1.4) Bullying is understood by all as a barrier to learning, a potential safeguarding issue and a wellbeing issue

Rating description: 

  • Fully met: The whole school community including staff, pupils and parents are aware of and understand the impact bullying can have on learning and wellbeing. Staff understand when bullying should be considered a safeguarding issue.
  • Partially met: Most of the school community - including staff, pupils and parents - are aware of and understand the impact bullying can have on learning and wellbeing. Most staff understand when bullying should be considered a safeguarding issue.
  • Not yet met: Not yet met: The school community are not aware of and do not understand the impact bullying can have on learning and wellbeing. Some staff understand when bullying should be considered a safeguarding issue.

Why is this important?

We know through various studies over the decades that bullying has a substantial impact on the mental health, wellbeing, physical health and safety of children. We also know that children who are bullied go on the achieve less well in schools than other children (see resources below for links to research). Because of these risks, along with the aggressive nature of some bullying behaviour, we know that bullying can often be a safeguarding issue: it's vital that your school staff know when to treat it as such and keep the the pupils in your care safe.

Tips:

Resources and examples: 

Resources: 

  • Find out more about the available research about the impact of bullying here. 

Examples

Please note that examples from primary and other school settings may still include some useful hints and tips you can adapt and apply for a secondary setting.

See below for quotes and pieces of advice from other schools: 

  • "All staff complete an online Safeguarding Course every Sept within which bullying is revisited. As a result, bullying maintains a high profile from the start of the year."
  • "As a school we recognise the barriers that bullying can cause to children within our school. We monitor children's attendance as well a having regular safeguarding meetings and updates which are then forwarded to staff of children that are vulnarable or at risk so they can be monitored more closely. Children who complain of feeling unwell are always seen by a first aider as well as the school Family Support Worker to talk about how they are feeling in case it is not just sickness but anxiety or worries."
  • "Bullying has been included on our safeguarding systems as a category that flags up as a concern. Staff understand that the impacts on young people know to report bullying via our safeguarding systems. The health and well-being team have started work with students who are victims of bullying to re-build their confidence and they liaise with the school nurse service if we have concerns around physical health and make appropriate referrals with regards to mental health concerns. "

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Note: the resources listed at the bottom of this page (below) have all been referenced in the text above.