Whole school approach to anti-bullying in schools

Issues linked to bullying are complex and need a whole school approach in which the RSHE curriculum plays a vital part. You should take a cross-curricular approach as this is more effective than a standalone or one-off anti-bullying lesson.

Learning about different types of bullying (including online) is a statutory RSHE requirement. This includes the impact of bullying, responsibilities of bystanders to report bullying and how and where to get help. This also crosses over with how you can teach about abuse, harassment and discrimination within your RSHE curriculum.

Your school's RSHE curriculum should deliver the skills, strategies and values to address bullying.

A safe teaching and learning environment must be established for lessons that seek to discuss bullying. The PSHE Association have outlined key steps and best practice principles to help you create a safe classroom environment, and plan and teach RSHE effectively.

RSHE, assembly and other cross curricula opportunities should be used to celebrate difference and diversity of all CYPs. Explore the Anti-Bullying Association (ABA) resources about celebrating difference and diversity.

Primary school

By the end of primary school, students should know:

• About making friends, kindness, how to manage falling out, and what to do if they witness unkind behaviour.
• The value of friendships, overcoming challenges and how to respond to bullying behaviour.
• About including others, communicating respectfully, the impact of bullying and how to seek support.

High quality resources about bullying - Primary

• This Bullying and belief Toolkit Booklet Aug 2020 provides lesson ideas and resources for both primary and secondary (natre.org.uk)
• The Anti-Bullying Alliance provides school resources to support schools during anti-bullying week (anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk)
• The Literacy Shed provides a collection of videos and images which can be used to stimulate discussion around bullying

Secondary school

By the end of secondary school, students should know:

• How to maintain positive friendships, develop empathy, and prevent or challenge bullying.
• About friendship challenges and ways to resolve them; and learn about similarities and differences between people.
• How to recognise and challenge bullying in a range of contexts; about challenging unhealthy attitudes towards bullying; and, where to seek support.

High quality resources about bullying - Secondary

• This Bullying and belief Toolkit Booklet Aug 2020 provides lesson ideas and resources for both primary and secondary (natre.org.uk)
• The Anti-Bullying Alliance provides school resources to support schools during anti-bullying week (anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk)

High quality social and emotional learning resources to challenge bullying

Learning about emotional wellbeing is also a statutory RSHE requirement. This includes social and emotional learning; knowledge skills and values that build self-esteem, understanding and managing feelings, self-regulation, problem solving and promoting resilience. This can reduce the impact of bullying, increase the chance of bystanders reporting bullying and of help being sought.

• Activities such as role-play, art work, drama and literature can provide further reinforcement that bullying is wrong and provide an empathetic approach to those who have been bullied or those who witness bullying.
• Discussion around topics such as what is bullying, who would you tell, and the impacts of bullying can help to develop appropriate attitudes and create an environment where bullying is unacceptable. Examples can be taken from the media or put forward by the CYP themselves.
• Get CYP to discuss how bullying is perceived in popular culture either using art, drama or part of class presentations. You can also explore issues such as prejudice, racism and homophobia using this approach.