Anti-Bullying Policy 2023-2024

Introduction

In accordance with the requirements of the Education (Welfare) Act 2000 and the Code of Behaviour Guidelines issued by the NEWB, the Board of Management of Saint Joseph’s National School, Kinvara (hereafter known as the school) has adopted the following Anti-Bullying policy within the framework of the school’s overall Code of Behaviour. This policy fully complies with the requirements of the Anti-Bullying Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools, which were published in September 2013. The Board of Management recognises the very serious nature of bullying and the negative impact that it can have on the lives of pupils and is therefore fully committed to following key principles of best practice in preventing and tackling bullying behaviour

Rationale

This policy is in place in order to ensure that pupils have the right to learn in a supportive caring and safe environment, without the fear of being bullied. This School has a clear policy on the promotion of respect for everyone. All staff and pupils are aware that bullying is not acceptable behaviour. This policy promotes this belief and provides clear strategies for teachers, pupils and parents to deal with bullying in a firm, fair, clear, prompt and positive manner.

Aims

This policy aims:

To raise awareness of bullying as a form of unacceptable behaviour with school management, teachers, all staff, pupils, parents/guardians.
To create a school ethos which encourages children to disclose and discuss incidents of bullying behaviour.
To ensure comprehensive supervision and monitoring measures through which all areas of school activity are kept under observation.
To develop procedures for noting, investigating and dealing with incidents of bullying behaviour.
To implement a programme of support for those affected by bullying behaviour and for those involved in bullying behaviour.

To work with appropriate agencies in countering all forms of bullying and anti-bullying behaviour.
To increase cooperation between home and school regarding the issue of
To foster the development of a sense of responsibility and self – discipline in pupils based on respect among all members of the school
To share the task with parents/guardians of equipping pupils with the necessary skills to deal with others

Definition of Bullying: Dept. of Education and Science guidelines define bullying as … repeated aggression, verbal, psychological or physical, conducted by an individual or group against others. Isolated incidents of aggressive behaviour, which should not be condoned, can scarcely be described as bullying. However, when the behaviour is systematic and ongoing it is bullying and any pupil can be a victim or a perpetrator of bullying. Why do pupils bully? It is generally accepted that bullying is a learned behaviour. Pupils who bully tend to display aggressive attitudes combined with a low level of self-esteem. Children become bullies for many reasons;

Some of these are:

They feel insecure and inadequate
They may be bullied by parents or older children at home
They may find it difficult to socialise with their peers and so pick on younger more vulnerable children
They may feel they must succeed at all
They may be very spoilt and go totally unchallenged at home
They may be constantly humiliated by others and in turn do this to other children
They may be physically, sexually or emotionally abused themselves
Some children become involved in bullying by acting as bystanders or supporters of a

Bullying can take place anywhere:

In school, in class, in the playground, corridors, toilets
On the way to or from school
At activities outside of school
On the road/street/in the home

NOTE: factors having their origins in differences or conflicts between parties outside the school may contribute to increased incidents of bullying within the school.

Types of Bullying

Pupil Behaviour:

Physical Aggression: This includes pushing, shoving and punching, kicking, poking and tripping people up. It may also take the form of severe physical assault. While children commonly engage in ‘mess fights’ they can often be used as a disguise for physical harassment or inflicting pain.

Damage to Property: Personal property can be the focus of attention for the bully; this may result in damage to clothing, school books and other learning material or interference with a pupil’s locker or bicycle. The contents of school bags and pencil cases may be scattered on the floor. Items of personal property may be defaced, broken, stolen or hidden.

Extortion: Demands for money may be made, often accompanied by threats (sometimes carried out) in the event of the victim not promptly “paying up”. Victims’ lunches may be taken. Victims may also be forced into theft of property for delivery to the bully. Sometimes this tactic is used with the sole purpose of incriminating the victim.

Intimidation: Some bullying behaviour takes the form of intimidation: it is based on the use of very aggressive body language with the voice being used as a weapon.

Particularly upsetting to victims can be the so-called ‘look’ – a facial expression that conveys aggression and/or dislike

Abusive Telephone Calls: The abusive anonymous telephone call is a form of verbal

intimidation or bullying. The anonymous phone call is very prevalent where teachers are the victims of bullying.

