St. Mary’s National School
School Bí Cineálta Policy to Prevent and Address Bullying Behaviour
Bí Cineálta Policy to Prevent and Address Bullying Behaviour
The Board of Management of St. Mary’s National School has adopted the following policy to prevent and address bullying behaviour.
This policy fully complies with the requirements of Bí Cineálta: Procedures to Prevent and Address Bullying Behaviour for Primary and Post-Primary Schools 2024.
The board of management acknowledges that bullying behaviour interferes with the rights of the child as set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. We all, as a school community, have a responsibility to work together to prevent and address bullying behaviour and to deal with the negative impact of bullying behaviour.
We are committed to ensuring that all students who attend our school are kept safe from harm and that the wellbeing of our students is at the forefront of everything that we do. We recognise the negative impact that bullying behaviour can have on the lives of our students and we are fully committed to preventing and addressing bullying behaviour.
We confirm that we will, in accordance with our obligations under equality legislation, take all such steps that are reasonably practicable to prevent the harassment of students or staff on any of the nine grounds specified: gender, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race and membership of the Traveller community.
Definition of bullying
Bullying is defined in Cineáltas: Action Plan on Bullying and Bí Cineálta: Procedures to Prevent and Address Bullying Behaviour for Primary and Post-Primary Schools as targeted behaviour, online or offline that causes harm. The harm caused can be physical, social and/or emotional in nature. Bullying behaviour is repeated over time and involves an imbalance of power in relationships between two people or groups of people in society. The detailed definition is provided in Chapter 2 of the Bí Cineálta procedures.
Each school is required to develop and implement a Bí Cineálta policy that sets out how the school community prevents and addresses bullying behaviour. Strategies to deal with inappropriate behaviour that is not bullying behaviour are provided for within the school’s Code of Behaviour.
Behaviour that is not bullying behaviour
A one-off instance of negative behaviour towards another student is not bullying behaviour. However, a single hurtful message posted on social media can be considered bullying behaviour as it has a high likelihood of being shared multiple times and thus becomes a repeated behaviour. Disagreement between two students, or instances where students don’t want to be friends or to remain friends, is not considered bullying unless it involves deliberate and repeated attempts to cause distress, exclude or create dislike by others including deliberate manipulation of friendship groups. Some students with special educational needs may have social communication difficulties which may make them communicate their needs through behaviours that can hurt themselves or others. It is important to note that their behaviours are not deliberate or planned, but, in certain situations, they are an automatic response which they can’t control.
Bullying behaviour that occurs outside of school
As per the Bí Cinealta Procedures, a school is not expected to deal with bullying behaviour that occurs when students are not under the care or responsibility of the school. However, where bullying behaviour has an impact in school, schools are required to support the students involved.
Examples of prohibited bullying behaviours that can occur outside of school (non-exhausted list): -
- Bullying behaviour that occurs in the area immediately outside the school, the local shops and the wider local area.
- Bullying behaviour that occurs on the journey to and from school.
- Bullying behaviour that occurs in organised clubs and groups outside of school such as sports clubs.
- Online bullying (cyberbullying) behaviour, along with other types of bullying behaviour can cause significant harm and have a lasting impact on students who experience this behaviour. Access to technology means that online bullying behaviour can happen any time and that the student’s home is no longer a safe place. The nature of these technologies means that digital content can be shared and seen by a very wide audience almost instantly and the content is almost impossible to delete permanently.
Requests to take no action
A student reporting bullying behaviour may ask that a member of staff does nothing about the behaviour other than “look out” for them. The student may not want to be identified as having told someone about the bullying behaviour. They may feel that telling someone might make things more difficult for them. Where this occurs, it is important that the member of staff shows empathy to the student, deals with the matter sensitively and speaks with the student to work out together what steps can be taken to address the matter and how their parents will be informed of the situation. It is important that the student who has experienced bullying behaviour feels safe. Parents may also make schools aware of bullying behaviour that has occurred and specifically request that the school take no action. Parents should put this request in writing to the school or be facilitated to do so where there are literacy, digital literacy or language barriers. However, while acknowledging the parent’s request, schools have a right to act and may decide that, based on the circumstances, it is appropriate to address the bullying behaviour.
Section A: Development/review of our Bí Cineálta policy to prevent and address bullying behaviour
All members of our school community were provided with the opportunity to input into the development/review of this policy.
Section B: Preventing Bullying Behaviour
| This section sets out the prevention strategies that will be used by the school. These include strategies specifically aimed at preventing online bullying behaviour, homophobic and transphobic bullying behaviour, racist bullying behaviour, sexist bullying behaviour and sexual harassment as appropriate (see Chapter 5 of the Bí Cineálta procedures): |
| St Mary’s NS will promote a preventative approach to bullying through the following: Prevention Strategies St Mary’s National School aims to create a positive school culture and environment.St Mary’s National School aims to provide a safe, happy environment in which all children can develop a positive awareness of self, and sensitivity for the feelings, rights and views of others.The following anti-bullying initiatives will take place in the school annually: Bí Cineálta posters will be made, discussed and displayed throughout the school.Friendship Week, Bí Cineálta Week and Wellbeing Week The whole school community will be encouraged to become a ‘reporting school’ whereby the whole school community is encouraged to report / speak out if they are being bullied or if they witness a bullying situation. Restorative Practice is used as a school-wide approach to resolving conflict. A whole-community approach to preventing and responding to bullying is required in St Mary’s National School. This community is composed of students, teachers, parents / guardians, non-teaching staff and the Board of Management. Effective Leadership The Board of Management has overall responsibility to ensure that this policy is effective, sustainable and measured. Discussion of the underlying principles of the school’s Bí Cineálta Policy and Code of Behaviour will form part of future BOM meetings.The Principal as a key leader strongly influences attitudes and sets standards in relation to dealing with bullying.Teachers act as a role model for students, and regularly remind students that they are a “trusted adult”who they can talk to in confidence.The assistance of Túsla or An Garda Síochána may be required if deemed necessary in some cases. Curriculum: Teaching and Learning All teachers will implement the schools Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE) programme in full. This includes the Stay Safe, Walk Tall and Grow in Love programme. Additional lessons which deal specifically with bullying will be undertaken in each class e.g. PrimEd Bullying Series, WebWise, Stay Safe, Walk Tall, FUSE, Shield Anti-Bullying Programme. Policy and Planning Developing a whole school Bí Cineálta Policy in collaboration with the whole school community of all staff, pupils, parents and Board of Management. A copy of the school’s Bí Cineálta Policy and Code of Behaviour will be given to the parents of the incoming Junior Infants class on enrolment. Parents/guardians will be required to sign an undertaking which supports the policy.The Bí Cineálta Policy and Code of Behaviour will be available on-line to all parents and others on the school website: www.stmarysnscloghan.ieA hard copy of the school’s Bí Cineálta Policy and Code of Behaviour will be available to anyone upon requestA Children’s Advice sheet which informs children and parents what to do in a bullying situation will be circulated to all parents at the beginning of the school year. Where the opportunity arises, guest speakers with an expertise in the area of bullying-prevention, will be invited to address pupils, staff and parents. All teachers received introductory training to use Restorative Practice in March 2025. These skills will encourage the school community to promote conflict resolution and restorative approaches to address bullying incidents effectively. |
| The school has the following supervision and monitoring policies in place to prevent and address bullying behaviour (see Chapter 5 of the Bí Cineálta procedures): |
| At St. Mary's National School, we take all reasonable measures to ensure the safety of our students and to supervise them when students are attending school or attending school activities. We also offer a variety of activities during break times in our outdoor space, with a view to accommodating a range of preferences, interests and sensory needs. Practices Welcoming pupils by name at the school entrance in the morning.Welcoming the pupils into their classroom by name in the morning.Nurture Room to be used for social interaction, games and breakfast. Teachers liaise with the Principal when recommending children who would benefit from access to Nurture Teacher check-in with the pupils.Principal check-in with the pupilsTeachers walk their classes into the school after break time. Teachers walk their classes to the gate at the end of the school day. Policies Supervision PolicyAcceptable Use PolicyRestorative PracticeSpecial Education Teaching PolicyCode of BehaviourSocial Personal and Health Education (SPHE)Policy Relationships and Sexual Education Strategies to Prevent Bullying Strategies to prevent cyberbullying behaviour include the following: implementing the SPHE curriculum implementing the Digital Media Literacy curriculum which teaches students about responsible online behaviour and digital citizenshiphaving regular conversations with students about developing respectful and kind relationships online developing and communicating an acceptable use policy for technology referring to appropriate online behaviour as part of the standards of behaviour in the Code of Behaviour promoting or hosting online safety events for parents who are responsible for overseeing their children’s activities online* holding an Internet safety day to reinforce awareness around appropriate online behaviour Strategies to prevent homophobic / transphobic bullying include the following: maintaining an inclusive physical environment such as by displaying relevant posters encouraging peer support such as peer mentoring and empathy building activitieschallenging gender stereotypes conducting workshops and seminars for students, school staff and parents to raise awareness of the impact of homophobic bullying behaviour encouraging students to speak up when they witness homophobic behaviour Strategies to prevent racist bullying behaviour include the following: fostering a school culture where diversity is celebrated and where students “see themselves” in their school environment conducting workshops and seminars for students, school staff and parents to raise awareness of racism encouraging peer support such as peer mentoring and empathy building activities eg. ‘Room 101’ programmeencouraging bystanders to report when they witness racist behaviour providing supports to school staff to respond to the needs of students for whom English is an additional language and for communicating with their parents providing supports to school staff to support students from ethnic minorities, including Traveller and Roma students, and to encourage communication with their parents inviting speakers from diverse ethnic backgroundsensuring that library reading material and textbooks represent appropriate lived experiences of students and adults from different national, ethnic and cultural backgrounds Strategies to prevent sexist bullying behaviour include the following: ensuring members of staff model respectful behaviour and treat students equally irrespective of their sexensuring all students have the same opportunities to engage in school activities irrespective of their sexcelebrating diversity at school and acknowledging the contributions of all students organising awareness campaigns, workshops and presentations on gender equality and respectencouraging parents to reinforce these values of respect at home Reporting / Monitoring Children are encouraged to report bullying behaviour, no matter how trivial it seems, as soon as possible. All reports of bullying, no matter how trivial, should be recorded in the Incident Folder and investigated by the relevant teacher(s). All cases of bullying behaviour should be reported to the Principal.Parents/guardians of victims and bullies should be informed by the Principal following the initial investigation of the incident, so that they are given an opportunity to discuss the matter. They are then in a position to support their child before a crisis occurs. Parents/guardians are invited to discuss their concerns with a staff member if they feel their child is being bullied. Don’t hope the problem will go away. Parents who suspect that their child is being bullied must report it in writing to the Principal within 6 weeks of any alleged incident unless there are excusing circumstances for not reporting it sooner. With the passage of time memories fade and details of incidents can become confused. The Principal reserves the right to exercise his discretion not to investigate a complaint if it has been made too late. It should be made clear to all pupils that when they report incidents of bullying, they are not telling tales, but behaving responsibly. Ancillary staff and parents are encouraged to report any incidents of bullying they witness to a teacher or the Principal. Where a case relating to a pupil remains unresolved at school level, it will be referred to the school’s Board of Management. Supervision Students are under the supervision of a teacher at all times while at school.Ensure adequate supervision in key areas such as the playground, corridors and school entrances/exits. Staff are aware of any hidden spaces where there is a greater risk of bullying behaviour to occur, and regularly supervise and monitor these areas.Measures are put in place to ensure that all staff are aware of any potential bullying behaviours that may arise between students and a whole-staff approach is taken in order to prevent and address these behaviours. Online safety measures by implementing internet filters, monitor school device usage, and educate students on responsible online behaviour.Provide supervised safe spaces for vulnerable students - Our school’s nurture room and the outdoor sensory walkway.. |
Section C: Addressing Bullying Behaviour
The teacher(s) with responsibility for addressing bullying behaviour is (are) as follows:
When bullying behaviour occurs, the school will:
- ensure that the student experiencing bullying behaviour is heard and reassured
- seek to ensure the privacy of those involved
- conduct all conversations with sensitivity
- consider the age and ability of those involved
- listen to the views of the student who is experiencing the bullying behaviour as to how best to address the situation
- take action in a timely manner
- inform parents of those involved
| The steps that will be taken by the school to determine if bullying behaviour has occurred, the approaches taken to address the bullying behaviour and to review progress are as follows (see Chapter 6 of the Bí Cineálta procedures): |
