Like every school, we at Jack Hunt School may have some problems with bullying at one time or another. We therefore have an Anti-Bullying Policy, which we follow in order to reduce and prevent bullying. Full copies of the Policy are available on request but we hope that this information will be helpful to you. Please remember that bullying cannot be stopped if the school does not know it is happening.

Following consultation the students have written their own version of the Policy, which was approved by the Governors as part of the School Policy.

We have included this along with some useful advice for families taken from 'Don't Suffer in Silence'. This is guidance provided by the Department for Education and Skills. And is available at www.dfes.gov.uk/bullying

What to do

• Tell them to stop if you feel confident enough
• Offer support to the victim
• Tell someone

What to do if you're involved in bullying

• Talk to the victim afterwards
• Try to talk to each of your mates, on their own, about what's happening
• Talk to an adult about what's worrying you

Who to tell

• Your Student Support Officer (SSO) - each house has a Student Support Officer.  These officers are available throughout the day to deal with issues such as bullying. 
• A friend
• Someone in your family
• Any grown-up in school
• Someone in the TIC room ( TIC - Talk in Confidence)

From recent surveys carried out on the studetn body, 97% of students stated that they felt 'better' or 'okay' once they had told someone - hence it is important not to suffer in silence.

Help for Parents and Families

Watch out for signs that your child is being bullied, or is bullying others. You are often the first to detect symptoms of bullying, though sometimes school nurses or doctors may notice it. Common symptoms include headaches, stomach aches, anxiety and irritability. It can be helpful to ask questions about progress and friends at school; how break times and lunchtimes are spent; and whether your child is facing problems or difficulties at school. Don't dismiss negative signs. Contact us if you are worried.

Discourage your child from using bullying behaviour at home or elsewhere. Show how to resolve difficult situations without using violence or aggression.

If your child has been bullied

• Calmly talk to your child about it.
• Make some notes particularly who was said to be involved; how often the bullying has occurred; where it happened and what has happened.
• Reassure your child that telling you about the bullying was the right thing to do.
• Explain that any further incidents should be reported to a teacher immediately.
• Make an appointment to see your child's Form Tutor or if they are unavailable the Student Support Officer.
• Explain to the teacher the problems your child is experiencing.

Talking to teachers about bullying

Try and stay calm - bear in mind that the teacher may have no idea that your child is being bullied or may have heard conflicting accounts of an incident.

Ask if there is anything you can do to help your child or the school.

Stay in touch with the school - let them know if things improve as well as if problems continue.

If you think your concerns are not being addressed

• Make a further appointment to express your concerns
• Make an appointment with the Head of House , or relevant Assistant Headteacher.
• Check the school anti-bullying policy to see if agreed procedures are being followed
• Discuss your concerns with the link governor.
• Remember you can make an appointment to meet the Headteacher or write to the Chair of Governors
• Contact the Parentline Plus helpline for support and information at any of these stages
• In the last resort , write to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills

If your child is bullying other children

Children may be involved in bullying other students at some time or other. Often parents are not aware. Children sometimes bully others because:

• They don't know it is wrong
• They are copying older brothers or sisters or other people in the family they admire
• They haven't learnt other, better ways of mixing with their school friends
• Their friends encourage them to bully
• They are going through a difficult time and are acting out aggressive feelings

To stop your child bullying others

• Talk to your child, explaining that bullying is unacceptable and makes others unhappy
• Discourage other members of your family from bullying behaviour or from using aggression or force to get what they want
• Show your child how to join in with other children without bullying
• Make an appointment to see your child's Form Tutor; explain to the teacher the problems your child is experiencing; discuss with the teacher how you and the school can stop them bullying others
• Regularly check with your child how things are going at school
• Give your child lots of praise and encouragement when they are co-operative or kind to other people

Other resources for parents and families about bullying

ALEXANDER, J. Your child bullying: Practical and easy to follow advice. Element Books, 1998.

ELLIOTT, M. 101 Ways to deal with bullying - A guide for parents. Hodder and Stoughton, 1997.

KIDSCAPE. Keeping safe: A practical guide to talking with children. Kidscape, 2 Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1W ODH, 1990