Circles Policies

Vision

  • Promoting progress and achievement with quality learning and specialist support

  • Enabling fresh starts

  • Promoting effective partnerships for the benefit of our pupils

General Policy

Circles Alternative Education Ltd has been established to deliver education programmes to young people. We can be responsible for:

  • Secondary pupils who are permanently excluded from school

  • Pupils who are unable to attend school because of medical needs, who will be absent for 3 weeks or more

  • Children and young people who are hospitalised for 3 days or more or admitted on a regular basis.

We are committed to the support of children and young people who are at risk of exclusion from school and the provision of specific individual pupil programmes.

Anti-Bullying Policy

Statement of Intent

We are committed to providing a caring, friendly and safe environment for all our pupils so they can learn in a relaxed and secure atmosphere. Bullying of any kind is unacceptable at Circles. If bullying does occur, all pupils should be able to report instances and know that incidents will be dealt with promptly and effectively. We are a telling school and encourage open speech. This means that anyone who knows that bullying is happening is expected to tell the staff.

What Is Bullying?

Bullying is the use of aggression with the intention of hurting another person. Bullying results in pain and distress to the victim. Bullying can be:

  • Emotional - being unfriendly, excluding, tormenting (e.g. hiding books, threatening gestures)

  • Physical - pushing, kicking, hitting, punching or any use of violence

  • Racist racial taunts, graffiti, gestures

  • Sexual - unwanted physical contact or sexually abusive comments

  • Homophobic - because of, or focussing on the issue of sexuality

  • Verbal name-calling, sarcasm, spreading rumours, teasing

  • Cyber All areas of internet, such as email & internet chat room misuse

  • Mobile threats by text messaging & calls

  • Misuse of associated technology, i.e. camera &video facilities

Why is it Important to Respond to Bullying?

Bullying hurts. No one deserves to be a victim of bullying. Everybody has the right to be treated with respect. Pupils who are bullying need to learn different ways of behaving. Schools have a responsibility to respond promptly and effectively to issues of bullying.

Objectives of this Policy

  • All staff, be it employed or volunteer, teaching and non-teaching, pupils and parents should have an understanding of what bullying is.

  • All teaching and non-teaching staff should know what the school policy is on bullying and follow it when bullying is reported.

  • All pupils and parents should know what the school policy is on bullying, and what they should do if bullying arises.

  • As an education centre we take bullying seriously. Pupils and parents should be assured that they will be supported when bullying is reported.

  • Bullying will not be tolerated.

Signs and Symptoms

A child may indicate by signs or behaviour that he or she is being bullied. Adults should be aware of these possible signs and that they should investigate if a child:

  • is frightened of walking to or from school

  • doesn't want to go on the school / public bus

  • begs to be driven to school

  • changes their usual routine

  • is unwilling to go to school (school phobic)

  • begins to truant

  • becomes withdrawn anxious, or lacking in confidence

  • starts stammering

  • attempts or threatens suicide or runs away

  • cries themselves to sleep at night or has nightmares

  • feels ill in the morning

  • begins to do poorly in school work

  • comes home with clothes torn or books damaged

  • has possessions which are damaged or " go missing"

  • asks for money or starts stealing money (to pay bully)

  • has dinner or other monies continually "lost"

  • has unexplained cuts or bruises

  • comes home starving (money / lunch has been stolen)

  • becomes aggressive, disruptive or unreasonable

  • is bullying other children or siblings

  • stops eating

  • is frightened to say what's wrong

  • gives improbable excuses for any of the above

  • is afraid to use the internet or mobile phone

  • is nervous & jumpy when a cyber message is received

These signs and behaviours could indicate other problems, but bullying should be considered a possibility and should be investigated.

Procedures

  1. Report bullying incidents to staff

  2. In cases of serious bullying, the incidents will be recorded by staff

  3. In serious cases parents should be informed and will be asked to come into a meeting to discuss the problem. If necessary and appropriate, police will be consulted.

  4. The bullying behaviour or threats of bullying must be investigated, and the bullying stopped quickly

  5. An attempt will be made to help the bully (bullies) change their behaviour

Outcomes

  1. The bully (bullies) may be asked to genuinely apologise. Other consequences may take place.

  2. In serious cases, suspension or even exclusion will be considered.

  3. If possible, the pupils will be reconciled.

  4. After the incident / incidents have been investigated and dealt with, each case will be monitored to ensure repeated bullying does not take place.

Prevention

We will use various methods for helping children to prevent bullying. As and when appropriate, these may include but are not limited to:

  • writing a set of school rules

  • signing a behaviour contract

  • writing stories or poems or drawing pictures about bullying

  • reading stories about bullying or having them read to a class or assembly

  • making up role-plays (or using KIDSCAPE role-plays)

  • having discussions about bullying and why it matters