Isolation: This form of bullying behaviour, a certain person is deliberately isolated, excluded or ignored by some or all, of the class group. The person engaged in bullying behaviour usually initiates this practice. It may be accompanied by writing insulting remarks about the victim on blackboards or in public places, by passing around notes about or drawings of the victim or by whispering insults about them loud enough to be heard.

Name-calling: Persistent name-calling directed at the same individual(s), which hurts, insults or humiliates should be regarded as a form of bullying behaviour; most name-calling of this type refers to physical appearance, e.g. ‘big ears’, size, clothes worn, colour or ethnic origin. Accent or distinctive voice characteristics may attract negative attention. Academic ability can also provoke name-calling. This tends to operate at two extremes: first, there are those who are singled out for attention because they are perceived to be slow or weak, academically. These pupils are often referred to as ‘dummies’, ‘dopes’ or ‘donkeys’. At the other extreme are those who, because they are perceived as high achievers, are labelled ‘swots’, ‘brain-boxes’, ‘licks’ ‘teachers’ pets’ etc.

Slagging: This behaviour usually refers to the good-natured banter, which goes on as part of the normal social interchange between people. However, when this slagging extends to very personal remarks aimed again and again at the one individual about appearance, clothing, personal hygiene or involves references of an uncomplimentary nature to members of one’s family, particularly if couched in sexual innuendo, then it assumes the form of bullying. It

may also take the form of suggestive remarks about a pupil’s sexual orientation.

Cyberbullying –through social media platforms or any online offensive behaviour directed at another person

C.Teacher Behaviour

A teacher may, unwittingly or otherwise, engage in or reinforce bullying behaviour in a number of ways:

Using sarcasm or other insulting or demeaning form of language when addressing pupils, making negative comments about a pupil’s appearance or
Humiliating, directly or indirectly, a pupil who is particularly academically weak or outstanding, or vulnerable in other ways.
Using threatening or intimidating gestures, or any form of degrading physical

Effects of Bullying

Pupils who are being bullied may develop feelings of insecurity and extreme anxiety and thus may become more vulnerable. Self-confidence may be damaged with a consequent lowering of their self-esteem. While they may not talk about what is happening to them, their suffering is indicated through changes in mood and behaviour. Bullying may occasionally result in suicide. It is, therefore, important to be alert to changes in behaviour as early intervention is desirable.

Indications of Bullying Behaviour, Signs and Symptoms:

The following signs/symptoms may suggest that a pupil is being bullied:

Anxiety about travelling to and from school – requesting parents to drive or collect them, changing route of travel, avoiding regular times for travelling to and from school
Unwillingness to go to school, refusal to attend, mitching
Deterioration in educational performance, loss of concentration and loss of enthusiasm and interest in school
Pattern of physical illnesses (e.g. headaches, stomach aches)
Unexplained changes either in mood or behaviour; it may be particularly noticeable before returning to school after weekends or more especially after longer school holidays
Visible signs of anxiety or distress – stammering, withdrawing, nightmares, difficulty sleeping, crying, not eating, vomiting, bedwetting
Spontaneous out-of-character comments about either pupils or teachers

Possessions missing or damaged
Increased requests for money or stealing money
Unexplained bruising or cuts or damaged clothing
Reluctance and/or refusal to say what is troubling him/her.

Those signs do not necessarily mean that a pupil is being bullied. If repeated or occurring in combination, those signs do warrant investigation in order to establish what is affecting the pupil.

Characteristics of Bullying Behaviour

The Victim: Any pupil, through no fault of his or her own may be bullied. It is common in the course of normal play for pupils to tease or taunt each other. However, at a certain point, teasing and taunting may become forms of bullying behaviour. As pupils are particularly quick to notice differences in others, pupils who are perceived as different are those more prone to encounter such behaviour. However, the pupils who are most at risk of becoming victims are those who react in a vulnerable and distressed manner. The seriousness and duration of the bullying behaviour is directly related to the pupil’s continuing response to the verbal, physical or psychological aggression. It is of note that some pupils can unwittingly behave in a very provocative manner that attracts bullying behaviour.

