Policy: Anti-Bullying
Policy: Anti-Bullying
Policy details
- Date approved - 11th November 2024 N. Lowry (Regional Director)
- Next review date - 08/09/2026
- Policy Owner - Daniel Haste
1. Context
At Co-op Academy Belle Vue, we are committed to fostering a safe and inclusive environment where all students can learn, thrive, and feel valued. Bullying is a form of anti-social behaviour that contradicts our core values, particularly the CARE principles: Community, Cooperation, Ambition, Achievement, Responsibility, Respect, Endeavour, and Enjoyment. We recognize that bullying can severely impact a student’s emotional, mental, and physical well-being, and we are dedicated to preventing all forms of bullying within our community.
Bullying is defined as behaviour that is intended to cause harm—whether emotional, mental, or physical—by an individual or group, often repeated over time. This behaviour can disrupt a student’s attitude, performance in school, and overall life satisfaction, leading to long-term distress and affecting social and emotional development.
We take bullying seriously and encourage all students to report incidents to any adult in the academy. We aim to create a supportive environment where students feel confident that their concerns will be listened to and addressed. Our Anti-Bullying Policy aligns with the Equalities Act 2010, Keeping Children Safe in Education, and other relevant safeguarding policies.
2. Types of Bullying
Bullying can take many forms, and our policy acknowledges and addresses various types, including but not limited to:
Homophobic and Biphobic Bullying: Motivated by someone’s actual or perceived sexual orientation.
Transphobic Bullying: Motivated by someone’s actual or perceived gender identity.
Gender or Sex-Based Bullying: Based on sexist attitudes or stereotypes.
Sexual Bullying: Linked to sexually inappropriate behaviours and harassment.
Cyber Bullying: Using technology as a platform for bullying behaviours.
Racist, Religiously-Motivated, or Cultural Bullying: Motivated by race, religion, or cultural background.
Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Bullying: Motivated by someone’s actual or perceived SEND.
Other Types of Bullying: Includes bullying for reasons not listed above, recorded under ‘other types of bullying.’
3. Strategies to Prevent Bullying
At Co-op Academy Belle Vue, we employ proactive strategies to prevent bullying and promote a positive school culture:
Commitment Contracts: Students and parents sign contracts agreeing to abide by the academy's rules and policies.
Regular Messaging: Consistent communication from the Vice Principal for Behaviour and Attendance on expectations.
CARE Curriculum: A comprehensive program addressing the specific needs of our academy community.
Uniform Approach: A clear, consistent approach to dealing with bullying, regularly monitored and communicated.
Staff Awareness: Training to ensure staff recognize signs of bullying and act promptly.
Anti-Bullying Week: Participation in national initiatives and ongoing promotion of anti-bullying messages.
High-Profile Staff Presence: Ensuring staff visibility, especially during break and lunch times.
External Agency Involvement: Collaborating with agencies to provide training and address community issues.
Pastoral Support: Access to support through the student intranet ‘Speak Up’ button and signposting to external agencies like Childline and Stonewall.
4. Methods of Dealing with Bullying
When bullying occurs, we are committed to a thorough and effective response:
Non-Tolerance: Bullying will not be ignored, and no assumptions will be made without investigation.
Investigation: Gathering accounts and reviewing evidence, including CCTV, as necessary.
Logging Incidents: All incidents and sanctions are logged according to the Behaviour, Rewards, and Sanctions Policy.
Parental Involvement: Informing parents/guardians of both the victim(s) and perpetrator(s) about the investigation outcomes.
Support Plans: Implementing pastoral support plans, which may include restorative justice, education programs, or behaviour contracts.
Cyber Bullying: Restricting access to school technology and confiscating mobile devices if necessary.
Casual discriminatory language is challenged, and persistent remarks are addressed per the academy’s Behaviour, Rewards, and Sanctions Policy.
5. Reporting and Recording Incidents of Bullying
Incidents of child on child abuse are logged on Arbor as behavioural incidents.
Repeated incidents of Child on Child logged on Arbor will trigger a Head of Year investigation and CPOMS log.
All reported incidents of bullying are logged on the academy’s Arbor behaviour system, which triggers the outlined procedures and notifies the relevant pastoral staff. Students are encouraged to report concerns to staff or through the online SAFE form. Confirmed incidents of bullying are logged on CPOMS.
The Heads of Year are responsible for initial logging and investigation, with further actions coordinated by the Designated Safeguarding Lead, Mr Haste or the Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads). Sanctions are agreed upon by these staff members.
In some cases, a Cause for Concern log may be initiated, leading to a full investigation by the Safeguarding Team and the relevant leaders. Repeated incidents of Child onChild logged on Arbor will trigger a Head of Year investigation and CPOMS log.
This policy references and links to the following academy policies: