Preventing and Tackling Bullying

The Department for Education has issued updated guidance for schools on preventing and responding to bullying. The updated guidance, ‘Preventing and Tackling Bullying’ includes additional information on how schools can support children and young people who are bullied. It can be downloaded at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preventing-and-tackling-bullying

The guidance applies to all schools.

The Education and Inspections Act 2006 provides that maintained schools must have measures to encourage good behaviour and prevent all forms of bullying amongst pupils. These measures should be part of the school’s behaviour policy which must be communicated to all pupils, school staff and parents.

The Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 provides that academy trusts ensure that bullying at the school is prevented in so far as reasonably practicable, by drawing up and implementing an effective anti-bullying strategy.

Regardless of how a school chooses to define bullying for the purposes of its own behaviour policy, it must be clearly communicated and understood by pupils, parents, and staff.