The Bully: It is generally accepted that bullying is a learned behaviour. Pupils who bully tend to display aggressive attitudes combined with a low level of self- discipline. They can lack any sense of remorse; often they convince themselves that the victim deserves the treatment meted out. Pupils who bully can also be attention seeking; often they set out to impress bystanders and enjoy the reaction their behaviour provokes. They tend to lack the ability to empathise. They are unaware or indifferent to the victim’s feelings. Others seem to enjoy inflicting pain. It is of note that many bullies suffer from a lack of confidence and have low self-esteem. It is not uncommon to find that pupils who engage in bullying are also bullied. They tend to be easily provoked and frequently provoke others.

The Bystander:

Most students in a classroom or school do not bully others regularly and are not victimised by bullies. Many ‘bystanders remain neutral or try to support the victim when they see bullying occurring but unfortunately, some students who observe bullying are much more likely to encourage or assist the bully than to attempt to help the victim. With appropriate instruction and guidance, however, bystanders can be empowered to take an active role in preventing bullying from occurring and to report bullying to adults when it does take place.

Strategies for the Prevention of Bullying

‘At the centre of a whole school response to bullying is the creation of a positive school climate which focuses on respect for the individual…’ Guidelines on Countering Bullying Behaviour in Primary and Post-Primary Schools, 1993 Equip the children with positive skills’.

This school fosters a positive school ethos among pupils, staff and parents. There is a strong sense of community and cooperation between the Board of Management, staff, pupils and parents, and each has a clear role in the prevention of bullying.

Through a programme of positive action, the school promotes an atmosphere of happiness, friendship, openness, mutual respect and tolerance. This will be evident throughout the school.
Fun Friends and Friends for Life programme: Positive self-esteem and emotional resilience is fostered among the pupils by celebrating individual differences / achievements and by providing opportunities for
Mind Up Programme, this programme is used throughout the school in promotion of emotional regulation and emotional resilience.
Incredible Years Programme, children experience continuous consistent positive reinforcement through proactive teaching methodologies and classroom management throughout the whole school. There is a whole school awareness and adherence to “The Golden Rules”, through strong establishment, explanation, reinforcement and reiteration.
Whole school reponse; Teachers will encourage and use the 4 Rs system: REACT, REFUSE, RECORD, REPORT.
Restorative Practice (RP) Staff mentors / practitioners have completed training in the delivery of RP techniques. Teachers are upskilling and modelling these techniques throughout the school in classroom and yard settings.
‘Playworks Programme’ in the school yard, provides very clear yard strategies, constant and consistent monitoring and supervision provide a safe and inclusive environment for all children at yard time using; Yard watchers/ yellow bibs for Yard Helpers and Yard Communication book for Staff
Supervision and in-class wet day activities are in place in all classrooms to ensure children are occupied and that a positive atmosphere exists at break times.
Buddy Systems and Friendship areas are regularly used throughout the school
Anti – Bullying Officers from Student Leadership Team promote school wide awareness and prevent bullying behaviour,
Friendship Week, Anti Bullying Awareness Month
Health Promotion and Wellbeing: Staff, pupil and parent committees
School surveys -anonymous surveys where children can share their observations / concerns / suggestions
Pastoral Care Team
Educational Supports Provide one to one / small group support to children with SEN to ensure they understand and achieve the learning outcomes intended.
Classroom Strategies: Peer mentoring, role play, discussing bullying regularly, scenario cards, worry boxes, activities, social stories, Peace corners, sensory boxes. Mindfulness and Brain Breaks as a practice in classrooms,teaching skills of empathy and awareness of others.

According to the NCCA Guidelines, we aim to provide additional support to children with general learning difficulties to ensure all children can be better enabled to achieve the learning outcomes of the SPHE curriculum / Anti – Bullying lessons. (sess.ie/resources/curricular-material)
Webwise Primary Programme is used in order to assist and support teachers when teaching about safe and responsible uses of the internet. webwise.ie/teachers/resources/
Internet/Cyber Safety workshops for children and or parents

Supports for Staff

The Board of Management, through the principal, must ensure that members of school staff have sufficient familiarity with the school’s Anti-bullying policy to enable them to effectively and consistently apply the policy when required. Each Staff member is required to complete a checklist after each review, to state that they have read the updated policy and understand their role as outlined therein.

Support for staff should be appropriate to the individual’s role and should enable staff to recognise bullying, implement effective strategies for preventing bullying and where appropriate, intervene effectively in bullying cases.

