Everyone Has the Right to Feel Safe

At Manuden Primary School, we are committed to creating a safe, welcoming and inclusive school where every child feels valued, respected and able to learn.

Bullying is not tolerated at Manuden.

We want children to know that if they experience bullying, see bullying happening or are worried about somebody else, they should tell an adult.

• They will be listened to.
• Their concern will be taken seriously.
• Adults will act.
• They will be supported.
• We will check that the situation has improved.

Reporting bullying is not “telling tales” or “snitching”. It is asking for help and helping to keep somebody safe. This reflects our whole-school expectations:

Safe • Respectful • Ready

What Is Bullying?

Bullying is behaviour by an individual or group which is usually repeated over time, intended to cause physical or emotional harm, and involves an imbalance of power.

That imbalance of power might come from physical strength, popularity, social influence, emotional pressure, access to information or technology, or another factor that makes it difficult for the child being targeted to defend themselves.

Bullying can happen face to face, indirectly through other children, online, in school or outside school.

Is Every Unkind Behaviour Bullying?

No.

Children sometimes fall out, argue, make mistakes or behave unkindly towards one another. A one-off disagreement or unkind comment does not automatically mean that bullying has occurred.

However, this does not mean we ignore it.

At Manuden, we respond to inappropriate behaviour whether or not it ultimately meets the definition of bullying. A serious one-off incident may require a significant behaviour or safeguarding response even though it is not technically bullying.

The important distinction is that bullying normally involves repeated targeting and an imbalance of power.

What Can Bullying Look Like?

Bullying can take many forms, including:

• Physical bullying – hitting, kicking, pushing, deliberately hurting someone or damaging their belongings.
• Verbal bullying – repeated name-calling, insults, threats, mocking or humiliating comments.
• Relational or social bullying – deliberately excluding someone, spreading rumours, manipulating friendships or repeatedly isolating another child.
• Online bullying – abusive messages, repeated targeting through games or messaging, deliberately excluding someone from online groups, impersonation or sharing material intended to embarrass or humiliate.
• Prejudice-based or discriminatory bullying – behaviour relating to race, ethnicity, religion or belief, disability, SEND, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, family circumstances, appearance or another personal characteristic.

A discriminatory incident does not need to happen repeatedly before we act. Racist, homophobic, sexist, misogynistic, ableist, religious or other discriminatory language or behaviour will be challenged, recorded, addressed and monitored. It will not be dismissed as “banter” or joking.

How Can a Child Report Bullying?

Children can speak to any trusted adult in school.

This could be their class teacher, teaching assistant, midday member of staff, the Headteacher, a Designated Safeguarding Lead or another adult they trust.

Children can also tell a parent or carer and ask them to contact us.

We teach children an important message:

If you have told somebody and you are still worried, keep telling until somebody helps.

We recognise that some children find it difficult to explain concerns verbally. Staff will help children find other appropriate ways to communicate when needed.

What Happens When Bullying Is Reported?

At Manuden we follow a clear process:

1. Listen and Make Safe

We listen calmly, take the concern seriously, reassure the child that telling us was the right thing to do and consider whether anybody needs immediate protection.

2. Record

Suspected and reported bullying concerns are recorded on CPOMS, our safeguarding and pastoral recording system.

This enables us to identify previous incidents, emerging patterns and repeated behaviour.

3. Establish What Has Happened

Staff gather information carefully rather than making assumptions.

We consider what happened, whether it has happened before, whether somebody is being deliberately targeted, whether there is an imbalance of power, the impact on the child, any online behaviour, discrimination, SEND or additional vulnerability, and whether the matter raises a safeguarding concern.

4. Decide

The outcome might be that we have identified:

an isolated behaviour incident • a friendship difficulty • bullying • discriminatory behaviour • a safeguarding concern

Sometimes more than one of these may apply.

Whatever the conclusion, inappropriate behaviour identified through the process will still be addressed.

5. Act

Where bullying has occurred, our response may include appropriate consequences under the Behaviour Policy, support for the pupil affected, work with the child displaying the bullying behaviour, communication with parents, additional supervision, appropriate restorative work and safeguarding action where necessary.

6. Review

Giving a consequence is not the end of our response.

We check back with the pupil affected to find out whether the behaviour has stopped, whether they feel safe and whether further support is needed.

We continue to review the situation for as long as reasonably necessary to ensure that it has been resolved.

Supporting Children Who Experience Bullying

Support is tailored to the individual child.

It might include a trusted adult, regular check-ins, additional supervision, pastoral support, friendship support, SEND reasonable adjustments, online-safety support and communication with parents.

