Anti-Bullying Policy

Our anti-bullying policy says what is not acceptable behaviour and the process for reporting bullying. We also list our anti-bullying strategies.

Homefield College takes seriously its duty of care towards its students regarding bullying. Bullying, especially if left unaddressed, which we know can have an effect on people. It can be a barrier to their learning and have serious consequences for their mental health.

At Homefield, we aim to foster caring relationships between all students, treating one another with respect and where all members feel valued. Our duty of care includes protecting all beneficiaries from harm from bullying.

Purpose & Scope

  • To assist in creating an ethos in which attending college is a positive experience for all members of the college
  • To make it clear that all forms of bullying are unacceptable
  • To enable everyone to feel safe
  • Encourage everyone to report incidences of bullying
  • To prevent bullying from happening
  • To support and protect victims of bullying and ensure they are heard and ensure that it is stopped as soon as possible.
  • To help and support bullies to change their attitudes as well as their behaviour and understand why it needs to change
  • To liaise with parents / carers and other appropriate professionals to reduce bullying

Definitions of Bullying

Homefield College defines bullying as ‘behaviour by an individual or group usually repeated over time, that intentionally hurts another individual or group either physically or emotionally.’   Bullying can happen in person or online and can be carried out by individuals or groups. (Bullying Involving Children with Special Education Needs and Disabilities. Department for Children, Schools, and Families 2008). NSPCC (Feb 2022) defines bullying as a range of abusive behaviour that is repeated and intended to hurt someone either physically or emotionally.

Students can abuse other students. This can include (but is not limited to): bullying (including cyberbullying); sexual violence and sexual harassment; physical abuse such as hitting, kicking, shaking, biting, hair pulling, or otherwise causing physical harm; sexting and initiation/hazing type violence and rituals.

Examples of Bullying

Physical bullying

Causing physical harm:

  • Hitting
  • Kicking
  • Shaking
  • Biting
  • Spitting
  • Scratching
  • Hair pulling
  • Intentionally throwing objects at a beneficiary

Racist bullying

Any incident which is perceived to be racist by the victim or any other person.

This can be in the form of:

  • Verbal abuse, name calling, racist jokes, offensive mimicry
  • Physical threats or attacks
  • Bringing racist leaflets, comics, or magazines
  • Inciting others to behave in a racist way
  • Racist graffiti or other written insults, even against food, music, dress, or customs
  • Refusing to co-operate in work or play related to diversity

Sexual harassment

Examples of:

  • Sexual comments, remarks, jokes
  • Looks and comments about appearance
  • Inappropriate and uninvited touching
  • Brushing past someone
  • Up-skirting (which typically involves taking a picture under a person’s clothing without them knowing)
  • Sexting (using social media to send sexual imagery or comments)
  • In its extreme form, sexual assault, or rape

Sexual orientation and gender expression

This can happen even if beneficiaries are not part of the LGBTQIA+ community.

This can be in the form of:

  • Use of homophobic language
  • Looks and comments about sexual orientation or appearance
  • Name calling
  • Comments on appearance

Cyber-bullying

Using technology to intentionally upset another person.

  • Receiving threatening or disturbing messages or images
  • Having your account hacked – when someone else uses your password

Emotional bullying

Intentionally causing harm and covers many of the above forms of bullying.

  • Deliberately ignoring someone
  • Taunting – making fun of someone
  • Calling someone names
  • Gas lighting – actions to control and manipulating another person
  • Blackmailing – making someone do something they do not want to do
  • Taking someone’s property

Code of Conduct

We will seek to prevent bullying by developing a code of conduct of behaviour. Teaching and learning for our students and staff in relation to bullying and how to prevent and deal with situations when they arise. Having a zero-tolerance approach to bullying of any form. We recognise that bullying is related to how we respect and recognise the value of diversity and so we are proactive in providing teaching and learning for our students and staff to be respectful. We are also always keen to increase the diversity of our staff and students to support this.

Students must show appropriate behaviour towards their peers:

  • Show respect to other students, staff, and visitors as well as members of the community
  • Be sensitive to others when they may be feeling vulnerable / sad
  • Take responsibility for their own behaviour
  • Report to staff any acts of bullying seen
  • Follow the College rules

College staff are role models to its beneficiaries and are expected to exemplify good conduct and follow this policy.

