England

Here you will find guidance, that is relevant in relation to bullying, for schools in England.

Relevant guidance for schools in England: 

Preventing and tackling bullying in schools – Department for Education guidance for schools on preventing and responding to bullying. 

Keeping Children Safe In Education – Schools and colleges in England must have regard to it when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. Includes much information relating to bullying. 

Behaviour in schools guidance for head teachers and staff (revised in 2024)  

What are Ofsted looking for in relation to anti-bullying work as set out in their Education Inspection Framework?  

Curriculum Mapping for Primary schools in England; 

The Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education curriculum was made compulsory from September 2021 for schools in England. The lesson plan, assembly plan and cross-curricular activities in this year’s Anti-Bullying Week pack could contribute to the following areas of the curriculum that pupils should know by the end of primary school (ref: from page 20 in the guidance)  

Relationships Education - Primary  

Caring friendships  

  • how important friendships are in making us feel happy and secure, and how people choose and make friends. 

  • the characteristics of friendships, including mutual respect, truthfulness, trustworthiness, loyalty, kindness, generosity, trust, sharing interests and experiences and support with problems and difficulties. 

  • that healthy friendships are positive and welcoming towards others, and do not make others feel lonely or excluded. 

  • that most friendships have ups and downs, and that these can often be worked through so that the friendship is repaired or even strengthened, and that resorting to violence is never right. 

  • how to recognise who to trust and who not to trust, how to judge when a friendship is making them feel unhappy or uncomfortable, managing conflict, how to manage these situations and how to seek help or advice from others, if needed. 

Respectful relationships  

  • the importance of respecting others, even when they are very different from them (for example, physically, in character, personality or backgrounds), or make different choices or have different preferences or beliefs. 

  • practical steps they can take in a range of different contexts to improve or support respectful relationships 

  • about different types of bullying (including cyberbullying), the impact of bullying, responsibilities of bystanders (primarily reporting bullying to an adult) and how to get help. 

Online safety 

  • that people sometimes behave differently online, including by pretending to be someone they are not. 

  • that the same principles apply to online relationships as to face-to-face relationships, including the importance of respect for others online including when we are anonymous. 

  • how to critically consider their online friendships and sources of information including awareness of the risks associated with people they have never met. 

Health Education - Primary  

Under Health Education it also states that by the end of primary education:  

  • isolation and loneliness can affect children and that it is very important for children to discuss their feelings with an adult and seek support. 

  • that bullying (including cyberbullying) has a negative and often lasting impact on mental wellbeing. 

  • where and how to seek support (including recognising the triggers for seeking support), including whom in school they should speak to if they are worried about their own or someone else’s mental wellbeing or ability to control their emotions (including issues arising online). 

Curriculum mapping for Secondary schools in England; 

Relationships Education - Secondary  

Respectful relationships, including friendships 

  • the characteristics of positive and healthy friendships (in all contexts, including online) including: trust, respect, honesty, kindness, generosity, boundaries, privacy, consent and the management of conflict, reconciliation and ending relationships. This includes different (non-sexual) types of relationship. 

  • practical steps they can take in a range of different contexts to improve or support respectful relationships. 

  • that in school and in wider society they can expect to be treated with respect by others, and that in turn they should show due respect to others, including people in positions of authority and due tolerance of other people’s beliefs. 

  • about different types of bullying (including cyberbullying), the impact of bullying, responsibilities of bystanders to report bullying and how and where to get help. 

Online and media  

  • about online risks, including that any material someone provides to another has the potential to be shared online and the difficulty of removing potentially compromising material placed online. 

  • not to provide material to others that they would not want shared further and not to share personal material which is sent to them. 

  • what to do and where to get support to report material or manage issues online. 

Health Education - Secondary  

  • how to critically evaluate when something they do or are involved in has a positive or negative effect on their own or others’ mental health. 

  • how to identify harmful behaviours online (including bullying, abuse or harassment) and how to report, or find support, if they have been affected by those behaviours.