1. In accordance with the requirements of the Education (Welfare) Act 2000 and the code of behaviour guidelines issued by the NEWB, the Board of Management of Holy Family Senior National School has adopted the following anti-bullying policy within the framework of the school’s overall code of behaviour. This policy fully complies with the requirements of the Anti-Bullying Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools which were published in September 2013.

2. The Board of Management recognises the very serious nature of bullying and the negative impact that it can have on the lives of pupils and is therefore fully committed to the following key principles of best practice in preventing and tackling bullying behaviour:

• A positive school culture and climate which-

is welcoming of difference and diversity and is based on inclusivity;
encourages pupils to disclose and discuss incidents of bullying behaviour in a non-   threatening environment; and promotes respectful relationships across the school community;

• Effective leadership;
• A school-wide approach;
• A shared understanding of what bullying is and its impact;
• Implementation of education and prevention strategies (including awareness raising measures) that build empathy, respect and resilience in pupils; and explicitly address the issues of cyber-bullying and identity-based bullying including in particular, homophobic and transphobic bullying.

• Effective supervision and monitoring of pupils;
• Supports for staff;
• Consistent recording, investigation and follow up of bullying behaviour (including use of established intervention strategies); and on-going evaluation of the effectiveness of the anti-bullying policy.

3. In accordance with the Anti-Bullying Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools bullying is defined as follows:

Bullying is unwanted negative behaviour, verbal, psychological or physical conducted, by an individual or group against another person (or persons) and which is repeated over time.
The following types of bullying behaviour are included in the definition of bullying:

• Deliberate exclusion, malicious gossip and other forms of relational bullying,
• Cyber-bullying and
• Identity-based bullying such as homophobic bullying, racist bullying, bullying based on a person’s membership of the Traveller community and bullying of those with disabilities or special educational needs.

Isolated or once-off incidents of intentional negative behaviour, including a once-off offensive or hurtful text message or other private messaging, do not fall within the definition of bullying and should be dealt with, as appropriate, in accordance with the school’s code of behaviour.
However, in the context of this policy, placing a once-off offensive or hurtful public message, image or statement on a social network site or other public forum where that message, image or statement can be viewed and/or repeated by other people will be regarded as bullying behaviour.
Negative behaviour that does not meet this definition of bullying will be dealt with in accordance with the school’s code of behaviour.
Additional information on different types of bullying is set out in Section 2 of the Anti-Bullying Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools.

4. The relevant teacher(s) ( Section 6.8.3 of the guidelines) for investigating and dealing with bullying are as follows:

• The Class teacher / Relevant Teacher ( Phase 1 investigation)
• The Principal (DLP) and or The Deputy Principal(DDLP) ( Phase 2).

5. The education and prevention strategies (including strategies specifically aimed at cyber- bullying and identity-based bullying including in particular, homophobic and transphobic bullying) that will be used by the school are as follows in compliance with Section 6.5 of the Anti-Bullying Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools):

• A programme of internet safety / cyber bullying for all class groupings, within the SPHE programme, based on programmes available through Web-wise, Prime ed.( Bullying a Cyber world etc.)
• Programmes & lesson plans on All-teachers. Pupils internet safety checklists / parent cyber bullying checklist.
• Examination & explanation of forms of cyber-bullying including Cyberstalking/ Flaming/Exclusion/Outing/ Masquerading/Impersonation/ Harassment and Denigration.
• Help pupils to understand bullying is wrong and that collectively they have the power to eliminate it.
• The School will ensure an SPHE programme which examines, explains and condemns all types of bullying including Homophobic, Racist, and transphobic bullying.

6. The school’s procedures for investigation, follow-up and recording of bullying behaviour and the established intervention strategies used by the school for dealing with cases of bullying behaviour are as follows (see Section 6.8 of the Anti-Bullying Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools):

Phase 1: In class teacher investigation of complaint.

• Fill Bullying Incident Recording Form & discuss same with victim and accused bully.
• Identify Type of bullying and ascertain level of bullying involved.
• Outline school policy and approach regarding seriousness of bullying
• Outline right of every child to be in a bully free zone at school.
• When incident has been investigated deal with bully’s attitude to incident and try to emphasise the wrongs involved and the impact on both victim and bully.
• Emphasise possible effects on victim and equally the effect a bullying reputation can have on the accused bully.
• In school detention & contact with parents where appropriate.
• Issue of Formal warning re repeat of bullying incidents and progression to phase 2.
• If bullying behaviour has been consistent over a period of time – introduction of 6 week daily/weekly monitoring report sheet to be signed daily by teacher, and weekly by principal & parent/guardian.

