Anti-Bullying Week, raising awareness of bullying and highlighting ways of preventing and responding to it...

Anti-Bullying Week is an annual UK event which aims to raise awareness of bullying and to highlight ways of preventing and responding to it. In England, Anti-Bullying Week is organised by the Anti-Bullying Alliance, which is a network of more than 100 member organisations all united against bullying. Bullying is described as the repetitive, intentional hurting of one person or group by another person or group, where the relationship involves an imbalance of power. Bullying can be physical, verbal or psychological. It can happen face-to-face or online.

I spoke this week to the 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th Form pupils about Bullying and that it does happen at King’s. I told them that since September 2023, when I became Deputy Head Pastoral, there have been 18 bullying cases. These range from cyber bullying to emotional bullying to physical bullying. There have been accusations of bullying, involving boys and girls, in 3^rd, 4^th 5^th and 6^th Form. Perpetrators have been dealt with in a number of ways - apologising, reconciliation, detentions, suspension - all dependent on the seriousness of the case. Eight of the 18 cases investigated, were identified as child on child abuse, meaning they involved persistent and systematic discrimination. These cases were added to the School’s Bullying Log, which is kept and scrutinised by the Headmaster, Mr Lowry (Designated Safeguarding Lead), the School Governors and ISI inspectors. Moreover, Mr Lowry is also duty bound to pass on any information to the Local Authority that involves bullying or discrimination involving gender, racism, homophobia, disability or discrimination towards anyone with another protected characteristics. I interviewed Mr Marshfield and Mrs Griffiths, and they told the pupils about cases of bullying that they had dealt with and the impact that it had on both the victim and perpetrator. I also shared 3 cases of bullying that staff have faced and how it was dealt with. 

This Assembly was then followed up by Odd Sock Day, where pupils wore odd socks to show their support against bullying. In tutor time, pupils also studied some bullying scenarios and watched a video about who to talk to at King’s if you are being bullied. Hopefully, there has been a clear message to pupils about how bullying is not tolerated here at King’s Bruton.

Emily Simper - Deputy Head, Pastoral

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