Introduction
This is a secondary school with over 1200 pupils aged 11-18 years and 67.5 teaching staff.  In many ways its actions to combat bullying could be considered proactive rather than reactive.   

The school decided it wanted to adopt a long term and coordinated approach, with all other interventions designed to be part of an over-arching framework.  Initiatives included a comprehensive peer support scheme, contracting by pupils and their parents, PSHE work that focused on issues around bullying, and curriculum activities where appropriate. As evidence for the school's high level of commitment to addressing the problem, an anti-bullying working party was set up almost at the outset with representatives from teaching and non-teaching staff and pupils.

A whole-school approach. This quickly led to a whole-school day workshop which raised awareness of bullying and created a consensus about the actions to be taken to address it - coordinated by the anti-bullying working party.

The policy was drafted in 1991 and it remained a draft for four years. Nevertheless, it continued to be viewed positively by pupils, parents and staff.  In 1995, the anti-bullying working party formalised it into a short written statement. This contained the school's definition of bullying, current practice and clarified directions for the future.

The written policy was published in the staff handbook and posted throughout the school building. Although the anti-bullying working party continued to operate, two members of staff -the pastoral deputy head and the school counsellor- were instrumental in ensuring that the specific anti-bullying actions identified during the whole-school day workshop were realised.

A Pupil Helper Scheme built upon the work carried out by the school counsellor that began in 1984. This early work taught volunteers from Years 11, 12 and 13 how to use the Re-evaluation Counseling model. Since the scheme became part of the overall anti-bullying policy more emphasis was given to helping the peer counsellors listen to and support those involved in bullying. Formal training by the school counsellor was augmented by self-development by co-counseling among the volunteers. Uptake of this initiative has been high  - around 50 pupils a year since 1992 have become pupil helpers. The training they receive is cascaded down to the younger pupils as they regularly spend time in tutor periods, teaching listening and co-counseling skills, and running self-esteem-building activities and quality circles.

All pupils have opportunities for individual time with peer helpers and they are offered the choice to see a teacher or a pupil counsellor. Alongside this formal 'booking' arrangement, there is also a lunchtime drop-in facility.  An important aspect of the scheme is that it is made clear that pupil helpers are not responsible for managing bullying. They receive regular adult supervision and support and, most crucially, they offer users limited confidentiality. In cases of extreme bullying they have a duty of disclosure to an adult member of staff.

An anti-bullying contract is introduced to all pupils in Year 7. They voted on the form and wording of the contract and this was acknowledged in the contract itself, along with three principles which pupils agreed to follow.  These were:

	Treat fellow pupils with respect.
	Don't humiliate or hurt others physically or verbally.
	Help others who are being hurt or upset through bullying.

Parents are also asked to sign, to confirm that they will strive to ensure that their child abides by it. The contract is discussed in PSHE classes so that each pupil can appreciate how seriously it is taken.

Surveys have been carried out at regular intervals, involving questionnaires and pupil and staff interviews. Instances of bullying are also recorded by heads of year.

The school regards the increased tendency of pupils to report being bullied as a success, especially as this trend has been accompanied by a four-fold reduction in 'serious' cases -now down to around one a month. There has also been a reduction in pupils reporting that they have been involved in, or witnessed, bullying.  Pupils' written responses suggest they are not as prepared as before to accept bullying. When they do report it, pupils generally believe it is dealt with effectively.  In general they regard the school as 'taking bullying very seriously'.

Problems and solutions
	The school recognises it has taken quite a time for some members of staff to commit themselves to the anti-bullying policy. One reason may have been that it was initiated and driven by a handful of colleagues at first.  Another is that some staff may not have recognised that bullying needed to be addressed.
	Although the school recognises that they have largely broken the culture of silence that so often surrounds bullying, they have been faced with the need to spend more time dealing with both serious and minor instances. Teachers are encouraged to be patient and not abruptly to dismiss pupils reporting apparently trivial incidents.  Because of the greater awareness but decreased tolerance of bullying some pupils have adopted more subtle forms of abuse, particularly verbal.

Summary
	a concerted and coordinated approach was proactive rather than reactive.
	effective use of anti-bullying working party.
	peer helper scheme integrated with policy work.
	greater awareness, and reduced tolerance, of bullying.
	decrease in general and serious bullying.