Phase 2: DLP or DDLP investigation of complaint. (Where incidents have continued after phase 1 investigation and warning).

• Repeat of above.
• Contact with both sets of parents.
• Formal recording of Stage 2 interview.
• Afternoon detention & report put on file.
• 6 week Daily Report with possible suspension option if bullying continues.

7. The school’s programme of support for working with pupils affected by bullying is as follows and takes into account all recommendations in Section 6.8 of the Anti-Bullying Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools) :

• Children are encouraged to come forward and report any, and all, incidences of bullying.
• There is a positive Anti-Bullying culture in place in all classes and throughout the school.
• All teachers are charged with the responsibility to monitor and address incidents of bullying as they occur in the school in conjunction with the class teacher, the DLP & or DDLP.
• All teachers and the school deputy principal and principal operate an open door policy guaranteeing confidentiality for any child who wishes to report bullying whether it is happening to the pupil themselves or to a fellow pupil.
• Follow up investigation and action taken on all reports of bullying.
• Professional Counselling is available to both victims and perpetrators of bullying and their parents, where appropriate.

8. Supervision and Monitoring of Pupils

The Board of Management confirms that appropriate supervision and monitoring policies and practices are in place to both prevent and deal with bullying behaviour and to facilitate early intervention where possible.

9. Prevention of Harassment

The Board of Management confirms that the school will, in accordance with its obligations under equality legislation, take all such steps that are reasonably practicable to prevent the sexual harassment of pupils or staff or the harassment of pupils or staff on any of the nine grounds specified i.e. gender including transgender, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race and membership of the Traveller community.

10. This policy was adopted by the Board of Management on 17^th. February 2014.
11. This policy has been made available to school personnel, published on the school website is readily accessible to parents and pupils on request and has been provided to the Parents’ Association. A copy of this policy will be made available to the Department and the patron if requested.
12. This policy and its implementation will be reviewed by the Board of Management once in every school year. Written notification that the review has been completed will be made available to school personnel, published on the school website (or where none exists, be otherwise readily accessible to parents and pupils on request) and provided to the Parents’ Association (where one exists). A record of the review and its outcome will be made available, if requested, to the patron and the Department.

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Actions that will be taken to help build a positive school culture and climate and to help prevent and tackle bullying behaviour.

1. 1. Model respectful behaviour to all members of the school community at all times. – Explicitly teach pupils what respectful language and respectful behaviour looks like, acts like, sounds like and feels like in class and around the school.
   2. Display key respect messages in classrooms, in assembly areas and around the school. Involve pupils in the development of these messages.
   3. Catch them being good – notice and acknowledge desired respectful behaviour by providing positive attention.
   4. Consistently tackle the use of discriminatory and derogatory language in the school – this includes homophobic and racist language and language that is belittling of pupils with a disability or SEN.
   5. Give constructive feedback to pupils when respectful behaviour and respectful language are absent.
   6. Have a system of encouragement and rewards to promote desired behaviour and compliance with the school rules and routines. Eg. Student of the Month Award.
   7. Explicitly teach pupils about the appropriate use of social media.
   8. Positively encourage pupils to comply with the school rules on mobile phone and internet use. Follow up and follow through with pupils who ignore the rules.
   9. Actively involve parents and/or the Parents’ Association in awareness raising campaigns around social media.
   10. Actively promote the right of every member of the school community to be safe and secure in school.
   11. Highlight and explicitly teach school rules in pupil friendly language in the classroom and in common areas.
   12. All staff can actively watch out for signs of bullying behaviour.
   13. Ensure there is adequate playground/school yard/outdoor supervision.
   14. School staff can get pupils to help them to identify bullying “hot spots” and “hot times” for bullying in the school.
   15. Support the establishment and work of student councils.

Hot spots tend to be in the playground/school yard/outdoor areas, changing rooms, corridors and other areas of unstructured supervision.
Hot times tend to be times where there is less structured supervision such as when pupils are in the playground/school yard or moving classrooms.