Anti-Bullying Policy

Foundry Road Pre-School has an anti-bullying policy to meet the Department of Health and Department for Education and Skills requirements, contained in ‘Working Together’ and ‘Don’t suffer in Silence’ – also to comply with the Human Rights Act 1998.

Definition

Behaviour by one person or group intended to cause hurt, pain,suffering, humiliation or degradation to another person or group.

Principles

● Bullying is unacceptable in any form.
● All children have a right to an education free from fear, harassment or degradation.
● Bullying is a problem both for the bully and victim alike.
● Best outcomes follow when the Pre-School can work with parents to address concerns about bullying behaviour and
victimisation.

Prevention

Foundry Road Pre-School has a zero tolerance attitude to bullying.
All staff have a responsibility for dealing with this problem.

Anti-Bullying Procedure

When behaviour is unacceptable and recurring, Foundry Road Pre-School will work in partnership with the parent and the child concerned to work out a suitable strategy for management.

● The parent and management will initially discuss the areas of concern and try to discover a possible cause.
● The parent will be reassured that it is the behaviour and not the child that is inappropriate and unacceptable.
● A plan will be developed between parent and management to work together in the home and at Pre-School, which will be
reviewed on a regular basis – timings to be mutually agreed.
● Involve outside agencies for advice and practical help if needed.

Bullying

We take bullying very seriously. Bullying involves the persistent physical or verbal abuse of another child or children. It is characterised by intent to hurt, often planned, and accompanied by an awareness of the impact of the bullying behaviour.

A child who is bullying has reached a stage of cognitive development where he or she is able to plan to carry out a premeditated intent to cause distress to another. Bullying can occur in children five years old and over and may well be an issue in after school clubs and holiday schemes catering for slightly older children.

If a child bullies another child or children:

• we show the children who have been bullied that we are able to listen to their concerns and act upon them;
• we intervene to stop the child who is bullying from harming the other child or children;
• we explain to the child doing the bullying why her/his behaviour is not acceptable;
• we give reassurance to the child or children who have been bullied;
• we help the child who has done the bullying to recognise the impact of their actions;
• we make sure that children who bully receive positive feedback for considerate behaviour and are given opportunities to practise and reflect on considerate behaviour;
• we do not label children who bully as ‘bullies’;
• we recognise that children who bully may be experiencing bullying themselves, or be subject to abuse or other circumstances causing them to express their anger in negative ways towards others;
• we recognise that children who bully are often unable to empathise with others and for this reason we do not insist that they say sorry unless it is clear that they feel genuine remorse for what they have done. Empty apologies are just as hurtful to the bullied child as the original behaviour;
• we discuss what has happened with the parents of the child who did the bullying and work out with them a plan for handling the child's behaviour; and
• we share what has happened with the parents of the child who has been bullied, explaining that the child who did the bullying is being helped to adopt more acceptable ways of behaving.

Parental Involvement

The Pre-School welcomes the active involvement of parents (both victim and bully) in bringing this problem under control. In order to maintain confidentiality, parents are requested under no circumstances to discuss concerns regarding other children from the setting among themselves but to speak to a member of management. Discussions between parents may have a detrimental effect on a child’s wellbeing within pre school, their families and an effect on the setting and it’s reputation, when the potential of incorrect information being disclosed.