Introduction
Bullying is action taken by one or more children with the deliberate intention of hurting another child, either physically or emotionally. There is a difference between bullying and friendship difficulties. This policy is about bullying.
Aims and objectives
- Bullying is wrong and damages individual children. We therefore do all we can to prevent it, by developing a dance school ethos in which bullying is regarded as unacceptable.
- We produce a safe and secure environment where all can dance and learn without anxiety.
- This policy informs practice, which produces a consistent dance school response to any bullying incidents that may occur.
- We make all those connected with the dance school aware of our opposition to bullying, and we make clear each person’s responsibilities with regard to the eradication of bullying in our dance school.
The role of the Directors/ Coaches
It is the responsibility of the directors to implement the dance school anti-bullying strategy and to ensure that all staff (including volunteers) are aware of the dance school policy and know how to deal with incidents of bullying. The directors/ coaches ensure that all dancers know that bullying is wrong, and that it is unacceptable behaviour within the dance school. Coaches draw the attention of children and young people to this fact at suitable moments. For example, if an incident occurs, the coaches may decide to sit the dancers down and talk through this with them and explain that it will not be tolerated at TOFDC. The directors/ coaches set the dance school climate of mutual support and praise for success, so making bullying less likely. When dancers feel they are important and belong to a friendly and welcoming dance school, bullying is far less likely to be part of their behaviour.
The role of the all staff and Volunteers
- All staff and volunteers in our dance school take all forms of bullying seriously, and intervene to prevent incidents from taking place. They should report any incidents to Emma Thorne, their director.
- If staff/ volunteers witness an act of bullying, they do all they can to support the dancer who is being bullied. If a dancer is being bullied over a period of time, then, after consultation with a director, the dancer’s parents are informed. Discussions with parents should be minuted on the incident log.
- We keep an incident log where we record all incidents of bullying. If any adult witnesses an act of bullying, they should record the event on an incident sheet.
The role of parents
- Parents who are concerned that their child might be being bullied, or who suspect that their child may be the perpetrator of bullying, should contact their dance school director, Emma Thorne, to inform them.
- Parents have a responsibility to support the dance school’s anti-bullying policy and to actively encourage their child to be a positive member of the dance school.
Monitoring and review
- This policy is monitored on a day-to-day basis by the Headteacher, who reports to governors about the effectiveness of the policy on request.
- This anti-bullying policy is the directors’ responsibility and they review its effectiveness annually. They do this by examining the dance school’s incident logs. Directors analyse information with regard to gender, age and ethnic background of all children involved in bullying incidents.
Written: May 2020
Date of last review: April 2022
Policy written and reviewed by: Emma Thorne
Approved by: Laura Hazell
Date: 01/04/2022
Date of Next Review: April 2023
ANTI-BULLYING POLICY
TOF DANCE COMPANY