School Bí Cineálta Policy to Prevent and Address Bullying Behaviour

Bí Cineálta Policy to Prevent and Address Bullying Behaviour

The Board of Management of Scoil Náisiúnta Baile an Phiarsaigh 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.

We confirm that we will take all steps that are reasonably practicable to prevent all bullying or harassment of our students in whatever form and however motivated.

Catholic schools have a distinctive understanding of the human person, recognising that every person is created in God’s image and likeness and has inherent dignity as a child of God. This is the basis for ensuring that everybody in our school is treated with respect and care, in accordance with the Catholic Schedule.

As a Catholic school, we are committed to respecting the dignity of every individual. No human person is to be devalued and everybody has a part to play in the school community, regardless of difference.

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. Bullying behaviour is repeated over time and involves an imbalance of power in relationships between two people or groups of people in society. The harm can be physical (e.g. personal injury, damage to or loss of property), social (e.g. withdrawal, loneliness, exclusion) and/or emotional (e.g. low self esteem, depression, anxiety) The detailed definition is provided in Chapter 2 of the Bí Cineálta procedures.

A one-off instance of negative behaviour towards a student is not bullying behaviour. However, a single hurtful message posted online e.g. on social media can be considered bullying as it may be visible to a wide audience and has a high likelihood of being shared multiple times and is therefore a repeated behaviour.The detailed definition is provided in Chapter 2 of the Bí Cineálta procedures.

Behaviour that is not bullying behaviour

Some students with special education 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 these behaviours are not deliberate or planned, but in certain situations, they are an automatic response which they cannot control.

Disagreement between students is not considered bullying unless it involved deliberate and repeated attempts to cause distress, exclude or create dislike by others.

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.

                     Types of Bullying:

There are many different types of bullying behaviour. These can include directing bullying, indirect bullying or online bullying at someone focused on the following: disability, exceptional ability, gender identity, LGBTQ+ , physical appearance, racism, poverty status, religious identity, sexism and sexual harassment. This is not an exhaustive list.

Bullying can be: Direct:

• Physical: pushing, shoving, punching, kicking, poking and tripping students. Physical assault. Destruction of personal property.

• Verbal: continual name calling which insults, humiliates the student – this may refer to physical appearance, size, clothes, gender, accent, academic ability, race or ethnic origin.

 • Written: Writing insulting remarks in public places, passing notes or drawings about the student.

• Extortion: where something is obtained through force or threats

Bullying can be: Indirect:

• Exclusion: where a student is deliberately and repeatedly isolated, excluded or ignored by a student or group of students.

• Relational: Where a student’s attempts to form friendships with peers are repeatedly rejected or undermined, threats, non-verbal gesturing, malicious gossip, spreading rumours, silent treatment and manipulation of friend groups etc. can all form relational bullying for a student.

Online bullying behaviour:

Cyber bullying is carried out via text, direct messaging/instant messaging, social media platforms, email, apps, digital gaming sites, gaming consoles, chatrooms and other online technologies.

This can include:

• Sending or sharing of insulting and offensive or intimidating messages or images via online means as mentioned above.

• Posting information which is personal, private or sensitive without consent.

 • Making and/or participating in fake profiles on a social network to impersonate and/or humiliate other students.

• Exclude/disrupt access to a student on purpose on online chat groups/access to accounts/from an online game.

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.

	Date consulted	Method of consultation
School Staff	24th September  2024 31st January 2025 Half day school closure May 2025 Staff meeting 26th and 28th May 2025 June 9th 2025	Staff meetings/ Croke Park hours Half day school closure and CPD   Staff surveys May 2025 Consultation of first draft policy   Revision of final draft
Students	20th May 2025   May 2025   June 3rd 2025     29th May and June 3rd 2025	Focus group survey (student council)   5th class and 6th class survey online   Focus group interview   3rd-6th class assembly to discuss Bí Cineálta and provide opportunities for the design of the student friendly poster by means of an art competition
Parents	Monthly newsletters since September 2024   April / May 2025 Online consultation   June 8th 2025	Information disseminated through monthly newsletters   Parental survey conducted via Aladdin   Draft policy sent to Parents’ Association for feedback
Board of Management	Sept – May 2025         June 10th 2025	Discussion at meetings from start of year, updates on progress and the consultation process of the policy at various stages   Draft policy brought to Board for final feedback and ratification
Wider school community as appropriate, for example, bus drivers	May 2025     31st Jan 2025   May 2025	Consultation with bus drivers   Consultation with bus escorts at staff meeting   Online survey for bus escorts
Date policy was approved: 10th June 2025
Date policy was last reviewed: n/a

 

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):

In developing the preventative strategies which this school will use to prevent all forms of bullying behaviour, we come from the context of our Catholic ethos, where inclusivity permeates our school in a real way.   Our school aims to employ preventative strategies across four areas within our school life, policy and planning, curriculum, culture and environment and relationships and partnerships.   Policy and planning The wellbeing of the school community is at the core of all policies and plans developed in Piercestown National School. Most recently, the introduction of the ‘Smart Phone  Pledge’ by our Parents Association offers additional support in the area of cyber bullying. Policies such as the acceptable usage policy, Code of behaviour, Special Education and Inclusion policies among others, alongside the schools new Bí Cineálta Policy and student friendly ‘Bí Cineálta’ policy should see education around bullying and prevention of same continue to be central to the safety of all schools.   Curriculum Through effective teaching and learning in curricular areas, Piercestown National School aims to educate the children about bullying and put in place preventative strategies that in effect should minimise bullying in the school and/or enable children to be empowered to address and prevent bullying. Through the SPHE Curriculum, Stay Safe and Walk Tall are taught. Under the umbrella of Wexford School Completion from year to year, various interventions are employed in suitable classes to include ‘Friendship programmes’ and in 2024 2025 ‘Roots of Empathy’. SPHE programme such as Friends for Life and Zippy’s Friends are implemented in various classes and teachers share their CPD in these areas. Our school runs a Friendship/Kindness/Bullying awareness activity each year. This varies in format from year to year. Lessons on bullying will be revised in each term by class teachers as per feedback from consultation documents from our parent body. Visits from guest speakers such as Garda Liaison officers and/or from experts in cyber bullying address the online and offline world. Emphasis and education are placed on the inclusion of all children within our school setting. We empower our children to understand uniqueness and celebrate difference and in doing so embrace inclusivity through this education. This takes place in the celebration of different days from Diabetes to ASD to Downs syndrome, Prader Willi Syndrome among others.  It also takes place with integration and reverse integration for various aspects of the curriculum in some classrooms. Respect for other religions is encouraged and exposure to education about other religions is promoted. An emphasis is placed on wellbeing through curricular areas such as physical education during Active Week and/or positive mental health through monthly ‘Mindful Mondays’ and promotion of the same at assemblies and in newsletters.     Culture and environment This school takes positive steps to ensure that the culture of the school is one which welcomes a respectful dialogue and encounter with diversity and difference by ensuring that prevention and inclusivity strategies are given priority and discussed regularly at our board of management and staff meetings.   Ultimately, through the various elements of curriculum, policies, relationships and partnerships, the goal is to create a positive and inclusive environment where respect for all is modelled, promoted and embraced. This culture and atmosphere should be visible within the school community. Modelling respect, openness, transparency, tolerance and kindness from the top down adds to the creation of a safe and inclusive environment.  Happiness of all members of our school community is essential for a safe learning and workspace.  However, despite best efforts at times, issues can arise. Therefore, it is crucial that our school promotes a ‘telling environment’. This is again successful by advocating pupils’ voice, opportunities to talk or write down concerns. Positive relationships should allow children to be able to identify a trusted adult that they are comfortable to talk to. Physical spaces to allow children time and space when needed are essential. Piercestown National School prides itself in the constant upgrading and development of its physical environment such as Tranquility spaces, new modular buildings. We aim to introduce as requested by the pupil’s picnic benches (buddy benches). All nationalities and cultures are celebrated through curriculum areas through initiatives such as Blue Star and Crocus Project. As suggested by our pupils and in keeping with this new Bí Cineálta, our student friendly version of our policy, in the form of a poster will be visible throughout our school to remind people of our policy. The process of the design of this poster created a wonderful awareness and insight into the policy for the students themselves.   