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.

External sources of training

Organisations who receive grants from the Department for Education are:

National Children’s Bureau (Anti-Bullying Alliance)

Their ‘United Against All Bullying’ programme focuses on reducing bullying of those most at risk: children and young people with SEND, children and young people who experience racist and faith-targeted bullying, sexual bullying, homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying, looked-after children, young carers and those on free school meals.

In addition, as part of their All Together programme, the Anti-Bullying Alliance have 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)

Diversity Role Models: Their package of interventions for schools will ensure staff have the knowledge and skills to tackle and prevent bullying and create inclusive school cultures.
This is anchored by training about diversity and the protected characteristics, featuring personal lived experience stories to embed empathy.

Equaliteach: This intensive, evidence-based, anti-bullying programme involves schools receiving a dedicated EqualiTeach Representative who will work with them on policies, consult with the school community, review
existing practice, and develop and implement a bespoke action plan. Each school also receives a series of online and in-person staff training, networking opportunities with other schools and an Agents for Change event for pupils.

Anne Frank Trust: ‘Different But The Same’ is an intensive anti-bullying support 3-year project, providing training and support for young people, their teachers and schools to tackle bullying focused on protected characteristics
including LGBT+, SEND, race, religion/belief or sexual/sexist-based bullying.

The Diana Award : This project empowers young people with the skills, tools, confidence and knowledge needed to significantly transform school culture and provide support to peers. The award has the aim of reducing
prevalence of bullying with particular focus on protected characteristics and associated bullying, and increased school confidence and ability in responding to incidents of bullying effectively.

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

This webpage aims to provide educational settings in Oxfordshire with information and guidance to support the implementation of effective whole-school approaches to mental health and wellbeing.

Targeting professionals working in and with schools, this page also seeks to enable children, parents/carers and school staff access to relevant mental health and wellbeing support.

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

Please read 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.

Oxfordshire County Council is committed to supporting schools in embedding restorative approaches. Becoming a restorative school has many benefits, including increased attendance, reduced exclusions and improved achievement. Restorative Practice is also an approved approach by Children’s Social Care and Thames Valley Police.

A restorative school allows time to listen to the voice of children and young people, staff and families. It wants to hear people’s stories, help them clarify their issues and needs, and empower them to find their own solutions to what is concerning them. Restorative approaches can hugely benefit children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing.

For more information on Restorative Practice, training and ongoing support available to all schools.

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.

Anti-Bullying Week 2021 will be taking place from Monday 15 - Friday 19 November and the theme is One Kind Word.

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

Email clare.pike@oxfordshire.gov.uk to request the link and password for the 2021 Anti-Bullying Ambassador Training. The pre-recorded primary and secondary training is approximately 40mins long yet requires you to pause for discussion and to watch a clip. Therefore, we recommend you assign an hour to this training aimed at pupils who wish to stand up and take action to prevent and tackle bullying in your school and adults who work with them. 

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?

2021 Oxfordshire Schools' Anti-Bullying Survey - RESULTS

The 2021 Oxfordshire Schools’ Anti-Bullying Surveys for KS1, KS2, KS3 and KS4 are now closed.