What is Bullying?

At Eckington School, we define bullying as:

"Deliberately hurtful behaviour, by an individual or a group, which intentionally hurts another individual, physically or emotionally, usually repeated over a period of time, where it is often difficult for those being bullied to defend themselves."

Bullying can happen anywhere—both in and out of school—and it can take many forms:

• Verbal: name-calling, mocking, spreading rumours
• Physical: hitting, pushing, taking belongings
• Emotional: excluding others, coercion, intimidation
• Online: messages, images or threats via phones, social media or the internet
• Prejudice-based: including racist, sexist, homophobic or transphobic behaviour, or targeting someone because of a disability

Bullying is never tolerated at Eckington School. We work proactively to prevent bullying and to respond swiftly and sensitively when it occurs.

How We Respond to Bullying – Understanding the Thresholds

We use a threshold system to determine the level and response needed for each incident. This ensures every report is taken seriously and handled by the right staff with appropriate support for students and families.

Threshold	Handled By	Examples of Behaviour
1	Form Tutor	Minor friendship issues Falling out between individuals
2	Pastoral Support Assistant (PSA) / Head of Year	Group conflicts Isolation of individuals Targeting of individuals with physical or verbal abuse Online bullying Incidents that happen at social time External incidents that impact negatively on students' wellbeing and attendance where there is no police involvement
3	Senior Leadership Team Link / Safeguarding Team	Hate-based incidents (racism, homophobia, transphobia, biphobia, misogyny) Any incident against protected characteristics Any bullying incident out of school involving the police Sharing of inappropriate images
4	Deputy Safeguarding Lead / Deputy Headteacher	Sexual harassment or violence External threats of violence Coercive or controlling behaviours Child-on-Child abuse cases Behaviour that brings the school into disrepute Parental complaint about bullying
5	Headteacher	Persistent or repeated incidences of bullying by a perpetrator Exploitation of other pupils, including child criminal exploitation (CCE) and child sexual exploitation (CSE) Pre-meditated physical violence Carrying an offensive weapon Sustained patterns of harmful sexual behaviours Serious physical harm to students of staff

Each level includes clear in-school actions such as parent meetings, restorative work, sanctions, and—when necessary—involvement of external agencies or consideration of off-site provision.

We keep a detailed log of all incidents and actions on our safeguarding system (CPOMS) and ensure students and parents are informed at every stage.

Working Together

Preventing and tackling bullying is a shared responsibility. We work closely with students, families, and outside agencies to ensure everyone feels safe, calm, polite and kind—the core of The Eckington Way.

If you’re concerned about bullying:

• Speak to your child’s Form Tutor or Head of Year
• Contact our Pastoral Team or DSL
• Report concerns directly to the school via phone or email
• Report concerns on antibullying@chorustrust.org

For full details, see our Anti-Bullying Policy.

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Useful Links – Support with Bullying