At Woodend Primary School we expect that everyone is safe, valued and respected and that individual differences are appreciated, understood and accepted. Therefore we will not tolerate bullying or harassment in any form.

The school will provide a positive culture where bullying, including cyber-bullying, harassment and violence, is not acceptable, and in so doing, all will have the right of respect from others, the right to learn or to teach, and the right to feel safe and secure in their school environment.

We have recently conducted the first of our 2 Bully Audits for the year. Results have been collated and are included in this blog post. Early Years students (Reception – Year 2) were not surveyed as our reading suggested that children under 8 years old don’t have the cognitive and language skills to participate reliably in a question – answer survey.

The term 1 audit shows a very small percentage of students who believe they are experiencing ongoing bullying at Woodend. When teachers followed up with students, 6 of these were more about either friendship issues or two people harassing each other rather than bullying and 3 were once off incidents that have been resolved. Classroom teachers are working with the remaining students and some families to resolve and monitor any ongoing issues.

A number of our students reported a time where they have supported a friend or another student in the yard when they have observed an unpleasant or bullying incident. These students used a range of supporting strategies such as: talking to them so they feel better, playing with them, telling the person to stop being unkind, helping the person to stand up to the other person and talking to a teacher on their behalf.

Some suggestions students had to improve safety at school included:

Ideas we are able to take on and will put plans in place to address:

  • students treating each other with respect
  • having a place where students being bullied can go to meet with a teacher
  • more lessons to teach morals and about bullying
  • make sure everyone has a friend
  • know the difference between complaining and reporting
  • kids stop littering

Ideas that we are not in a position to consider:

  • all the mean people go in one part of the school
  • have a pool, trampolines and water slides
  • security guard and cameras
  • more free time and colouring
  • more obstacle courses
  • longer recess and lunch breaks or longer lesson times
  • have a help button
  • bigger punishments
  • no ipads, a blocking system to block kids playing games during class time
  • giving everyone in the school $9 000 000

Ideas that we already have in place and will need to remind students:

  • having teachers in every area
  • 2 teachers on duty
  • have a ‘bully box’

Positive comments about the school:

  • this school is amazing, you don’t need to do anything
  • nothing, thank you
  • nothing, I like the school the way it is

Teachers will continue  to teach and encourage respectful relationships in classrooms and the yard. we will conduct another audit in term 3.

If you have any questions or concerns about the audit or the follow-up process, please contact your child’s classroom teacher orJane-Ann Natar at the school.

Bully Audit Results Term 1 2019