Our school community believes that each pupil has a right to an education free from fear and
intimidation.
The school regards bullying as a serious infringement of individual rights and a serious threat
to the self-esteem and self-confidence of targeted pupil(s). We do not tolerate bullying of any
kind.
Every report of bullying is treated seriously and dealt with, having due regard for the well
being of the targeted pupil(s) and the perpetrator(s).
Incidences of a Bullying nature are recorded in the ‘Record of Bullying Behaviour’
booklet which is stored in the office & available for all teaching staff.
The immediate priority, should a bullying incident occur, is ending the bullying, (thereby
protecting the person(s) being targeted) and resolving the issues and restoring the
relationships involved insofar as is practicable using a “Reform, not Blame” approach.
All pupils are expected to contribute to the creation and maintenance of a safe environment in
our school. On becoming aware of any bullying situation, in or outside the school, involving
members of the school community they should notify a trusted responsible adult. Bullying
behaviour is too serious not to report.
Pupils’ participation in school life in general is encouraged through existing school structures.
Awareness of bullying, and willingness to take action to prevent or stop it, is part of this
participation.
Anti-Bullying Policy
1. In accordance with the requirements of the Education (Welfare) Act 2000 and the code of
behavior guidelines issued by the NEWB, the Board of Management of St. Patrick’s N.S
has adopted the following anti-bullying policy within the framework of the school’s overall
code of behavior. 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 recognizes 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 behavior:
• 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 behavior 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 behavior (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 behavior, 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 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 behavior, 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 behavior.
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 behavior.
Negative behaviour that does not meet this definition of bullying will be dealt with in
accordance with the school’s code of behaviour.
This definition includes a wide range of behaviour, whether verbal or written, whether
physical or social, whether targeting person or property, whether carried out directly or
indirectly or through any electronic or other medium, which could harm a pupil or
undermine her/his self-esteem or self-confidence.
Appendix 1 gives a list of specific examples of bullying behaviour. This list is not
exhaustive.
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)” for investigating and dealing with bullying in this school is/are
as follows:
- Ms. Aisling Keane for Junior Infants – 1st Class,
- Ms Katie Maguire for 2nd – 4th Class,
- Mr. Trevor Larke for 5th & 6th Class.
(“At primary level, the relevant teacher will normally be the class teacher.” Procedures
6.8.3).
5. The education and prevention strategies (including strategies specifically aimed at cyber-bullying and identity based bullying) used by the school are as follows:
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• The anti-bullying module of the SPHE programme as it applies during each school year
• Pro-actively explaining the nature and variety, causes, consequences and
unacceptability of bullying.
- Pupils are helped to examine the issue of bullying in a calm rational way, outside
of the tense context of particular bullying incidents. In the process they are made
more aware of the nature of bullying and the various forms that it can take.
- Pupils are made aware that the consequences of bullying behaviour are always bad
for those who are targeted, even if this is not always obvious at the time.
- Pupils are encouraged to recognise, reject and report bullying behaviour, either
spontaneously or through questionnaires that are regularly used in the school.
Through presentations or other exercises, the school staff and parents/guardians are
made aware of the nature of bullying and the signs that might indicate that a pupil is
being bullied. They are encouraged to be vigilant in watching out for signs of bullying
and to report any suspicion of bullying they may have to the “Relevant Teacher” (in
the case of staff members) or any staff member (in the case of parents/guardians).
• An annual friendship week – (to be introduced in the 2021/22 school year)
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, (e.g. the six step approach available from the “Dealing with Incidents”
section of the Anti-Bullying Campaign website) are as follows:
• The ‘Relevant Teacher’ investigates all instances of reported or suspected bullying
behaviour, whether these take place within the school or outside it, with a view to
establishing the facts and bringing any such behaviour to an end.
• The school, through the ‘Relevant Teacher’ reserves the right to ask any pupil to write
an account of what happened, as part of an investigation. This will be a standard
procedure and does not necessarily imply that a pupil is guilty of misbehaviour.
• Pupils who are alleged to have been involved in bullying behaviour are interviewed by
the ‘Relevant Teacher’ to establish the nature and extent of the behaviour and any
reasons for it. In the event that they have been involved in bullying behaviour they
are asked to sign a binding promise that they will treat all pupils fairly, equally and
respectfully including the targeted pupil(s).
