We have been working hard with the children over the last year to develop our existing Anti-Bullying charter, policy and procedures to ensure that we are doing all we can to make Brooklands a ‘Bully Free Zone’.

We started by reviewing the data from our pupil survey conducted during last year’s Anti-Bullying week, taking steps such as identifying ‘hot-spots’ around school where children were concerned bullying could happen and regularly monitoring these areas at break and lunchtimes to reduce the likelihood of it occurring.

We also analysed the parent surveys on bullying, which showed that while the majority of those who responded felt that we deal with bullying incidents well when they happen, there are many parents who are not fully aware of how we do deal with such incidents, and a small number who were unsure of who to speak to if they had concerns. It was also clear from both surveys that there were also some differences in the way people defined bullying.

To address this, we have worked with the Anti-Bullying Ambassadors from across the school to create and publish the Anti-Bullying leaflet (see below), incorporating the children’s own existing charter with a clear and consistent definition of bullying and a new flow-chart so that all those at Brooklands know the routes for reporting bullying incidents, and the steps that will be followed if it is found to be bullying. We have shared this with the children in school to continue our efforts to ensure they know what they can do if they are concerned, encourage them to tell someone if they need to and reassure them that they will be listened to and supported once they have taken that first step.

We have also reviewed our Anti-Bullying Policy and procedures for dealing with bullying in school to ensure a consistent approach to how incidents are managed, so that on the rare occasions that it does happen, it can be dealt with promptly and effectively. We have also sent out copies of ‘Say No To Bullying: A Handbook For Parents’ as part of Anti-Bullying Week, which we hope will give further information and advice.

We hope that you find these materials useful. If you do wish to discuss any concerns about bullying behaviour, we recommend speaking to your child’s class teacher in the first instance, but feel free to make an appointment with either Mike Waddell or Christine Davy should you still have concerns.

Please click on the link below to view our Anti-bullying Charter.