Relationships and partnerships A collaborative approach is key to our very being here in Piercestown National School. Enabling all our stakeholders from the youngest to the eldest to have a voice, and that this voice feels listened to is an essential ingredient to the success of our relationships and partnerships and in terms of a positive culture and environment. Our students have many channels for their voice at Student Council, Active Committee, Green Committee. Their voices are welcomed and encouraged at monthly assemblies. Worry boxes exist in all classrooms and are checked regularly. Student Council are given the time and space to engage with their peers, the in-school management team and parents’ council. Parents are encouraged to discuss school with their children and share any reports on ‘bullying’ with the class teacher. As per parental feedback in the consultation process, termly reminders will be sent to parents about online safety and checking of devices. The Parents Association are very active and use social media such as What’s App to encourage parental involvement and voice. Parents’ associations from time to time meet the student’s council to hear their opinions on new policies or initiatives. Parents associations are present at events such as graduation, receptions after sacramental events, art exhibitions and Open Nights to mention a few events. This creates a wonderful partnership and working relationship between staff, parents and pupils. Parents are offered the process of garda vetting so that they can work with the school throughout the year. Parents at times interact with the school as guest speakers sharing their expertise e.g. Engineers Week, Science Week and so forth. Parents are offered PT meetings, open nights, attendance at onsite matches and art exhibitions as well as opening of buildings or celebrations of anniversaries. This creates a community approach to events and a spirit of interaction and collaboration. The Board of Management is a very active partnership within our school. They offer affirmation to staff throughout the year, and an agreed report is shared via our monthly newsletter after each meeting. They are active participants in all aspects of school life. They issue an annual report at the end of each year, in which they acknowledge the work by staff, pupils and parents’ associations. Aladdin Connect is one medium of communication between school and home. This allows for interaction between parents and staff in an open and transparent fashion. Seesaw is another mode of communication between parents and classes. Google forms are created and shared to engage with the parent body about various surveys such as school self-evaluation, summer programmes and policies. Piercestown National School prides itself and works hard to continue to promote and provide an Open Door Policy. This offers an opportunity for parents to meet, by making an appointment ,should any concern arise,. The staff are committed to quick turnaround time on phone calls and meetings while prioritising their duty of care to their classes at all times. We create partnerships with outside bodies such as Afterschool, local GAA, external extracurricular activities which provide additional services and opportunities within our school community.   Within our four areas of school life as described above, strategies specifically aimed at preventing online bullying behaviour, homophobic and transphobic bullying behaviour, racist bullying behaviour, sexist bullying behaviour and sexual harassment as appropriate include the following (however this list is not exhaustive)   Staff at all times endeavour to encourage pupils to show respect for each otherImplementation of the SPHE curriculumDigital citizenship is fostered among the pupils learning about responsible behaviour online.Our Bí Cineálta Policy will be discussed regularly with our pupils. Staff continue to remain vigilant in monitoring pupilsAll disclosed incidents of bullying are investigated thoroughly and consistently by following the correct procedures. These are detailed in the next section of this policy. Pupils will be involved in contributing to a safe school environment by encouraging a culture of inclusion and peer respect and supportEnsure pupils are aware of our supportive ‘telling environment’Educate the pupils that ‘telling’ is a positive action and is not considered ‘telling tales’Ensure bystanders understand the importance of telling if they witness or know that bullying is taking placeUse appropriate online behaviour when using devicesContinued promotion of online safety events or materials for parentsChallenge gender stereotypes by continuing to create an environment of equal participation of all and equal recognitionRaise awareness of the impact of homophobic bullying behaviour and encourage pupils to speak up when they witness homophobic behaviourContinue to create a school environment that has opportunities for all pupils and their interestsModelling of respectful behaviour by staff of all irrespective of sex.Ensuring that all pupils have the same opportunities to engage in school activities irrespective of sex. Making clear that our school has a zero-tolerance approach to bullying of any kind.

