In conjunction with the area’s schools, the Vale of Glamorgan Council and partners are helping highlight what can be done to prevent all kinds of bullying.
Organised by the Vale council’s Pupil Support Service and the Children and Young People’s Partnership, the first anti-bullying conference was held in The Hub in Barry and was supported by primary and secondary school staff along with representatives from health, the police, and voluntary organisations.
Vale Council cabinet member for education and lifelong learning Cllr Tony Hampton said: “Tackling bullying in schools is a key priority for everyone. It is compulsory for schools to have measures in place to encourage good behaviour and respect for others on the part of pupils, and to prevent all forms of bullying. The education authority fully supports these endeavours.”
Held in conjunction with National Anti-Bullying Week, the conference consisted of presentations and workshops. Topics covered included the use of theatre to promote anti-bullying, cyberbullying (the theme for this year’s national event), the Vale anti-bullying survey and how the NSPCC is working to combat the problem. Schools were able to follow up this work by booking the theatre company and taking part in the survey.
The workshop delivered by Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services considered the effects of bullying, and Victoria Primary School (Penarth) staff and pupils and David Davies, of the Pupil Support Service, showed how Social and Emotional Aspect of Learning materials can be used to good effect in schools. St Richard Gwyn staff and pupils, alongside the NSPCC, focused on the development of buddy mentoring, and Sangeet Bhuller, of Wise Kids, looked at the role of technology in bullying.
Running alongside the conference, and organised by the council’s Primary Behaviour Improvement Team, was an anti-bullying poster competition, with cash prizes for winners, runners-up and School Councils.
Prizes presented by Cllr Hampton went to:
KS1 – Dinas Powys Infants’ School Council; runners-up, Holton Primary
KS2 – Colcot Primary School Council; runner-up, Tomos Hawksworth, St Bride’s Major Church in Wales Primary.
KS3 – Alex Hill; runner-up, Oliver Bunce, both from Llantwit Major Comprehensive.
Nicky Sturgess, of the Primary Behaviour Improvement Team, said: “Many thanks to all the pupils and staff who helped make the conference and the competition such a success.”
