2.4) Our policy is actively and regularly shared and promoted to the entire school community, and is available in different formats to account for language and communication needs of our whole school community.

Rating description: 

• Fully met: Our policy is available in school (for example on posters) and on our school website. It is communicated via numerous means (e.g. email/ newsletters/ parent evenings) to pupils, staff and parents regularly and at least annually. Our policy is available in parent and pupil friendly formats, and in different languages spoken in our school community. 
• Partially met: Our policy is available but not on both our school website and in school and/ or it is not communicated via various means to pupils, staff and parents regularly and annually. It is not available in different formats and/ or languages. 
• Not yet met: Our policy is not openly available to our school community and is not communicated.

Why is this important?

Ensuring the anti-bullying policy is clear and easy to understand for pupils, including those with SEND, parents, and staff is essential for its effective implementation. When policies are accessible and free from complex language, pupils are more likely to engage with them, parents can feel confident in the school’s approach, and staff can apply them consistently. 

Making the anti-bullying policy easily accessible ensures that all members of the school community are aware of their rights and responsibilities. Clearly sharing the policy with pupils, staff, and parents at least annually, through multiple channels such as assemblies, newsletters, school website, parents evenings and staff training, reinforces the school’s commitment to preventing and addressing bullying. 

This proactive approach ensures that everyone understands the school’s expectations, knows how to seek support, and feels confident in the measures in place to create a safe and inclusive environment.

Top Tips:

• Make sure that you consider the needs of your whole community, which includes people where English isn't their first language, those with SEN, younger children etc.
• Test your policy by asking for feedback from your pupils, or from parent/ carers either at parents evening or through your school newsletters. 
• Consider writing an 'accessible' version of their policy or a policy for children or parents. We think whilst that's a way to go, we would suggest you trying to write your policy in language that is easy to understand for all so that you have just one version that is owned by all.
• Get creative over how to share your anti-bullying policy. A paper policy is a good start but how about visual displays or pupil made films to emphasise different areas of the policy.
• Utilise Anti-Bullying Week to refresh and share the policy amongst the whole school community.
• Share your policy with new school staff on induction, and ask for their feedback.
• Distribute your policy via assemblies, parent meetings, parent evenings, Anti-Bullying Week events, when children first start at school etc., to make sure it is always accessible.
• Extend your policy to after school clubs, and make sure to share it with facilitators. 

Resources and examples: 

Resources: 

• ABA have created guidance on a whole school approach to writing or refreshing your anti-bullying policy, and this can be found here. 
• Here are some links to resources about writing in plain English:
  • Department of Health: Making written information easier to understand for people with learning disabilities.
  • Mencap also has guidance on communicating accessibly 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.

• Primary School Case Study - on ensuring all pupils can understand the policy.
• Special School Case Study - on adapting policy and practice to needs in a special school. 
• Secondary School Case Study - on using ambassadors to update the anti-bullying policy and make it easy to understand for all. 
• Primary School Case Study - on giving pupils the task of communicating the anti-bullying policy to parents.

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

• "Our new AB policy is very clear and explicitly lists the steps you need to take if you believe a child is being bullied. With the help of some of our pupils, we have also created a child friendly AB leaflet to help our pupils understand. This leaflet will be sent home to all parents in the new academic Year." 
• "The policy is available in school and in the pupil organiser. It is reviewed by staff, school council and governors annually and is shared with parents annually. Website has information on the behaviour policy, Anti-bullying and ABA information."
• "The whole school and child friendly policies are displayed on the school website for parents and pupils to access. They are reminded during Anti-bullying weeks where these policies can be found. The child friendly policy is displayed in every classroom."

Back to 2. School policy page

Note: the resources listed at the bottom of this page have all been referenced and linked above.