| Steps taken to determine if bullying has occurred: The Teacher of the class of the child who is alleged to have engaged in bullying behaviour shall investigate the allegation unless the alleged perpetrator and the victim belong to different classes in which case both class teachers will investigate the complaint.The school’s incident report forms should be used to keep a written record of discussions with all of the pupils involved..When analysing incidents of bullying behaviour one should seek answers to questions of what, who, when and why. If a group is involved each member should be interviewed individually and then the group should be met as a whole. Each member should be asked for her account of what happened to ensure that everyone is clear about what everyone else has said. It may also be appropriate or helpful to ask those involved to write down their account of the incident. Each student should be supported, as appropriate, following the group meeting. The Principal will speak to the investigating teacher and will review the written information provided and will hold further investigations if necessary. Approaches taken to address bullying behaviour: With any reported incident of bullying behaviour within the school, the parent/guardian(s) will be kept apprised of developments and stages of the investigation as the situation dictates and as early and as reasonably possible.Requests from pupils and/or parents/guardians to take no action will be dealt with sensitively. However it is important that the student who has experienced bullying behaviour feels safe and based on the specific circumstances the school may decide that it is appropriate to address the bullying behaviour. In cases where it has been determined that bullying behaviour has occurred, the Principal will meet separately with the parent(s)/guardian(s) of the two parties involved as appropriate. The principal will outline the results of the investigation and will explain the actions being taken and the reasons for them, referring them to the school policy. If it is concluded that a pupil has engaged in bullying behaviour it should be made clear to him/her that they are in breach of the Code of Behaviour. St Mary’s NS will utilise a restorative practice approach in its initial stage of resolving the situation. A verbal warning will be given to the perpetrator to stop the offending behaviour. The perpetrator will also be requested to apologise to the victim in the presence of the Principal, and to give an assurance that the offending behaviour will stop. If after the above, the bullying behaviour reoccurs, a formal meeting of the perpetrator, his/her parent/guardian(s), the Principal and the Chairperson of the Board of school’s Code of Behaviour may occur. Review The teacher must engage with the students and parents involved no more than 20 school days after the initial discussion to review progress following the initial intervention. Even though the bullying behaviour may have ceased, ongoing supervision and support may be required for both parties. If the bullying behaviour has not ceased, the teacher should review the strategies used in consultation with the students and parents and agree to meet again over an agreed time frame until the bullying behaviour has ceased. If the bullying behaviour is still continuing, the school will use the strategies to deal with inappropriate behaviour as provided for within the school’s Code of Behaviour. |
| The school will use the following approaches to support those who experience, witness and display bullying behaviour (see Chapter 6 of the Bí Cineálta procedures): |
| SPHE programmes: Stay Safe, Walk Tall, PrimEd Bullying Series, Shield Anti-Bullying Programme Restorative practice Webwise FUSE Complaints Procedure Oide NEPS Tusla DCU Anti-bullying Centre National Parents Council |
Procedures to Prevent and Address Bullying Behaviour for Primary and PostPrimary Schools
All bullying behaviour will be recorded. This will include the type of behaviour, where and when it took place, and the date of the engagement with students and parents. The actions and supports agreed to address bullying behaviour will be documented. If the bullying behaviour is a child protection concern the matter will be addressed without delay in accordance with Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools.
Section D: Oversight
The principal will present an update on bullying behaviour at each board of management meeting. This update will include the number of incidents of bullying behaviour that have been reported since the last meeting, the number of ongoing incidents and the total number of incidents since the beginning of the school year. Where incidents of bullying behaviour have occurred, the principal will also provide a verbal update which will include where relevant, information relating to trends and patterns identified, strategies used to address the bullying behaviour and any wider strategies to prevent and address bullying behaviour where relevant. This update does not contain personal or identifying information. See Chapter 7 of the Bí Cineálta procedures.
This policy is available to our school community on the school’s website and in hard copy on request. A student friendly version of this policy is displayed in the school and is also available on our website and in hard copy on request.
This policy and its implementation will be reviewed, following input from our school community, each calendar year or as soon as practicable after there has been a material change in any matter to which this policy refers.
Signed: Date: (Chairperson of board of management)
Signed: Date: (Principal)