Anti-Bullying Champions training from Kidscape

RESPECT is one of our key values here at Southborough.

Treating someone with RESPECT means that you value someone’s feelings and views. Respect in your relationships – both professional and personal – builds feels of trust, safety and wellbeing. Being respectful – and being respected by others –means that you care enough to think about how you impact others.

Last week, representatives from ‘Kidscape’ visited our school to deliver a Bullying Awareness Champions workshop to  a group of Year 7 and Year 8 students, enabling our boys to become more aware of what constitutes bullying, how to identify it and, ultimately, how to ensure that everyone supports and respects one another.

Kidscape’s training is based on young people supporting each other. The specific aim of the three hour interactive workshop – which involves a mixture of activities, role plays and discussions – is to increase children’s confidence by sharing practical techniques for recognising and responding to bullying situations, while developing a positive sense of self to take on a ‘Bullying Awareness Champion’ role within the school.

On Friday morning, our students heard all about bullying behaviour and the different types of bullying, the impact it has on students - and crucially what to do if it happens. Our boys were asked to plan and present what they would like to do to reduce bullying behaviour in school and what would make a good ‘Bullying Awareness Champion’.

Benefits of the workshop included:

· Helping our boys feel even safer

· Exploring the feelings and emotions involved in bullying and cyberbullying

· Helping young people know more about the different forms of bullying and cyberbullying

· Exploring the effects and impact bullying can have on a young person

· Recognising the difference between banter, conflict and bullying

· Supporting young people to help others

· Recognising the role of the bystander in situations of bullying

· Increasing levels of confidence and provide techniques for managing a bullying situation, while developing a positive sense of self

One Year 8 student commented:

“One of the most important lessons I learnt today was understanding the difference between banter, conflict and bullying. What one person would consider to be ‘just a bit of banter’ can be incredibly hurtful to another person. We all need to think and be more mindful before we make jokes or say something personal about another person. It’s just not acceptable anymore to say ‘I was only joking.”

Another Year 8 student commented:

“The workshop has given me more confidence to manage any potential bullying situation – and to support if I witness it happening to my friends. We can all make a positive difference by calling it out.”

Each student received a special ‘Bullying Awareness Champions’ certificate on completion of the workshop and, going forward, a number of them will be especially selected to become part of our ‘Anti-Bullying’ team of students who work together to make our school an even kinder place to be in.

We’d like to say a very big ‘thank you’ to Kidscape for taking the time to visit our school and deliver such a practical and engaging workshop to our Years 7 and 8 students.