Connex

Anti Bullying POLICY

Introduction

In an organisation like Connex, the way in which each person, whether a learner, member of staff, volunteer or visitor conducts themselves in and around the site is important for the well-being of everyone connected with the provision. Preventing and responding to all forms of bullying is clearly a critical part of meeting our wider responsibility to promote well-being and demonstrate Fundamental British Values including tolerance and acceptance.

Bullying is an unacceptable and anti-social behaviour which affects everyone and therefore will not be tolerated. Bullying, especially if left unaddressed, can have a devastating effect on individuals. It can be a barrier to their learning and have serious consequences for their mental health.

Bullying which takes place at Connex does not only affect an individual during childhood but can have a lasting effect on their lives well into adulthood.

By effectively preventing and tackling bullying, education settings can help to create safe, disciplined environments where learners are able to learn, and everyone can fulfil their potential. We are a “telling” provision – bullying is too important not to report.

It is a basic entitlement for our learners that they receive their education free from humiliation, oppression and abuse.

We expect everyone to contribute to the provision of a safe, caring, supportive and protective environment in which everyone can work and learn in an atmosphere free from all forms of bullying behaviour.
By creating a learning climate based on being respectful and safe, it is our intention to create and sustain an ethos which minimises and controls bullying by taking effective action when dealing with incidents and ultimately to prevent bullying by creating conditions in which bullying is less likely to occur.

There are several very important reasons for challenging bullying behaviour:
  • the safety and happiness of learners: When learners are bullied their lives are made miserable.They may suffer injury. They may be unhappy about attending. Over time, they are likely to lose self-confidence and self-esteem.
  • educational attainment and achievement: The unhappiness of bullied learners is likely to affect their concentration and learning: progress will be checked. Some children will avoid bullying by not attending; opportunities for social interaction and involvement in extra-curricular activities will suffer.
  • providing a model for helpful behaviour: If learners observe bullying behaviour apparently going on unchallenged, other learners may learn that bullying is a quick and effective way of getting what they want. Those learners who are being bullied may interpret the provision’s inaction as condoning unacceptable behaviour. Also, bullies need to be disciplined and counselled before they take their anti-social tendencies out of the provision.
  • confirming our reputation as an effective caring provision: No provision can claim with absolute confidence that ‘there is no bullying here’. The real issue is that the setting needs to demonstrate, through policy and practice that it responds quickly and effectively to bullying.

Aims

We aim to:
  • provide a safe, happy and supportive learning/working environment where each member of the community is valued, and where learners are able to develop self-respect and self-control
  • engender respect for and tolerance of others – regardless of differences of race, gender,
    culture or religion
  • help learners acquire attitudes and skills (such as inter-personal and conflict resolution)relevant to their adult life
  • encourage and exercise moral values in dealing with others
  • reduce or prevent incidents of bullying
  • provide a clearly defined framework for dealing with the victims and the perpetrators of incidents of bullying
  • ensure that this framework is understood and trusted by learners, parents and staff (anti-bullying awareness)
  • counter the ‘myths’ about bullying
Please follow the link to view the rest of our Anti Bullying Policy