Supporting anti-bullying week in Wiltshire
Monday 17th November 2014
Young people with disabilities in Wiltshire are challenging preconceived ideas as part of a thought-provoking video for national Anti-Bullying Week, soon to made avialable to schools.
The film covers discrimination against young people with disabilities but also looks at understanding the difference between ability and disability. Part of the footage shows the everyday lives of young people with disabilities, to help others to look beyond the disability to see the ability. As part of the finishing touches for the film, the group will be asking people visiting County Hall today (November 17) for their views on what is disability and what is ability. The event ties in with national Anti-Bullying Week which starts today and which has focused on the bullying of young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
To help prepare schools for anti-bullying week Wiltshire Council and Achievement for All provided training sessions for Wiltshire teachers during September. The training, funded by the Department for Education (DfE), helps schools reduce the impact and incidence of bullying on vulnerable learners, with a focus on SEND pupils. A further free training day for Wiltshire school staff is available in February.
Wiltshire Council has sent out updated guidance for Wiltshire schools on developing their anti-bullying policies. http://www.wiltshirehealthyschools.org/resources/guidance/local/
PSHE lessons provide a useful opportunity to talk to pupils about bullying and healthy/unhealthy relationships, including recognising the features of exploitative friendships and tackling the attitudes and stigma which lead to prejudice-based bullying.
Resources, developed by Wiltshire primary school teachers, are available online to help teach about bullying through PSHE education. These include lesson plans and a package for schools to deliver during anti-bullying week. Lesson plans are also available for secondary schools as part of a local secondary school scheme of work.
In the new year Wiltshire Council will be asking pupils about their experience of bullying, as part of a wider pupil health and wellbeing survey.
During Anti-Bullying Week the DfE will launch its social media campaign #StopBullying. For more information on the week go to http://www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/anti-bullying-week/
Also of interest to school are various resources from the PSHE Associationincluding the PSHE Association ‘10 Questions About Bullying’ resource. These questions can be discussed in a planned PSHE lesson, in tutor time or in circle time, and the resource comes with both teacher notes and slides to use in class.
The following resources related to bullying and/or unhealthy relationships are available from other providers.
- The 'Expect Respect' education toolkit from Women's Aid, with teaching material focusing on abuse in relationships (for Key Stages 1-5)
- The 'Reach Teaching Resource' from EACH on addressing homophobic bullying, sexism and cyberbullying
- The 'STOP Stigma' resource by Cornwall Healthy Schools on combatting prejudice towards people with mental health issues
- The CEOP 'Exploited' resource on abuse which looks at exploitative friendships, peer influence and abusive relationships
- The 'DEAL' resources from the Samaritans are designed to raise awareness of emotional health and helping young people to recognise when they need help
