WHAT IS BULLYING?

The Children and staff at Kate Alison Private School have defined bullying as: "Being made unhappy by the deliberate and continued actions and or words of others". These might include any of the following:-

•        Name calling

•        Threats – verbal or non verbal

•        Violence

•        Ignoring

•        Invading privacy or personal space

•        Interfering with property

•        Ridiculing

•        Demanding money

•        Deliberately failing to recognise someone's efforts or worth

•        Inciting others to act in any of the above ways

WHAT MAKES PEOPLE BULLY?

There are many varied reasons why people become bullies but a common theme is their need to be in control of someone or of a situation, giving them a feeling of power. This is often the result of having no power over some other aspect(s) of their lives – perhaps they are being bullied themselves.  

WHAT IS THE EFFECT OF BULLYING?

•        Bullying undermines a person's self esteem

•        They can feel worthless, and somehow in blam for what is happening to them

•        They will feel unwilling to participate in group events or even to come to school each day.

•        They feel helpless, unhappy and demoralised.

•        They feel that they have lost the right to be themselves and are unable to report the situation in case it makes it worse.

HOW DO WE STOP BULLYING?

The school employs a variety of methods for preventing and tackling bullying. These include policy implementation, training for staff, curriculum development and delivery, pupil buddy systems and effective pastoral care.

 Through these:

•        We will use learning methods here at Kate Alison Private School and use the opportunities to discuss and act on such situations. This can be done in class time, circle time or through role play (drama).

•        We will encourage children to see that others have the same right as themselves – the right to be an individual.

•        We will make it clear that it is alright to admit to being bullied.

•        We will use the support of other children to challenge/prevent bullying behaviour.

•        This can include the 'no blame' approach in which the bully is encouraged to see and help heal the harm done by his/her actions.

•        We will encourage the children to adopt a 'Do as you would like to be done by' approach to their treatment of others.

•        We will encourage all personnel to see differences between us as strengths

•        We will ensure that the children realize that they are involved in bullying if they see it happening yet do nothing. There is no such thing as a bystander or observer.

•        We will work with parents of children who persist in bullying, and those who we know/suspect might be being bullied so that we can work together to help the children overcome their feelings.  

•        We will encourage the children to make posters for their own areas to advertise no bullying.

•        We will produce a booklet for the children by the children to help with the recognition and prevention of bullying.

•        We will listen attentively to any child who comes to us with tales of bullying incidents.           This policy is reviewed annually.

Our school's curriculum is all the planned activities that we organise in order to promote learning, and personal growth and development. It includes not only the dual curriculum which is the Nigeria curriculum and the formal requirements of the English National Curriculum, but also the various extra- curricular activities that the school organises in order to enrich the children's experience. It also includes the 'hidden curriculum' – what the children learn from the way they are treated and expected to behave. We want children to grow into positive, responsible people, who can work and cooperate with others while at the same time developing their knowledge and skills, in order to achieve their true potential. 

Values

Our school curriculum is underpinned by the values that we hold dear at our school. The curriculum is the means by which the school achieves its objective of educating children in the knowledge, skills and understanding that they need in order to lead fulfilling lives.

These are the main values of our school, upon which we have based our curriculum: 

•        We value children's uniqueness, we listen to the views of individual children, and we promote respect for diverse cultures.

•        We value the spiritual and moral development of each person, as well as their intellectual and physical growth.

•        We value the importance of each person in our community, and we organise our curriculum to promote inclusion, cooperation and understanding among all members of our community.

•        We value the rights enjoyed by each person in our society. We respect each child in our school for whoever they are, and we treat them with fairness and honesty. We want to enable each person to be successful, and we provide equal opportunities for all our pupils.

•        We will strive to meet the needs of all our children, and to ensure that we meet all statutory requirements regarding inclusion.

•        We value our environment, and we want to teach our pupils, through our curriculum, how we should take care of the world, not only for ourselves, but also for future generations.

