restorative practice report feeling more confident when dealing with bullying and conflict in school.

Additional sources of training

As part of their All Together programme, the Anti-Bullying Alliance have developed a suite of free online training for anyone that works with children and young people.

Topics include:

  • What is bullying?
  • Bullying and the Law
  • Bullying and SEN/disability
  • Ten principles to reduce bullying
  • Preventing bullying
  • Responding to bullying
  • Cyberbullying (Online bullying)

Celebrating good practice and keeping up-to-date with latest news

Anti-Bullying Week

Anti-Bullying Week happens in the UK every November and is time set aside for people to come together to acknowledge the devastating impact bullying can have on people and reflect on ways we can effectively prevent and tackle bullying in our schools.

More information on Anti-Bullying Week and to access useful resources, go to: https://www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/anti-bullying-week

Anti-Bullying Ambassador Training

To access pre-recorded Anti-Bullying Ambassador training aimed at Anti-Bullying Lead staff and young people in Key Stages 2, 3 and 4 who would like to take action in preventing and eradicating bullying in their school, contact clare.pike@oxfordshire.gov.uk

The training clip is 50mins and 53secs in length. The first half covers definitions of bullying, different types of bullying, the law, the impact of bullying and hate crime. The second half, which starts at 28mins and 43 secs, covers strategies to prevent bullying from happening in your school and the role of Anti-Bullying Ambassadors. It is advisable that you set aside two hours for this training to allow time for comfort breaks/discussion.

Relevant resources to accompany this training can found below:

Additional sources of support

Did you know that the following organisations have many resources that may also support your work in eradicating bullying from your setting?

Oxfordshire 2020 Anti-Bullying Survey – Results

The results of this survey will inform our strategic work to prevent and tackle all forms of bullying at a county-level. Participant schools can also use their results to further inform strategic work to eradicate bullying in their settings and create a safe
environment for all learners. Individual school results have been emailed out to the Headteachers of participating schools.

Headlines:

  • 27% of primary-aged respondents reported to having been bullied in the past 12 months.
  • 24% of secondary-aged respondents reported to having been bullied in the past 12 months.

For those who had experienced bullying in the past 12 months:

  • Verbal bullying was the most common type of bullying experience by respondents in both the primary and secondary survey.
  • 52% of primary-aged respondents stated that the bullying happened outside of school, 22% took place online.
  • 48% of secondary-aged respondents stated that the bullying happened outside of school, 21% happened online.
  • In both the primary and secondary survey, the majority of participants reported to being targeted by someone in their class.
  • In both the primary and secondary survey, the majority of participants reported not knowing why they were targeted. The second most common response was ‘because of how I look’.
  • 70% of primary-aged respondents reported bullying to an adult compared to 58% secondary-aged respondents.
  • 44% of secondary-aged respondents reported that it had a significant impact on their self-esteem compared to 28% of primary-aged respondents.

Key questions for all Oxfordshire schools to consider:

  • What is your setting doing to prevent and tackle name calling, sarcasm, rumour spreading, threats, teasing and belittling?
  • What is your setting doing to prevent and tackle malicious banter? Advice on where to draw the line between acceptable language and unacceptable language.
  • What is your setting doing to ensure differences are celebrated?
  • What is your setting doing to ensure children and young people report hurtful behaviour immediately and to a member of staff?   

Tell us what you would like to see

In order to make the resources and information available as relevant and useful as possible, email clare.pike@oxfordshire.gov.uk

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  • What other information or resources would be useful?