The Board refers staff to the school’s Dignity in the Workplace Policy, which deals with procedures for staff who experience bullying. The Board of Management must also make appropriate arrangements to ensure that temporary and substitute staff have sufficient awareness of the school’s Code of Behaviour and its Anti-bullying policy. Substitute and new staff are provided with a Substitute/Welcome Folders which includes a copy of this policy.

Parents and Guardians Role

It is important to be realistic, it will not be possible for a single child to assert his/her rights if attacked by a group. Children should be advised to get away and tell an adult in situations such as this.

Teaching your child to say “No” in a good assertive tone of voice and to carry himself/herself in a confident way will help your child to deal with many situations. A child’s self-image and body language may send out messages to potential Children should be encouraged to talk about bullying and given an opportunity to express their concerns.
Approach your child’s teacher if the bullying is school related. It is important for you to understand that bullying in school can be difficult for teachers to detect because of the large numbers of children involved. Teachers will appreciate being informed about School bullying requires that parents and teachers work together for a resolution.
Very often parental advice to a child is to “hit back” at the bully, if the abuse is This is not always realistic, as it requires a huge amount of courage and indeed sometimes makes the situation worse. Children should not be encouraged to

engage in violent behaviour. Teaching children to be more assertive and to tell is far more positive and effective.

Keep an account of incidents to help you assess how serious the problem is. Many children, with a little help, overcome this problem very quickly.
Maintaining links with school: knowledge of the SPHE curriculum areas, attending Curriculum Overview evenings, Parent Association events and guest speakers related to the areas of Wellbeing, Emotional and Social Skill development and

What if your child is a bully?

Don’t panic. This may be a temporary response to something else in the child’s life, e.g. a new baby, a death in the family, difficult home problems etc. Give your child an opportunity to talk about anything that could be upsetting him/her.
Don’t punish bullying by being a bully yourself. Hitting and verbal attack will make the situation worse. Talk to your child and try to find out if there is a Explain how the victim felt. Try to get the child to understand the victim’s point of view. This would need to be done over time.
Bullies often suffer from poor self-esteem. Use every opportunity you can to praise good, considerate, helpful behaviour. Do not only look for negatives.
Talk to the child’s teacher and try to find out more about the child’s school Enlist the teacher’s help in dealing with this. It is important that you both take the same approach.
If the situation is serious, you may need to ask the school or your GP to refer your child to the child guidance clinic for help.
In cases where it is determined that bullying has occurred, a meeting is held with the parents of both parties, as appropriate. Actions to be taken are explained and parental support is enlisted.
Follow-up meetings with the Principal or an appointed teacher and the children involved may take place.
Identify periods of high risk – teachers are required to be vigilant.
From time to time professional speakers / workshops are invited to talk to staff and/or parents / children to give ideas on dealing with both the victim and the bully Lurtel -Cybersafety / Galway Education Centre /Community Guard)
In the case of a complaint against a staff member or parent, the incident will be raised first with the people in question and if unresolved will be mediated by the Principal or Deputy Principal with the people in question (see Complaints Procedure). Conflict Resolution strategies will be used to deal with the conflict in a non- aggressive Parents may submit their concerns in writing to the Board of Management.

Sanctions

Teachers will establish and clearly communicate expectations for behaviour and the unacceptable nature of bullying behaviour. This will ensure that the Anti-bullying policy is proactive rather than reactive. The degree of misdemeanour – will be determined by the findings recorded on incident record sheets, teacher communication and Aladdin Student Management System reports.

Examples of steps to be taken by teachers when dealing with Minor Misdemeanours;

Restorative Practice: mentor (Principal. teacher or SNA) will give both parties the opportunity to put things right by meeting separately with the harmed person and the person showing challenging Mentor will ask a list of set questions. (see appendix 5). Mentor will organise a second meeting where both parties come together with the mentor and the same series of questions are asked to both parties. A workable solution is agreed and empathy is supported. ‘Why’ questions will be avoided.
Time out / lunch time detention (in accordance with the child’s age)
Loss of Privileges (in accordance with the child’s age)
Behaviour contract will be drawn up
Communication with Principal
Communication with parents / guardians

* Note: Steps to be taken correspond with our Code of Behaviour (CoB) see Appendix 6

Assemble a list of appropriate behavioural consequences for bullying. Include lesser consequences for isolated instances of bullying and greater consequences for chronic or more serious bullying. Enlist students to help generate consequences and ensure all pupils are familiar with them by revisiting these visuals often.