Aims

The aims of our school curricula are: to promote the development of each pupil regardless of gender, race or social class so that all the children achieve their maximum potential. We wish to recognise the potential and to maximise the achievements of the school community. 

Provide clear direction and purpose for each individual and always strive to improve on prior achievement. Develop an understanding of the need for good behaviour and courtesy and teach them to take responsibility for their own actions. 

Develop an appreciation of their own and other cultures, teaching tolerance, understanding and respect. Provide an enriching and stimulating curriculum through creative and high-quality teaching and learning experiences. Encourage good personal health, interests and skills to make the best use of life long leisure and educational opportunities. 

Ensure a safe and secure learning environment for all.. Prepare children for a smooth transition for the next step in their education and help to lay the foundations for lifelong learning. 

Organisation and planning

We plan our curriculum in three phases. We agree a long-term plan for each year level on a two-year rolling cycle. This indicates what topics are to be taught in each term, and to which groups of children. We review this long-term plan on an annual basis. 

Through our medium-term plans we give clear guidance on the objectives and teaching strategies for each topic. As we have adopted the International Preschool and Primary Curriculum for our school as deemed appropriate for the needs of our children, we take our medium-term planning directly from the guidance documents and from electronically published supporting material. We also use the national schemes of work as a basis for much of our medium-term planning.

Our short-term plans are those that our teachers write on a weekly or daily basis. We use these to set out the learning objectives and success criteria for each session, and to identify what resources and activities we are going to use in the lesson. 

Our Whole School Behaviour Management process has been developed to ensure there is a consistent approach to behaviour management.

Below are outlines of the steps used by the school.

For pupils who have been disobedient, the following processes will be undertaken to enforce discipline.

·      Verbal Warning: When a verbal warning is given, a call will be placed informing the Parent of the nature of warning issued to the pupil that particular day.

·      Yellow Card – A yellow card is issued after three verbal warnings if a pupil’s unacceptable behavior continues.

·      Red card: This is issued to pupils who breach the behaviour guidelines after the above steps (or immediately if the behavior is extremely serious or dangerous to self and others). They will have to discuss their inappropriate behaviour with the school and receive a letter outlining how the pupil has breached the school’s guidelines. This letter which is sent home will provide an opportunity for the family to discuss the inappropriate behaviour and possible consequences of such behaviour.

·      Individual Management Plan: Pupils who display recurrent challenging behaviour will be placed on an individual management plan. The management plan will be developed according to the pupil’s specific need. A meeting will be arranged with the parent/Guardian to discuss this plan.

·      Suspension and Expulsion: If the disobedience is severely serious and detrimental to the well-being of others and all actions above have proved unsuccessful, the pupil will be asked to leave the school temporarily or permanently 

Verbal Warning offenses include – continual disturbance in class while a lesson is ongoing causing distraction to others, verbal abuse of fellow pupil/ teacher, first offense of bullying a fellow pupil.

Individual Management Plan Offenses include – continual verbal abuse of a pupil to another, non-physical sexual advances to fellow pupils, deliberate destruction of school property, continuous bullying of a fellow pupil.

Suspension and Expulsion – physical abuse of a pupil to another, physical abuse of a pupil to a staff.

Kate Alison Private School is committed to ensuring equality and our aim is to encourage admission applications from candidates with as diverse a range of backgrounds as possible.  This enriches our community and is vital in preparing our pupils for today’s world. The school fees are affordable to make it possible for as many as possible who meet the School’s admission criteria to attend the School.  

The school is committed to equal treatment for all, regardless of a candidate’s gender, race, disability, ethnicity, religion, social background.  The School promotes and values diversity and difference.

•                Discriminatory words and behaviour are treated as unacceptable.

•                Inappropriate attitudes and practices will be challenged.

•                Positive attitudes are fostered towards people who are disabled and towards ethnic, cultural and linguistic groups within and outside the School

Provision is made for pupils with particular religious, dietary, language or cultural needs as required; 

Pupils for whom English is not a first language receive support, as appropriate, from the Special Needs Department.