• The 'Relevant Teacher’ does not apportion blame but rather treats bullying behaviour
as a "mistake" that can and must be remedied. S/he emphasises that the intention is
not to punish perpetrators but to talk to them, to explain how harmful and hurtful
bullying is and to seek a promise that it will stop. If that promise is forthcoming and is
honoured there will be no penalty and that will be the end of the matter. Pupils who
report bullying therefore are not getting others "in trouble" so much as enabling them
to get out of trouble into which they may ultimately get if the bullying continued.
• When an investigation is completed and/or a bullying situation is resolved the
'Relevant Teacher' will complete a report, to include the findings of the investigation,
the strategy adopted and the outcome of the intervention, as well as any other
relevant information.
• If a pupil has signed such a promise but then chooses to break that promise and
continue the bullying behaviour, this can then no longer be considered a "mistake." In
this event parent(s)/guardian(s) will be informed and requested to countersign their
daughter/son’s promise. Breach of this additional promise by further bullying
behaviour is regarded as a very grave matter and a serious sanction may be imposed
by the school authorities (See sanctions below).
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• All documentation regarding bullying incidents and their resolution is retained securely
in the school.
• Sanctions:
Where a pupil has been found to be engaged in bullying behaviour, has formally
promised to stop and has broken that promise, any of the following sanctions may be
imposed:
- S/he may be required to sign another promise, this time countersigned by a
parent/guardian;
- Parent(s)/guardian(s) may be contacted by the ‘Relevant Teacher’ and informed of
the nature and extent of the bullying behaviour with a view to agreeing a strategy
whereby a promise to end the bullying behaviour would be honoured;
- Parent(s)/guardian(s) may be invited to a meeting with the ‘Relevant Teacher’ and
the Principal and the pupil may be suspended from school.
- The case may be referred to the Board of Management and the pupil may be
expelled from the school.
7. The school’s programme of support for working with pupils affected by bullying is as
follows:
• Bullied pupils:
- Ending the bullying behaviour,
- Changing the school culture to foster more respect for bullied pupils and all pupils,
- Changing the school culture to foster greater empathy towards and support for
bullied pupils,
- Indicating clearly that the bullying is not the fault of the targeted pupil through the
awareness-raising programme,
- Indicating clearly that the bullying is not the fault of the targeted pupil through the
speedy identification of those responsible and speedy resolution of bullying
situations,
- After resolution, enabling bullied pupils to complete a victim-impact statement,
- Making adequate counselling facilities available to pupils who need it in a timely
manner,
- Helping bullied pupils raise their self-esteem by encouraging them to become
involved in activities that help develop friendships and social skills (e.g.,
participation in group work in class and in extra-curricular group or team activities
during or after school).
- Implementing a “buddy system” in the school (if applicable),
• Bullying pupils:
- Making it clear that bullying pupils who reform are not blamed or punished and get
a “clean sheet,”
- Making it clear that bullying pupils who reform are doing the right and honorable
thing and giving them praise for this,
- Making adequate counseling facilities available to help those who need it learn other
ways of meeting their needs besides violating the rights of others,
- Helping those who need to raise their self-esteem by encouraging them to become
involved in activities that develop friendships and social skills (e.g., participation in
group work in class and in extra-curricular group or team activities during or after
school),
- Using learning strategies throughout the school and the curriculum to help enhance
pupils’ feelings of self-worth,
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- In dealing with negative behavior in general, encouraging teachers and parents to
focus on, challenge and correct the behaviour while supporting the child,
- In dealing with bullying behaviour seeking resolution and offering a fresh start with
a “clean sheet” and no blame in return for keeping a promise to reform.
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. The Board of Management confirms that the school will, in accordance with its obligations
under equality legislation, take all such steps as 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 21/10/21.
11. This policy has been made available to school personnel, published on the school website
and provided to the Parents’ Association. A copy of this policy will be made available to
the Department of Education and Skills and to 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 and provided to the
Parents’ Association. A record of the review and its outcome will be made available to the
Department of Education and Skills and to the patron if requested.
Signed: Trevor Larke (Principal)
Signed: Dean Paul Bogle (Chairperson)
Date: 21/10/21
