The Polygon has a Zero Tolerance to Bullying!

If you would like to log a bullying report on yours or someone else's behalf please use the Bullying Report link on the homepage or click the orange button.

Bullying

At the Polygon we aim to ensure that the school provides a safe and secure environment where all can achieve. The school asserts that:

“We all have the right to feel safe all of the time."

&

"We all have a responsibility for our own actions."

To ensure that the above happens we as a school do the following things:

• Pupils will be requested to give their opinions concerning bullying behaviour

• The school will agree a definition of bullying. This has been set as “any action that is deliberately meant to cause hurt to someone else” that occurs on more than one occasion.

• The pupils, through the School Council have established a set of sanctions for bullying behaviour.

• Parents will be informed of the anti-bullying policy.

• Pupils who make a complaint will be told the outcome of someone’s bullying behaviour so that they understand what action has been taken.

• Pupils are able to use an online bullying form that is checked weekly and acted upon by SLT

• The recreation periods will always be supported by staff supervision.

• Staff on duty during lunch-times and break-times will sanction behaviour that is viewed to be bullying.

• Members of staff will be “on duty” at Morris House during recreation periods

• Allegations of bullying, including cyber-bullying, will be taken seriously and every complaint will be investigated.

• Pupils will be informed about the outcome of any bullying incident.

• The School Council will help to set the sanctions to be applied to bullying behaviour if the sanction is questioned by the accused pupil or their parent / carer.

• A report bullying on the school website will be regularly monitored by the school Governor responsible for anti-bullying

• Peer mentors will be encouraged to support younger pupils and those new to the school. The peer mentors will help to ensure bullying does not occur in school by offering advice to the bully and victim. Peer mentors will also be requested to report any issue of concern and not to “take the law into their own hands”.

• Parent/carers of children joining the school will be informed of our anti-bullying position and this will be re-enforced on the school website and during PSHE sessions.

• Pupils will be reminded of their responsibilities during assemblies and tutorial times.

• Pupils will be taught to use electronic communications such as chat-rooms, mobile ‘phones and other social networks responsibly.

• Parent/carers are asked to try to monitor to content of their child’s mobile

  ‘phone and use of internet at home.

• Pupils on the main site will be expected to hand in their mobile phone for safekeeping as they arrive on site. Pupils on Morris House site will be able to add their phone to the house safe for the day.

• A school governor will have oversight of the anti-bullying practice.

Sanctions include the following: 

• Isolation from other children during recreation times
• A letter will be sent home to parents / carers of child with bullying behaviour
• The person bullying will be asked to face up to the consequences of their actions
• Detentions will be applied during the school day at break, lunch-time and after school 
• Fixed term exclusion ranging from one to forty-five days in each academic year
• Permanent exclusion.
• Involvement of police in incidents of bullying.

Rewards for those pupils who chose to help to stop bullying occurring, include:

•  Issue of citizenship points
•  Letter of commendation sent home to parents /carers
•  Official notification and recognition at school assembly
•  Commendation certificates
•  Special reward trips

*A record will be kept on individual pupils’ files concerning bullying and this will be discussed with parents / carers at “Target Review” day.

*The national Childline telephone number will be displayed in the school.

*The Governors will review the Anti-bullying policy annually.

*This policy should be cross referenced with the Safeguarding and Child Protection policy and the Behaviour policy.