Policy and guidance

Local and national policies and guidance relating to anti-bullying.

Oxfordshire guidance and templates for managing bullying effectively

The Ofsted Common Inspection Framework continues to place an emphasis on the safety and well-being of pupils. The effectiveness of schools leadership and management will be judged on whether they 'actively promote equality and diversity' and “tackle bullying and discrimination”.

Inspectors will want to see:

  • records and analysis of bullying, discriminatory and prejudicial behaviour, either directly or indirectly, including racist, disability and homophobic bullying, use of derogatory language and racist incidents.

Grade descriptors for 'personal development, behaviour and welfare' maintain a strong focus on successful management of bullying including the active involvement of young people.

The DfE statutory guidance Keeping Children Safe in Education (Sep 2019) emphasises the importance of tackling bullying (including cyberbullying) and also highlights that children with SEND can be disproportionately impacted by bullying (see Special needs and disability bullying). It also states the importance of teaching children to stay safe online and ensuring they don’t access inappropriate material. (see Internet safety and cyberbullying)

As well as filtering and monitoring, school policies should also cover children accessing the internet on their own mobile phones whilst at school. A key theme in the guidance is around peer-on-peer abuse and, in particular, sexual violence and sexual harassment. Peer-on-peer abuse includes bullying, physical abuse, sexual violence and sexual harassment, sexting, and so-called initiation ceremonies. The guidance is very clear that the school’s approach to these issues must be in their policies stating how the risk of peer-on-peer abuse is going to be minimised, how these incidents are recorded, investigated and dealt with and how the victims, and perpetrators, are to be supported.

Using these templates will help schools meet the Ofsted framework 'Keeping Children Safe in Education' statutory guidance and promote the wellbeing of students. They will also help schools meet the requirements of the Equality Act (2010) which places a duty on all public bodies to 'have regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation and promote equality of opportunity'.

Core Oxfordshire templates, guidance and toolkits for managing bullying effectively.

Additional Oxfordshire documents for managing bullying effectively.

Department for Education (DfE) anti-bullying guidance and information

Web links to the following government guidance:

Preventing and tackling Bullying; Supporting children and young people who are bullied: advice for schools; Cyberbullying: advice for headteachers and school staff; Advice for parents and carers of cyberbullying.

Further information on bullying can be obtained on the Department for Education website: .

Information for governors

School governors will find core Oxfordshire templates particularly useful and the following information particularly useful.

National

Teaching resources

Links

  • Anti-Bullying Alliance
  • www.kidscape.org.uk: charity established to prevent bullying and promote child protection. Advice for young people, professionals and parents about different types of bullying and how to tackle it. They also offer specialist training and support for school staff, and assertiveness training for young people.
  • Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) has been archived but can still be accessed

Further links are provided under sections for different types of bullying

Please note: only schools still using the OCN Network will gain access to the main county council intranet.