Kate Alison Private School seeks to value all individuals equally and to foster tolerance, kindness and consideration among all pupils and staff throughout the School. Above all, we ask pupils and staff to treat others as they would wish to be treated.

The management of Kate Alison Private School recognise their corporate responsibility to provide as far as reasonably practicable a safe and healthy environment for the pupils and staff on and off site. We also acknowledge our responsibility to all other school users including parents, visitors and contractors while on site. 

POLICY

The management of Kate Alison Private School will take all reasonable, practicable steps to fulfil their responsibility to provide a safe and healthy environment for all users of the premises, including employees, and to pay particular attention to meeting the requirements of relevant statutory provisions.

PROCEDURE: The management duties are set out as follows:

•        Make safe plant, places of work, premises, equipment and systems.           

•        Make arrangements for the safe use, handling, storage and transportation of articles and substances.

•        Provide appropriate security arrangements.

•        Provide information, instruction, training and supervision by first aid personnel to ensure the health and safety of all those on the premises.

•        Provide adequate first aid and other welfare facilities. Provide safe means of access and egress.

•        Directors expect the School's employees to fulfil their legal obligation to cooperate in the operation of this policy; employees are expected to:  o Support and implement this policy.

o   Set a personal example through safe behaviour and comply with appropriate safety warnings.

o   Make use of the protective equipment available; ensure that pupils make use of protective equipment; observe standards of dress consistent with safety and/or hygiene; accept that the safety equipment, protective

clothing and procedures provided must be employed as appropriate to the hazard and in the manner prescribed; not interfere with or misuse equipment which has been provided in the interests of health and safety.

o   Comply with safety procedures, whether written or brought to our attention by other means; familiarise with procedures for emergency evacuation.

o    Ensure that any equipment to be purchased, hired or installed by the School is suitable for its intended use and location and complies with the appropriate safety regulations. Full operating and maintenance instructions, written in English, must be provided and made available for use.

o   Report to the designated person if inadequacies are detected in any safety procedures. Be conscious of the health, safety and welfare of themselves, their colleagues, pupils in their care and members of the public, and do nothing by act or omission which will adversely affect themselves or those others.

o   Report all incidents which have led or could lead to damage or injury, accidents, reportable diseases, dangerous occurrences and potentially hazardous incidents in accordance with prescribed procedures, and assist any resulting investigation.

o   Teach safety as an integral part of the curriculum, both by formal teaching, where appropriate, and by example, by ensuring that no School user sees or is allowed to do anything which does not correspond to the best industrial or teaching practice.

o   Prohibit any pupil who refuses to adopt safe working procedures from taking part in the lesson, and refer the pupil so that appropriate disciplinary action can be taken.

DESIGNATED RESPONSIBILITIES

The Health and Safety Officer

The Health and Safety Officer is a member of staff.

Responsibilities include: 

•        Monitoring and implementing the general safety programme.

Carrying out regular programmes of inspection of the premises.

•        Ensuring all accidents and hazardous situations are reported.

•        Analysing accident reports and reporting to the management where relevant

•        Establishing and monitoring first aid procedures, and review from time to time all First Aid and Emergency Regulations

•        Being the focal point for day to day references on safety and give advice or indicate sources of advice.

•        Holding relevant information on health and safety

•        Co-ordinating and implementing the School's safety regulations as approved by the management.

•        Establishing and monitoring fire procedures.

•        Setting a personal example and encouraging a safe attitude towards work amongst all staff and pupils.

•        Establishing protective clothing and equipment needs and establishing monitoring procedures for their use.

•        Maintaining contact with outside agencies.

•        Reporting all known hazards immediately and stopping any practices or the use of any plant, tools, equipment etc considered to be unsafe until their safety is satisfactory.

Making recommendations for additions or improvements to plant, tool, equipment etc which are dangerous or potentially so.