Our aim is to restore the child's confidence and sense of safety.

A child who has experienced bullying should not routinely be expected to change their normal activities or friendships simply to avoid the child displaying the bullying behaviour.

Children Displaying Bullying Behaviour

We are clear that bullying behaviour is unacceptable.

At the same time, simply applying a punishment without addressing why the behaviour occurred may not prevent it happening again.

Our response therefore combines:

Accountability • Consequence • Education • Support

This might include consequences under our Behaviour Policy, work on empathy and relationships, restorative work where appropriate, emotional-regulation support, parental involvement, additional supervision or SENCO/pastoral support.

Understanding why something happened does not excuse bullying. The purpose of support is to ensure the behaviour stops.

We also avoid labelling a child as “a bully”. We describe and address the behaviour while maintaining high expectations that children can learn from their actions and change them.

Restorative Practice

Restorative approaches can sometimes help children understand harm and repair relationships.

However, we will not automatically put children together for a restorative meeting following bullying.

A child who has experienced bullying will not be required to meet face to face with the child responsible simply to “sort it out”.

Restorative work is only used where staff believe it is safe and appropriate and the pupil affected is comfortable with it.

Online Bullying

Bullying does not stop at the school gate.

Online behaviour that happens at home or outside school can have a significant effect on children's safety, wellbeing and relationships in school.

Where online behaviour has a clear connection with pupils' wellbeing, relationships, safeguarding or the orderly running of the school, Manuden may respond even though the behaviour happened outside school.

We will work with children and parents and use our Behaviour Policy, Online Safety Policy and safeguarding procedures where appropriate.

For further advice, please visit our Online Safety for Families page.

SEND and Additional Vulnerability

We recognise that some pupils with SEND or disabilities can face additional vulnerability to bullying or may find it harder to recognise, communicate or report what has happened.

We will make reasonable adjustments and take individual communication and support needs into account when listening to pupils and investigating concerns.

Additional needs will never be used as a reason to ignore bullying behaviour.

When Bullying Becomes a Safeguarding Concern

Some behaviour between children goes beyond bullying and becomes a safeguarding or child-on-child abuse concern.

This can include serious violence, sexual harassment, sexual violence, harmful sexual behaviour, coercion, exploitation, serious threats, significant online abuse or making/sharing nude or semi-nude images, including manipulated or AI-generated images.

Where this happens, safeguarding procedures take priority and the concern is reported immediately to the DSL or a Deputy DSL.

This reflects the current Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026 statutory safeguarding framework.

Working With Parents and Carers

If you think your child is experiencing bullying, has witnessed bullying, may be displaying bullying behaviour or is affected by online behaviour involving other pupils, please talk to us.

Your child's class teacher should normally be the first point of contact.

Significant or unresolved concerns can be raised with:

Phil Molyneux – Headteacher

School Office: 01279 813370
Email: office@manuden.essex.sch.uk

Please give us as much factual information as possible and let us know if something continues after you have spoken to us.

We ask parents not to approach another child or family directly. This can make situations more difficult to investigate and resolve.

What Information Can We Share With Parents?

We will explain what we are doing to support your child and provide appropriate assurance that concerns are being addressed.

However, we cannot disclose confidential information about another pupil. This includes another child's consequences, SEND, safeguarding information, family circumstances or pastoral support.

Preventing Bullying

Preventing bullying is part of everyday life at Manuden — not something we only talk about during Anti-Bullying Week.

Through our Behaviour expectations, RSHE & PSHE curriculum, Online Safety curriculum, assemblies, pupil voice, supervision and teaching about equality and difference, children learn how to build positive relationships, recognise harmful behaviour and seek help.

We also encourage children who witness bullying to become positive bystanders: not joining in or ignoring what is happening, but seeking help from an adult.

Anti-Bullying Week 2026 – Break the Silence

Manuden will support Anti-Bullying Week 2026, taking place from Monday 16 November to Friday 20 November 2026.

This year's theme is:

Break the Silence

The campaign encourages children and adults to talk openly about bullying, speak up when something is wrong, listen to others and take action together.

Odd Socks Day will take place on Monday 16 November, celebrating what makes each of us unique.

Need More Help?

Anti-Bullying Alliance
Advice and support for children, parents and schools.

Childline – Bullying and Cyberbullying
Advice and confidential support for children and young people.
Telephone: 0800 1111

Our Policies

Please also see:

Anti-Bullying Policy 2026–27
Behaviour Policy 2026–27
Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy 2026–27
Online Safety Policy 2026–27
RSHE & PSHE Policy 2026–27

Growing Hearts • Growing Minds • Growing Dreams