A group of Remove Form boys have been working together to develop a programme of learning to raise awareness and offer support to combat bullying.
The week started off with a thought-provoking and informative assembly, delivered by Anti-Bullying Ambassadors Oliver Quince and Isaac Raddan, who wrote the presentation along with help from their Anti-Bullying peers. The message was clear and had a strong focus on explaining the difference between banter, arguments and bullying. Under the banner of this year’s national anti-bullying theme to ‘Make a Noise About Bullying’, the boys’ presentation helped the whole school understand the impact bullying can have, and what to do should they witness bullying happening in school.
Oliver explained, “Usually most people will stay quiet about bullying while it takes place. Our job this week has been to support students and to encourage them to feel that they’re not alone and to speak up about it. The assembly was a key part of this campaign so people could understand what happens, how to differentiate between bullying and banter, and how to speak up about it.”
Charlie Miller Anti-Bullying Ambassador, said that, “The campaign aims to stand up to bullying. Sometimes we don’t recognise how deep and harmful a joking comment can be. So, we need to be able to tell people that it’s not ok, that they need to stop.”
Charlie went on to say, “This is extremely important. If people don’t recognise the harm their comments can cause, then they are never going to check with the person. This could lead to mental health problems and overall, a deep sadness.”
Including boys in the process of planning and delivery helps ensure that the message is pitched correctly and taught in a manner that will ensure maximum engagement in such an important topic.
Ms Alice Swallow Head of General Education told us, “I have been particularly impressed with the maturity and leadership boys demonstrated when planning the assembly. They were reflective and sensitive, especially with the impact bullying can have, and had some excellent ideas for ensuring the message would be well received by their peers.”
The boys have also fed into resources that the Fourth and Remove Forms will be covering next week during the Movember Citizenship morning and have helped write activities for tutor groups too.