Procedures

Students reporting bullying

  • Tell staff, your family or somebody you trust what has happened straight away
  • Get away from the situation as quickly as possible
  • Do not blame yourself for what has happened

If you experience bullying by mobile phone text messages, e-mail, or social media:

  • Block the bully
  • Keep any texts, emails, images

What happens next:

  • Staff will talk to you about what happened
  • Staff will put in place measures to stop the bullying
  • Although bullying does not break UK law an act of bullying might, and you may be asked if you want to involve the police

Parents / carers reporting bullying

If the person you are responsible for has been bullied or are bullying another person:

  • Contact the College
  • The College will ask for details about the incident(s) of bullying
  • The College will provide all students with support
  • The College will not be able to discuss details with you about any other beneficiary

If the person you are responsible for is experiencing any form of electronic bullying:

  • Ensure the person is careful of whom they give their mobile phone number and e-mail address to
  • Encourage the keeping of records of the evidence
  • Check exactly when a threatening message was sent
  • Where necessary report incidents to the college or the authorities

Staff responding to an act of bullying

  • Take immediate steps to intervene as needed, such as separating the students
  • Reassure the person that they have done the right thing in telling you
  • Explain that should any further incidents occur; they should report them to a staff member immediately
  • All staff are safeguarding trained and must report any concerns of abuse, including bullying, to a safeguarding officer in line with the college’s Safeguarding Policy.

Where the young person is under 18:
  • Any incident of bullying will be discussed with the young person’s parents / guardians and parents / guardians will be consulted on action to be taken (for both victim and bully).
  • The Education Act 2011 amended the power in the Education Act 1996 to provide that when an electronic device, such as a mobile phone, has been seized by a member of staff who has been formally authorised by the Principal, that staff can examine data or files, and delete these, where there is good reason to do so. This power applies to all schools and colleges, and there is no need to have parental consent to search through a young person’s mobile phone.

Where the person is 18 or over:
  • Where the young person has ‘full capacity,’ their decisions on sharing information will be respected, but the College does reserve the right to contact external bodies, such as social services and the police where we feel that the young person’s well-being is seriously at risk.
  • Any bullying will be investigated following the Student Disciplinary Procedure and Policy
  • The College’s Search Policy needs to be followed by staff if they believe a student is carrying a prohibited item.

Anti-bullying Strategies

Teaching students about bullying needs to be pro-active and evident throughout the college.

Students all have a communication difficulty of some kind. Some may use behaviours to convey a message rather than talking about an issue. Staff will need to report early any signs of possible abuse (such as changes in a student’s behaviour) and / or emerging conflicts between students, in order for staff to support them in recognising and making good choices and avoiding acts of bullying.

The College adopts a range of strategies to prevent bullying, to raise awareness of bullying and to support victims and bullies.

  • Students supported to develop their communication
  • Learning strategies to manage their own behaviours
  • Respect and British Values taught throughout College activities
  • Students are taught about the consequences of specific actions, such as the law
  • Managers and staff lead by example
  • Personal and support tutorials given to all students regularly to give opportunities to raise any issues.
  • Student Union debates issues that occur from student meetings which can include e-safety and any potential bullying issues
  • Safeguarding and E-safety included in learning for students
  • Parent / Carer guidance
  • Specific relationship workshops for referred groups
  • Autism trained staff
  • Speech and language therapy
  • Positive behaviour support plans
  • Therapy team
  • Safeguarding training for all staff
  • Lead safeguarding trustee who supports the Safeguarding Lead

Useful contacts

Care Quality Commission – 03000 616161

Monitoring

This policy will be evaluated and updated where necessary annually or after any serious incidences of bullying. The views of our students and staff will be used to make changes and improvements to the policy on an ongoing basis as appropriate.

Links with Other Policies

  • Safeguarding

  • Student Disciplinary

  • E-safety and ICT Acceptable Use

  • Whistleblowing

Approved by: Senior Management Team
Last updated: September 2026
Next Review: August 2027
Staff Lead: Designated Safeguarding Lead