At Kingsley, ensuring that every pupil feels safe, respected and included is central to our culture and our commitment to wellbeing. This year, our community took part in Anti-Bullying Week 2025, embracing the national theme “Power for Good.” Throughout the week, pupils explored how every word and action has the potential to either lift others up or cause real harm and how each of us can choose to use our power positively.
Our Approach to Bullying
As a school, we have a zero-tolerance stance on bullying. Kindness, respect and relational practice underpin all we do, and we work hard to promote a culture where our pupils feel confident to seek help, speak up, and support one another.
We remind our pupils regularly that any form of bullying is unacceptable, whether it happens in person, online or within social groups, and that we are here to listen and act. Every member of staff plays a role in modelling our Kingsley Kind ethos and in promoting strong, healthy relationships across the community.
What Bullying Is
We ensure our pupils clearly understand what the term bullying means.
At Kingsley, bullying is defined as:
Repeated, intentional behaviour that causes harm and involves an imbalance of power.
Bullying can take many forms, including:
- Verbal: name-calling, threats, insults, unkind comments
- Physical: hitting, pushing, damaging property, intimidating body language
- Relational / Emotional: excluding someone, spreading rumours, manipulating friendships
- Prejudicial / Identity-Based: targeting someone for who they are or what they believe
- Indirect: harming others through gossip, influence or social pressure
- Online / Cyberbullying: digital intimidation, harmful content, exclusion from group chats
What Bullying Isn’t
It is equally important for our pupils to understand what bullying is not.
Not every disagreement, unkind comment or friendship issue is bullying.
Young people may have one-off fallings out or say something hurtful in the heat of the moment. These incidents are taken seriously and addressed, but they are not bullying unless the behaviour is:
- repeated
- deliberate
- and involves a power imbalance
Our message to pupils:
“If something feels wrong, or if you’re unsure, talk to an adult. We will always listen.”
How We Respond to Bullying Concerns
When a pupil shares a concern, we follow the same process as a safeguarding disclosure, ensuring consistency and high standards of care.
Staff:
- Listen calmly and without judgement
- Believe and reassure the pupil
- Thank them for speaking up
- Record the concern immediately on My Concern
- Report to the Pastoral and/or DSL Team
- Follow up to ensure the pupil feels safe and supported
Our pastoral leaders maintain a central bullying log to identify patterns and ensure robust follow-up.
Where appropriate, we also use our Relational Practice framework including restorative conversations, empathy work and support for everyone involved to rebuild trust and improve relationships.
Anti-Bullying Week 2025: How We Marked the Week
This year’s Anti-Bullying Week was meaningful, purposeful and engaging. Activities included:
Whole-School Assembly – “Power for Good”
We opened the week by exploring the impact of words, what bullying is, and how pupils can be upstanders, not bystanders. Pupils were encouraged to think about the power they have to support each other.
Tutor Time & PSHE Activities
Pupils examined real-life scenarios, discussed different types of bullying and reflected on how their actions influence others. Each form created posters for our new Graffiti Wall of Kindness.
Odd Socks Day
As a celebration of individuality and difference, pupils and staff across the Prep, Senior School and Sixth Form joined in enthusiastically.
Friendship Friday
Pupils made friendship bracelets, wrote kindness postcards, and looked for small ways to lift others up. These simple acts showcased how kindness spreads.
A Community Committed to Kindness
Anti-Bullying Week is an annual reminder of our shared responsibility to create a safe, kind and respectful school environment but our commitment continues all year.
Through strong pastoral care, relational practice and the daily actions of pupils and staff, we continue to build a community where every child knows we all have the power for good and can use it to make a positive, and kind, difference.
Article written by Dawn Morgan – Deputy Head (Pastoral and Wellbeing)