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):

Supervision and monitoring policies Supervision is an essential part of creating a safe environment that minimises opportunities for bullying behaviour. Our school conducts health and safety checks on a regular basis. It engages the pupil, staff, parent and Board of management to ensure that all members of our community always feel safe. At Piercestown National School, we take the following measures to create safe physical spaces: Ensure good lighting is present to avoid dark corners or spaces Improve the visibility of school staff who are supervising by having a practice of wearing high viz jackets The specific location/placement of yard supervisors ensures all children are visible by supervisors Cordon off blind spots for supervision on the yard/play area Ensure glass is clear in all doors of classrooms Promote an atmosphere of inclusion with our Autism Friendly Signage school, wellbeing boards and celebration of other events throughout the year Provide a variety of spaces indoor and outdoor for children to access, indoor and outdoor tranquility spaces Provide floor markings to brighten up the corridors Our school has secure fob access for entry and exit of our buildings   Supervision We have a stringent supervision rota that is reviewed every term. Supervision is explained to parents in the housekeeping newsletter at the start of each year. The children all have designated arrival and departure points for the start and end of the day ensuring a smooth and safe entrance and exit from school. One area of success identified by our pupils in their consultation was the strong presence of supervision in the playground spaces.   As mentioned above, all supervisors wear high viz jackets. Regular assessments take place of the grounds and play spaces to ensure that they are safe. Following surveys with pupils and parents in recent years, the following practice exists to improve the safety and supervision of pupils at playtime.   11am break All children play in the playground for the small break. This allows children from all classes to mix with each other and socialise with siblings, friends and older and younger children.   Split breaks The longer lunch breaks are split. Junior infants to 2nd class break from 12.30-1.00pm. Supervised eating time takes place until 12.40pm. The children then have zones per class. This allows for games such as basketball and football to take place in a safe manner. It encourages and promotes friendships within their own class groups too. 3rd class to 6th class break from 1.00pm-1.30pm with supervised eating of hot lunches taking place inside. Similarly, the classes are zoned allowing for lunchtime leagues. The zones run over a fortnightly period and are then changed. This ensures all classes get equal times in various parts of the school play spaces throughout each term.       ASD classes Our ASD classes thoughtfully integrate both shared and separate play spaces to honour the diverse needs of our students, fostering a balance between social engagement, independence, and safety. Shared areas encourage interaction and community building, while designated quiet zones provide students with the option to withdraw when feeling overwhelmed. These spaces are designed with clear visual boundaries and calming elements to support emotional regulation and minimize sensory overload. When integrated into the mainstream play spaces children from our ASD classes are supported with members of their SNA team to support and facilitate integration. For children who have not reached this stage, our school has two enclosed play spaces with control access and playground facilities provided to encourage and support play. By offering a variety of environments, we empower students to choose settings that align with their current needs, promoting autonomy and well-being. This approach ensures that all students have the opportunity to thrive in a safe and supportive atmosphere.   The dignity and the wellbeing of the individual person is of paramount concern in our Christian response. This school will listen closely to and dialogue with parents, thereby building a relationship of mutual understanding, respect, trust and confidence. In continuing to develop prevention strategies, this school will listen to young people and parents, to help establish their particular context and needs. Frequent periods of reflection and further engagement by the school, young people and parents, will be used to discern appropriate supports for young people in this school and to help inform future prevention strategies.

Section C: Addressing Bullying Behaviour

The teacher(s) with responsibility for addressing bullying behaviour is (are) as follows:

The class teacher initially, followed by the Principal teacher (or deputy principal in the principals absence)

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):

When identifying if bullying has occurred in accordance with the Bí Cineálta Bullying Procedures the following steps will take place: If a group of students are involved, each student should be spoken to individually first. Thereafter, all students should be met as a group. At the group meeting, each pupil should be asked for their account of what happened to ensure that everyone in the group is clear about each other’s views. All pupils should be supported, as appropriate, after the group meeting. It may be helpful to have pupils write down an account of the incident. The school must refer to the definition of bullying as outlined in this policy on page 1. Appendix C from the Bí Cineálta guidelines, will be used as a checklist. This sets out clear criteria to help schools identify bullying behaviour. It is acknowledged by the school that incidents can occur where behaviour is unacceptable and hurtful, but the behaviour is not bullying behaviour. Strategies to deal with this are outlined in the schools’ Code of Behaviour. A school is not expected to deal with bullying behaviour that occurs when pupils are not under the care or responsibility of the school. However, where this bullying behaviour has an impact in school, our school is required to support the pupils involved. If the bullying behaviour continues into the school, schools should then deal with it under the Bí Cineálta policy.      Where bullying behaviour has been identified as having taken place in accordance with the Bí Cineálta Bullying Procedures the steps to address and review the behaviour are as follows: Ensure that the pupil experiencing bullying behaviour feels listened to and reassuredThe privacy of all involved must be ensuredAll conversations are to be conducted with sensitivityThe age and ability of all pupils involved must be taken into considerationThe views of the pupil who is experiencing the bullying must be listened to carefully as to include their voice in how best to address the situationAction must take place in a timely mannerParents of those involved must be informed that we are operating under the Bí Cineálta policy and proceduresIn circumstances, where a pupil expresses concern about their parents being informed, schools must put support in place for the pupil and provide a plan as to how parents will be informed. Given the complexity of bullying behaviour, it is acknowledged in the Bí Cineálta policy that a one size fits all model does not work in all situations. Approaches such as restorative practice and mediation are promoted but only in situations where teachers are specifically trained in these approaches. At times, pupils may request no action to take place. In this instance, it is important that the relevant teacher shows empathy to the pupils, while following the steps identified above to make a plan as to how the situation will be addressed with the other pupil/pupils and how parents will be informed. Parents, at times, make school aware of bullying and request that the school takes no action. In this instance, parents are required to put this in writing to the school. However, while acknowledging the parent’s request, under the Bí Cineálta guidelines, schools may decide, based on the circumstances that it is appropriate and in the best interest of the pupil to address the bullying behaviour.Where bullying behaviour has been identified and steps have been taken to address the situation, the teacher must engage with pupils and parents involved no more than 20 school days after the initial discussion to review progress after the initial intervention. Even if it is considered that the bullying behaviour has ceased, ongoing supervision and support may be required for both the pupil who has experienced bullying behaviour as well as the pupil who engaged in the behaviour. Where the bullying behaviour has not ceased, the teacher should review the strategies used in consultation with the pupils and parents and agree to meet again over an agreed timeframe until the bullying behaviour has ceased. If it becomes clear that the pupil who is displaying the bullying behaviour is continuing to engage in the behaviour, then the school should consider using the strategies to deal with inappropriate behaviour as provided for within the schools Code of Behaviour. If disciplinary sanctions are required, this is a private matter between the relevant pupil, their parents and the school. The school will maintain care for all children involved in bullying scenarios. This will be done by speaking to the children several weeks after the investigation to check on their continuing welfare. The children’s parents will again be consulted. This is further detailed in the section below.All incidents of bullying behaviour should be recorded. The record should document the form (section 2.5 of Bí Cineálta) and type (section 2.7) of bullying behaviour, if known, where and when it took place and the date of the initial engagement with the pupils and their parents. The record should include the views of the students and their parents regarding the actions to be taken to address the bullying behaviour. It should document the review with pupils and the parents to determine if the bullying behaviour has ceased and the views of the parents and pupils in relation to this. It is important to document the date of each of these engagements and the date that it has been determined that bullying behaviour has ceased. Any engagements with external services/supports should also be noted. This copy should be placed on file with the Students Support File in the school. Piercestown National School will use appendix C ‘Template for recording’ bullying from the Antibullying Procedures 2013 in the absence of such a recording template under Bí Cineálta. If a parent is not satisfied with how bullying behaviour has been addressed by the school, in accordance with these Bí Cineálta procedures, they should be referred to the school’s Complaints Procedures. In the event that a pupil or parent is dissatisfied with how a complaint has been handled, a student and/or parent may make a complaint to the Ombudsman for Children if they believe that the school’s actions have had a negative effect on the student. The Office of the Ombudsman for Children can be contacted at ococomplaint@oco.ie

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):

Supports that are available is as follows: In school supports Where bullying has been identified, the following supports will be put into place. Given the complexity of bullying behaviour, no one intervention/support programme works in all situations:   Supporting Bullied pupils The NEPS document ‘My thoughts about school’ may be used to establish the children’s thoughts about school. This can be repeated at a later stage to assess changes in the child’s mindset and/or circumstances. Children will be monitored and checked in on regularly.Review calls with parents will take place over a period of time until the school are satisfied that the child’s wellbeing have improved Subject to availability of funding at times, counselling (if required) may be offered  by the school and/or through school completion fundingEfforts will be made to raise pupils’ self-esteem by encouraging them to become involved in activities that help develop friendships and social skillsUse learning strategies throughout the school and the curriculum to help enhance pupils’ feelings of self-worth     Supporting pupils who engaged in bullying: Promote the ‘no blame’ approach for moving forward, making it clear that pupils who acknowledge and reform are not blamed or punished and get a ‘clean sheet’Support and praise pupils who reform and move on from bullying behaviourSubject to availability of funding at times, counselling (if required) may be offered  by the school and/or through school completion funding Efforts will be made to raise pupils self-esteem by encouraging them to become involved in activities that help develop friendships and social skillsUse learning strategies throughout the school and the curriculum to help enhance pupils’ feelings of self-worthOffer SET support to children who need further guidance in their social skills, reactions to situations and regulation of their emotionsIn dealing with negative behaviour in general, encourage staff and parents to focus on, challenge and correct the behaviour while simultaneously supporting the child   In addition to the in school supports, the following supports are available to schools on a wider level if required:   National Educational Psychology Services (NEPS) In relation to bullying, NEPS psychologist often advise schools on best practice to prevent and address bullying when it arises in schools and /or provide training for preventative initiatives   Oide Oide is the Department of Education’s support service for schools and it supports professional learning for primary and post-primary school leaders and teachers in recognised schools and centres for education.  Oide fosters a culture of ongoing continuing professional learning among school leaders and teachers encouraging life-long learning, reflective and enquiry-based practices. The work of Oide contributes to school improvement by providing high quality professional learning experiences, supports and resources relating to curricular developments, broader educational goals and resources relating to curricular developments, broader educational goals and national priorities, such as wellbeing which includes preventing and addressing bullying.   Webwise Webwise is the online safety initiative of the Department of Education and is co-funded by the European Commission. Webwise promotes safer, better internet use through awareness raising and education initiatives targeting teachers, students and parents. Piercestown National School through newsletters and communications directs parents to webwise. Staff use their dedicated resources during the teaching of SPHE, helping children to integrate their digital citizenship and online safety into teaching and learning in our school. By sharing information about webwise via newsletters and or Aladdin, information, advice and tools are provided to parents to support their engagement in their children’s online lives.   National Parents Council (NPC) The National Parents Council (NPC) is the representative organization for parents of children in early years, primary and post-primary education. The NPC delivers online and in person courses to support parents of children to prevent and address bullying behaviour.   Dublin City University (DCU) Antibullying Centre The DCU antibullying centre is a university-designated research centre located in DCU’s Institute of Education. The centre is globally known for its research in bullying and online safety.  The Anti-bullying centre offers a range of modules as part of its FUSE programme for the entire school community that can be used to help to promote a positive school culture and assist in preventing and addressing bullying behaviours.   Tusla Schools should contact Tusla directly for advice in cases where it is considered that bullying behaviour is a child protection concern. Piercestown NS has the Tusla number on display/at hand in the principal’s office.

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)