Steps when confronting a child displaying bullying behaviour:

Staff will adopt the ‘I-centered’ rule for evaluating misbehavior. Staff will tell class that it offends or bothers them when they witness certain kinds of hurtful student behaviors (e.g., teasing, name-calling). Emphasise that when staff see such behaviour occurring, they will intervene, regardless of whether the offending student meant to be hurtful.
When a staff member confronts a student for bullying, do so in private whenever A private discussion will remove the likelihood that the confronted student will ‘play to the audience’ of classmates and become defiant or

non-compliant. If a staff member witnesses suspected bullying, they will immediately approach the child responsible and speak to them privately, describe the negative behaviour that they witnessed, explain why that behaviour is a violation of classroom expectations, and impose a consequence (e.g., warning, apology to victim, brief timeout, loss of privilege). Keep the conversation focused on facts of the bully’s observed behaviour and the restorative practice script.

If the child with challenging behaviour does not respond to the above, find an adult in the school with whom the student who is showing signs of bullying behaviour has a close relationship. Enlist that adult to sit down with the child to follow the RP script and further discussion if required.This conference is not intended to be punitive. However, the student should feel at the end of the talk that, while he or she is valued, the student’s bullying behavior hurts and disappoints those who care about the student.

Steps to support the Victims of bullying behaviours:

Develop positive connections with others
- Teaching social skills, encouraging free play sessions in class
- Scaffolding play sessions
- Buddy systems / mentors
Teach Assertiveness Skills:
- Respond to taunts, insults, or teasing with a bland response (“Oh”. “That’s your opinion.” “Maybe.” ‘you called me and I don’t care’) Don’t let bullies see that they have upset you.
- Get away from the situation if you start to get very angry or upset.
- Say “No” firmly and loudly if you don’t want to do something that someone tells you to do. Stand straight up and look that person in the eye when you say
- Refuse to let others talk you into doing something that you will be sorry for or feel uncomfortable doing.
- Report incidents of bullying to adults.

Steps to support Bystanders:

Train Student to Play an Active Role in Intervening in (the 4 Rs)
Draw a distinction for the students between ‘tattling’ and ‘telling’. Tattling is when a student tells an adult what another student did simply to get him or her into Telling is when a student tells an adult what another student did because that student’s actions were unsafe or hurt another person. Say to students, “It is important that we tell adults whenever we see something that is unsafe or hurts other people.”
Hold Bystanders Accountable for Their Actions. Student onlookers need to understand that they are responsible for their actions when they witness a bullying In particular, bystanders should know they will face negative consequences if they decide to join a bully in taunting or teasing a victim, cheer the bully on, laugh at the bullying incident, or otherwise take part in the bullying. (Help students to keep in mind that onlookers should side with the victim with a phrase such as ‘Remember, bystanders should never become bullies.’)

Examples of steps to be taken when dealing with REGULAR occurrences of Minor Misdemeanours:

A record is kept of regular instances of misdemeanour. Following three instances of misdemeanour the pupil is sent to Principal/Deputy Principal. The child will receive supervised Time Out during break time. The child will complete a meaningful reflective account of what happened and their personal contributions (see appendix 7). Details of all misbehaviour will be communicated with parents / guardians.

Examples of steps to be taken when dealing with Serious Misdemeanours:

Pupil / pupils are sent to the Principal/ Deputy Principal. The Principal/Deputy Principal contacts parents/guardians. Pupils may be removed from an activity if endangering themselves or others. The child will write/illustrate an account of what they have done. Class teacher contacts and / or meets with parent(s)/guardian. The child receives a (supervised) Time Out. A detailed record is kept of all serious misdemeanours.

The Anti- Bullying Policy and its link to other Policies and Curricular Areas:

SPHE (Social Personal & Health Education) – Bullying is addressed under the strand: Myself and Others, Strand Unit – My friends and other people. Other examples include lessons on self-esteem, building good relationships, good and bad secrets, being a “Telling School”,
- PE Curriculum: Sporting activities can provide excellent opportunities for channelling and learning how to control aggression.
- Code of Behaviour – promotion of positive behaviour, positive atmosphere, good relationships ensures a reduction in bullying.

