11 July 2011

DfE issues revised Anti-Bullying advice

The Department for Education has produced new advice on anti-bullying for schools .

The document has been produced to help schools prevent and respond to bullying as part of their overall behaviour policy, to understand their legal responsibilities in this area, and to understand the DfE’s approach. The advice is primarily aimed at school staff, headteachers and governors in schools, sixth forms and colleges including academies, Free Schools, Pupil Referral Units and alternative providers. The guidance also applies to independent schools, but their statutory obligations are different as noted in relevant sections. The DfE notes that it may also be useful for FE and community settings.

This advice replaces previous advice – Safe To Learn: embedding anti-bullying work in schools. It outlines, in one place, the Government’s approach to bullying, legal obligations and the powers schools have to tackle bullying, and the principles which underpin the most effective anti-bullying strategies in schools. It also lists further resources through which school staff can access specialist information on the specific issues that they face.