Anti-Bullying Policy Statement (Including Child on Child on abuse) Approved by: Next Review: Kaleidoscope Trust Board November2024 Date: November 2022

INTRODUCTION: Kaleidoscope Multi-Academy Trust and its schools prides itself on its happy caring environment. While bullying may never be eliminated, it will always be dealt with as a priority. Bullying involves deliberately hurtful behaviour which is repeated over a period of time by one or more persons who have power over the victim. Bullying can take many forms, it can also be recognised with reports of child on child abuse but the types listed are based upon the NSPCC definition:

• Physical bullying: hitting, slapping or pushing someone • Verbal bullying: name calling, spreading rumours or threatening someone • Non-verbal abuse – hand signs, text messages facial gestures • Emotional abuse: threatening, intimidating, humiliating someone • Exclusion: ignoring or isolating someone • Undermining: constant criticism or spreading rumours • Controlling or manipulating someone • Making silent, hoax or abusive calls • Racial, sexual, transphobic or homophobic bullying • Bullying someone because they have a disability Cyber Bullying: The NSPCC provide the following examples of what cyber bullying includes. • Sending threatening or abusive text/social media messages • Creating and sharing embarrassing images or videos • Trolling – the sending of menacing or upsetting messages on social networks, chat rooms or online games • Excluding children from online games, activities or friendship groups • Shaming someone online • Setting up hate sites or groups about a particular child, individual, family • Encouraging self-harm • Voting for or against someone in an abusive poll • Creating fake accounts, hijacking or stealing online identities to embarrass a young person or cause trouble using their name • Sending explicit messages, also known as sexting • Pressuring children into sending sexual images or engaging in sexual conversations

AIMS OF THIS POLICY: 1 To create an ethos in our schools where bullying is not tolerated in any form or at any time 2 To raise awareness amongst all staff, pupils and parents of issues surrounding bullying and so improve the identification of bullying at an early stage. 3 To provide all persons concerned with clear and effective procedures for the resolution and prevention of bullying incidents. 4 To minimise the occurrence of bullying in our schools and beyond

PROMOTING AN ANTI-BULLYING ATMOSPHERE: •

Through encouraging caring and cooperative relationships in the classroom, teachers can do a great deal to promote an anti-bullying culture. • Whole-school assemblies provide another opportunity for promoting a caring school community where bullying is seen as very harmful. • The work of learning mentors with our vulnerable pupils strengthens our preventative measures. • Specific class discussions or drama activities aimed at exploring bullying issues will be a useful addition to the school's moral and social education curriculum. • Regular class circle time sessions provide a means for any child to report bullying incidents and for bullying to be discussed openly. Reports can of course be made at any time

• The school community welcomes advice provided by specialist outside agencies on bullying matters. • An "open-door" policy towards parents will encourage early reporting of concerns. • Rigorous recording of all bullying investigations and confirmed incidents as well as follow-up actions and monitoring. Termly reporting to Governors. • An E-safety week will be held annually and e-safety issues will features in the planned curriculums for ICT and PHSE. IDENTIFICATION OF BULLYING: All identified bullying incidents should be reported to the Headteacher/Executive Headteacher/Head of School (or deputy headteacher in his/her absence). Incidents may be reported directly by the victim, by one of the victim's close friends or other peers, or via another member of staff (teaching or non-teaching).

Incidents may sometimes be reported to the headteacher by a parent/carer.

All reported incidents will be fully investigated as soon as is possible.

child on Child Abuse The guidelines for child on child abuse are highlighted in the KMAT Safeguarding Policy as the following

● Bullying (including cyberbullying, prejudice-based and discriminatory bullying).

● Abuse in intimate personal relationships between peers.

● Physical abuse such as hitting, kicking, shaking, biting, hair pulling, or otherwise causing physical harm (this may include an online element which facilitates, threatens and/or encourages physical abuse).

● Sexual violence, such as rape, assault by penetration and sexual assault;(this may include an online element which facilitates, threatens and/or encourages sexual violence).

● Sexual harassment, such as sexual comments, remarks, jokes and online sexual harassment, which may be standalone or part of a broader pattern of abuse.

● Causing someone to engage in sexual activity without consent, such as forcing someone to strip, touch themselves sexually, or to engage in sexual activity with a third party.

● Consensual and non-consensual sharing of nudes and semi-nude images and or videos

● Up-skirting, which typically involves taking a picture under a person’s clothing without their permission, with the intention of viewing their genitals or buttocks to obtain sexual gratification, or cause the victim humiliation, distress, or alarm; and

● Initiation/hazing type violence and rituals (this could include activities involving harassment, abuse or humiliation used as a way of initiating a person into a group and may also include an online element).

The above should be taken into account when considering whether the incident is a ‘one off’ incident or a bullying issue, this could either be towards an individual or a group of individuals with the same perpetrator.

PROCEDURES FOR RESOLUTION AND FUTURE PREVENTION Each individual case is unique and may require a different approach or solution but in general the following procedure will be followed though not necessarily in this order (the member of staff may be a senior leader, teacher or learning mentor):

1 The member of staff will listen to the victim of the bullying describing what has happened in some detail - ie... who has done the bullying? What form has it taken? How long has it been going on for? What has the victim done about it? Does anyone else know about it? What have they done?

2 After this, the member of staff will reassure the victim that the bullying will now stop and if it ever does re-occur, the victim must report it immediately. The member of staff will then discuss with the victim the best way to proceed suggesting the process below for the victim's approval.

3 The member of staff will talk with the bully or bullies and listen to their description of events. If they are at fault, the member of staff will insist that the bullying stops immediately and discuss what should be done next.

4 If necessary, the member of staff will talk with other children and staff about the incidents, to establish a full picture.

5 The member of staff will contact the parents of the victim and inform them of the incidents and the need for immediate reporting if bullying recurs. The family will be offered the support of a named member of staff in incidents of prolonged bullying.

6 The member of staff will speak to the parents of the bully or bullies and request their support for the actions being taken by the school. 7 Any sanctions decided upon in school are carried out. 8 A short-term behaviour action plan may be appropriate for the bully(ies). This may include an opportunity for individual counselling, activities to build self-esteem, development of better friendships, as well as a behaviour modification programme run by learning mentors. 9 All confirmed bullying incidents & investigations of bullying will be logged and reported to the Governors’ at their regular meetings. Bullying incidents will also be reported to the CEO and Trust Board. These recorded incidents will be monitored periodically to assess any trends of incidence or behaviour.

Any findings may influence further action in school aimed at reducing future incidence. The headteacher will inform all of the appropriate staff. 10 Staff will continue to be vigilant and monitor the victim's happiness and the bully's behaviour in school for as long as is necessary. Linked Policies • Equalities • Behaviour • Suspension and Exclusions • Safeguarding

• Online Safety Chair of Trustees 9/11/2022