With the recent implementation of 'The Addressing Bullying in Schools Act 2016 (NI)', St. Brigid's is taking a more accessible and reflective approach to addressing bullying-type behavior in our school. Our 'Addressing Bullying' policy now reflects these recent changes in the law.
The law states that:
"“Bullying” includes, but isn’t limited to, repeated verbal, written or electronic communication, by a pupil(s) against another pupil(s) that is intended to cause physical or emotional harm. This also includes leaving someone out on purpose.”
"The new statutory guidance to schools from the Department of Education (NI):
It explains why grant-aided schools must have an Anti-Bullying Policy, what it must cover and the role of the governing body and head teachers in shaping their school’s behaviour policy.
The term ‘must’ is used when the person in question is legally required to do something and the term ‘should’ is used when advice is being offered.
Detailed statement of legislative cross references will be issued when the Act has a commencement order."
Addressing Bullying in Schools Act (Northern Ireland) 2016, Retrieved 02/10/24, Dept. of Education (NI)
Our Approach - A New Way to Address Bullying-Type Behavior
At St. Brigid's, our foremost priority is ensuring a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment where every pupil can learn and thrive free from intimidation. We are fully committed to the continuous improvement of our addressing-bullying policies and pastoral care systems.
In line with this commitment, we are actively responding to recent statutory guidance from the Department of Education (NI). This new guidance strongly encourages schools to diversify the channels through which bullying-type behaviours can be reported. The goal is to lower any potential barriers to reporting, ensuring that pupils and parents have multiple, accessible, and comfortable ways to share concerns with the school. We believe that offering a variety of methods will empower more people to speak up, allowing us to intervene earlier and more effectively.
We are pleased to announce that St. Brigid's is taking its first significant steps to enhance our reporting systems by introducing two new dedicated online forms. These forms are designed to provide a discreet, accessible, and direct line of communication to our safeguarding team.
The two forms are:
A Pupil-Specific Form: This form will be designed with age-appropriate language, making it straightforward for pupils to use directly if they are experiencing or have witnessed bullying-type behaviour. It provides a secure way for them to reach out for help at any time, whether at school or at home.
An Adult Form: This form is intended for parents, guardians, and other concerned adults in our community. It allows you to report any incidents you have witnessed or that your child has made you aware of, providing a space for the necessary context and detail.
These secure forms are available below. We want to assure our entire community that all reports submitted will be handled with the utmost seriousness and confidentiality, in strict accordance with our Addressing-Bullying Policy and safeguarding procedures.