Data Protection and Record Keeping – safe and secure facilities for sensitive data, factual account of incidents. Log of incidents recorded which may show a pattern, stressing the importance of record keeping. Use of the internal Aladdin system to log incidents for all See appendix for steps to accurately input information.

Health Promotion and Wellbeing Action Plan – annually included are new initiatives and aims in order to target bullying behaviour.

Roles and Responsibilities

The principal is responsible for monitoring and reviewing the policy at staff level annually and reporting any reviews deemed necessary to the staff and the Board. ‘The Board of Management has a role to play in the maintenance of desirable standards of behaviour in a school. It should be supportive of the Principal Teacher in the application of a fair code of behaviour and discipline within the school’ (Circular 20/90) The Board of Management are involved in the drafting and regular review of this policy. The principal includes updates on Anti Bullying in her report at each Board of Management Meeting.

Success Criteria

A happy safe atmosphere, with a culture of openness where good relationships exist between all members within the school community.
When you hear mantras back from children ‘In this school, we do not tolerate bullying ”,‘Be an Upstander not a Bystander’, Staff members use the mantra “In

this school we tell.”

When children ‘tell’ if they are bullied and trust that their concerns will be responded to promptly
Survey Feedback from pupils, parents and staff
Children are aware of and obey the rules and are confident about reporting incidents to the school authorities
Staff apply the rules of listening, reporting, investigating and reporting to principal
Growth in self-discipline
Comments or compliments on positive relationships within the school
When parents and staff feel confident that incidents are being dealt with positively and fairly
When members of staff are supportive and cooperative in managing Explanation of Abbreviations SPHE – Social Personal and Health Education NEPS

– National Educational Psychological Service

Timetable for Review

Review and Monitoring

This Anti Bullying Policy will be monitored and reviewed by the Board of Management on an annual basis and as the need arises. The Board of Management will ensure that adequate training and support is provided for all staff, as necessary. The BoM will ensure that the attention of all new staff is drawn to the school’s Anti Bullying Policy and that it is fully understood. All Staff are required to tick a checklist to indicate that they have read, accept and understand the procedures outlined in this policy.

Appendices;

Practical tips for building a positive school culture and climate
Checklist for annual review of the anti-bullying policy and its Implementation
Surveys to be distributed from 1^st – 6^th class
Teacher records – Anti Bullying
Restorative Practice – Mentor Script
Code of Behaviour
Reflective template for pupils

Ratification & Communication

This policy was reviewed and ratified by the Board of Management of St.Joseph’s Kinvara NS, on September 26th 2023 and subsequently communicated to the school community via email and the school’s website.

Signed: Brian Connolly Date: 26.09.2023

Mr. Brian Connolly, Chairperson, Board of Management

Appendix 1 Practical tips for building a positive school culture and climate
The following are some practical tips for immediate actions that can be taken to help build a positive school culture and climate and to help prevent and tackle bullying behaviour;
● Model respectful behaviour to all members of the school community at all times.
● Use of Restorative Practice
● Explicitly teach pupils what respectful language and respectful behaviour looks like, acts like, sounds like and feels like in class and around the school.
● Display key respect messages in classrooms, in assembly areas and around the school.
● Involve pupils in the development of these messages.
● Catch children being good – notice and acknowledge desired respectful behaviour by providing positive attention.
● Consistently tackle the use of discriminatory and derogatory language in the school – this includes homophobic and racist language and language that is belittling of pupils with a disability or SEN.
● Give constructive feedback to pupils when respectful behaviour and respectful language are absent.
● Have a system of encouragement and rewards to promote desired behaviour and compliance with the school rules and routines.
● Explicitly teach pupils about the appropriate use of social media.
● Positively encourage pupils to comply with the school rules on mobile phone and internet use.
● Follow up and follow through with pupils who ignore the rules.
● Actively involve parents and/or the Parents’ Association in awareness raising campaigns around social media.
● Actively promote the right of every member of the school community to be safe and secure in school.
● Highlight and explicitly teach school rules in pupil friendly language in the classroom and in common areas.
● All staff can actively watch out for signs of bullying behaviour.
● Ensure there is adequate playground/school yard/outdoor supervision.
● School staff can get pupils to help them to identify bullying “hot spots” and “hot times” for bullying in the school.
● Hot spots tend to be in the playground/school yard/outdoor areas, changing rooms, corridors and other areas of unstructured supervision.
● Hot times again tend to be times where there is less structured supervision such as when pupils are in the playground/school yard or moving classrooms.
● Support the establishment and work of the student council.

