Wales

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

Relevant guidance for schools in Wales: 

Rights, respect, equality: guidance for schools – Welsh Government guidance to help schools deal with bullying. Includes reference to banter and bullying.  

Keeping learners safe – Schools and colleges in Wales 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 management in the classroom: guidance for primary schools - Guidance to help primary school teachers minimise and deal with disruptive behaviour.  

Curriculum mapping for Primary schools in Wales 

The new Curriculum for Wales, including the Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) Code, was made compulsory in Welsh primary schools from September 2022. The lesson plan, assembly plan and cross-curricular activities within this pack could contribute to the following areas of the curriculum that pupils should know by the end of primary school: 

Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) Code: 

Relationships and identity 

Phase 1 

  • Ability to act with kindness, empathy and compassion in interactions with others immediate to them including family, friendship and peer relationships. 

  • An awareness of how to communicate wants and needs in relationships, and begin to respect those of others. 

  • Recognising learners’ rights to be treated fairly, kindly and with respect. 

Phase 2 

  • Ability to form and maintain relationships which are equitable, respectful and kind with a range of others. 

  • How understanding and use of effective communication, decision-making, managing conflict and refusal skills are part of ensuring your own and others rights and part of friendships and relationships. 

  • Understanding positive behaviours in relationships and what can happen when relationships breakdown. 

  • Recognising how people’s relationships with others shape who they are and their happiness. 

Empowerment, safety and respect  

Phase 1 

  • Recognising harmful behaviour including behaviours which are discriminatory and the right to be free from discrimination.  

  • Ability to interact with others in a way that is fair. 

  • Recognising the right to be free from harmful, abusive and bullying behaviour.  

  • An awareness of how to recognise positive and harmful behaviours, including bullying.  

  • Ability to share with a trusted adult when faced with harmful behaviours. 

  • Beginning to recognise that other people have thoughts, feelings and opinions that are different. 

Phase 2 

  • Understanding of the importance of fair treatment for all and of respect in all interpersonal interactions offline and online. 

  • Recognising the value of non-discriminatory behaviours and when and how to take safe action to respond to and challenge discriminatory behaviours. 

  • Understanding of the right for everyone to be free from harm or abuse.  

  • An awareness of different kinds of harmful or abusive behaviour including physical, sexual, and emotional abuse and neglect, including peer on peer harassment and bullying and the role technology can play. 

  •  How to seek support for oneself, and offer support to others.  

  • How to be a good friend and advocate for others. 

  • Understanding how behaviours may be perceived by others offline and online.  

  • Recognising which steps to take to keep safe from harm both in offline and online friendships. 

Curriculum for Wales - Area of Learning and Experience: Health and Well-being: 

How we process and respond to our experiences affects our mental health and emotional well-being 

Progression step 1 

  • I can notice and communicate my feelings. 

  • I have an awareness of the feelings of others. 

  • I am aware of when others are kind to me and when I am kind to others. 

Progression step 2 

  • I can notice and communicate my feelings. 

  • I can pay attention to the feelings of others and I am learning to think about why they may feel that way. 

Progression step 3 

  • I can see the benefits of communicating about feelings as one of a range of strategies which can help promote positive mental health and emotional well-being. 

  • I can ask for help when I need it from people I trust. 

  • I can empathise with others. 

  • I can understand how and why experiences affect me and others. 

Our decision-making impacts on the quality of our lives and the lives of others 

Progression step 1 

  • I have developed an awareness that my decisions can affect me and others. 

Progression step 2 

  • I can recognise that my decisions can impact on me and others, both now and in the future. 

Progression step 3 

  • I can recognise that some decisions I make will have a long-term impact on my life and the lives of others. 

Healthy relationships are fundamental to our well-being 

Progression step 1 

  • I can communicate my needs and feelings in my relationships. 

  • I can get along with others with and without support. 

Progression step 2 

  • I can communicate my needs and feelings in my relationships, and notice the needs and feelings of others. 

  • I can make friends and try to resolve disagreements, seeking support when needed. 

Progression step 3 

  • I can communicate my needs and feelings, and respond to those of others.  

  • I can make and maintain relationships that matter to me, identifying conflict and taking steps to resolve it. 

Curriculum mapping for Secondary schools in Wales 

This lesson plan, assembly plan and cross-curricular activities within this pack could contribute to the following areas of the curriculum in Wales: 

Personal and social education framework for 7 to 19-year-olds in Wales: 

Active Citizenship 

  • Develop respect for themselves and others 

  • Value families and friends as a source of mutual support 

  • Value diversity and recognise the importance of equality of opportunity 

  • Participate in school life 

  • Explore their personal values 

  • Be honest and fair and have respect for rules, the law and authority 

  • That personal actions have consequences. 

  • Be committed to active involvement in the community  

Health & Emotional Wellbeing 

  • Develop positive attitudes towards themselves and others 

  • The factors that affect mental health and the ways in which emotional wellbeing 

  • can be fostered 

  • Value and contribute to their own well-being and to the well-being of others 

  • Be aware of their own feelings and develop the ability to express them in an 

  • appropriate way 

  • Understand the relationship between feelings and actions and that other 

  • people have feelings 

  • Demonstrate care, respect and affection for others and their environment 

Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) Code: 

Relationships and identity 

Phase 3 

  • Ability to develop and understand the importance of equity, mutual respect, and affection in relationships with others. 

  • Understanding and use of effective communication, decision making, managing and resolving conflict, and refusal skills in a range of different contexts and types of relationships, offline and online, including intimate relationships.  

  • Understanding how to speak out about harmful behaviours directed at them or others. 

Empowerment, safety and respect  

Phase 3 

  • Developing a sense of individual and social responsibility to others, including consideration of how we respond to behaviours that are discriminatory, disrespectful and harmful, offline and online. 

  • Recognising harmful, abusive or coercive behaviour in personal relationships  

New Curriculum for Wales 2022 - Area of Learning and Experience: Health and Well-being: 

How we process and respond to our experiences affects our mental health and emotional well-being 

Progression step 4 

  • I can advocate the benefits of communicating about feelings as one of a range of strategies which can help promote positive mental health and emotional well-being. 

  • I can identify people and groups who can help me with my mental health and emotional well-being. 

  • I can empathise with others and understand the value of demonstrating this through actions which are compassionate and kind. 

Progression step 5 

  • I can identify when to seek help based on a good understanding of my mental health and emotional well-being.  

  • I can empathise with others which helps me to be compassionate and kind towards myself and others. 

Healthy relationships are fundamental to our well-being 

Progression step 4 

  • I can show a developing awareness of the complex nature of relationships. 

  • I can communicate my needs and feelings, and respect those of others. 

  • I can form and maintain healthy relationships with a wider circle of people. 

  • I can respect other people’s points of view and use this to help resolve conflict. 

Progression step 5 

  • I can show an understanding of the complex nature of relationships in a range of contexts and an understanding of how they are influenced by a range of factors. 

  • I can make meaningful connections with others, valuing safe, healthy and equitable relationships in a range of contexts. 

  • I can take steps to avoid conflict and to remove myself from unsafe relationships. I can draw on support systems for myself and others when needed.