Appendix 2 Checklist for annual review of the anti-bullying policy and its Implementation
The Board of Management (the Board) must undertake an annual review of the school’s anti-bullying policy and
its implementation. The following checklist must be used for this purpose. The checklist is an aid to conducting this review and is not intended as an exhaustive list. In order to complete the checklist, an examination and review involving both quantitative and qualitative analysis, as appropriate across the various elements of the implementation of the school’s anti-bullying policy will be required.

● Has the Board formally adopted an anti-bullying policy that fully complies with the requirements of the Anti-Bullying Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools?
● Has the Board published the policy on the school website and provided a copy to the parents’ association?
● Has the Board ensured that the policy has been made available to school staff (including new staff)?
● Is the Board satisfied that school staff are sufficiently familiar with the policy and procedures to enable them to effectively and consistently apply the policy and procedures in their day to day work?
● Has the Board ensured that the policy has been adequately communicated to all pupils?
● Has the policy documented the prevention and education strategies that the school applies?
● Have all of the prevention and education strategies been implemented?
● Has the effectiveness of the prevention and education strategies that have been implemented been examined?
● Is the Board satisfied that all teachers are recording and dealing with incidents in accordance with the policy?
● Has the Board received and minuted the periodic summary reports of the Principal?
● Has the Board discussed how well the school is handling all reports of bullying including those addressed at an early stage and not therefore included in the Principal’s periodic report to the Board?
● Has the Board received any complaints from parents regarding the school’s handling of bullying incidents?
● Have any parents withdrawn their child from the school citing dissatisfaction with the school’s handling of a bullying situation?
● Have any Ombudsman for Children investigations into the school’s handling of a bullying case been initiated or completed?
● Has the data available from cases reported to the Principal (by the bullying recording template) been analysed to identify any issues, trends or patterns in bullying behaviour?
● Has the Board identified any aspects of the school’s policy and/or its implementation that require further improvement?
● Has the Board put in place an action plan to address any areas for improvement?

Appendix 3

Surveys to be distributed from 1st – 6th class

1. Is there bullying happening in your class / in the school?
2. Who is being mean/treating people badly?
3. What is happening/what are people doing/saying?
4. Has anyone been mean to you?
5. Have you been mean to anyone?

6. Who is the Ringleader?

7. Who else is involved?

Any Other Comments:

Appendix 4 – Anti-bullying Policy 2021 – 2022

Teachers record an incident of Bullying on the student’s file. The purpose of this file is to retain a record of the incident and to facilitate tracking of any repetitive Bullying behaviour. This confidential file is only accessible to the Class Teacher and Principal.

1.Enter child’s name

Search Documents

Search Bullying Report

Choose Principal and selected staff only on level of protection dropdown bar

Select Only admin staff can edit 6 Click Save document

search for the student on Aladdin, highlight the student and press

click on notes & documents (in blue at the top)

click new note or document from template (highlighted in grey)

select Bullying Report from the drop-down menu, click ok

this brings up a bullying report template which the teacher needs to fully complete and save.

– Choose Principal and selected staff only on level of protection dropdown bar

– Teachers can view bullying reports by going into reports and selecting note/behaviour reports

Appendix 5: Restorative Practice – Mentor Script

To the harmed person:

What happened?

What were you thinking at the time?

What have your thoughts been since?

How has this affected you and others?

What has been the hardest thing for you?

What do you think needs to happen next?

To the person showing challenging behaviour:

What happened?

What were you thinking at the time?

What have your thoughts been since?

Who has been affected by what you did?

In what way have they been affected?

What do you think needs to happen next?

Appendix 7: Reflective Activity Sheet:

NOTE: The purpose of this sheet is to assist children in reaching a resolution by using a Restorative Practice Approach to record the incident in their own words. This is a confidential document. It is retained on file for the duration of one school term only and is then shredded.

Name:

Class:

Date:

Please answer the following questions using illustrations, key words or sentences:

What happened?

What were you thinking at the time?

What have your thoughts been since?

Who has been affected by what you did?

In what way have they been affected?

What do you think needs to happen next?

Do you agree to the following behaviour plan including:

Child’s Signature:

Teacher Signature: Parent Signature:

Review date: