Oasis Academy Sholing Students Advocate for Anti-Bullying Measures at Ministerial Roundtable.
Recently, three of our students - Summer, Adrianna, and Hannah had the exciting opportunity to join in a Ministerial Roundtable at the Department for Education (DfE) in Parliament.
Hosted by Minister for Early Education, Stephen Morgan and chaired by Kate Dixon, the DfE’s Director for Pupil Wellbeing and Safety, the event explored the different types of bullying, schools' responses and what sector wide improvements are needed to ensure further support is available for students and schools.
Summer, Adrianna and Hannah confidently kicked off the meeting by sharing their powerful personal experiences of bullying. Open discussions then focused on how to address the issue within the PSHE curriculum and how to fully equip teachers to support pupils with issues like cyberbullying.
The students highlighted that bullying doesn’t stop after school hours and can continue online via social media, leading to social exclusion and mental health implications. This sparked a discussion around the potential impacts of social media restrictions and the normalisation of harmful and prejudice behaviour, which can be disguised as a joke or "banter," and lead to young people feeling unsafe.
Stressing the importance of a fully inclusive education, Summer, Adrianna and Hannah recommended that specific teaching, student support and regular guidance on bullying are far more impactful than short term solutions, such as placing bullies in isolated exclusion rooms, which doesn’t address the root causes.
The students also spoke about the importance of creating more safe spaces within schools where impacted students can seek refuge and relax, while being supported by designated school staff. They also emphasised the importance of more mental health support for students, particularly those who may be struggling with the effects of bullying.
At Oasis Academy Sholing we are committed to changing attitudes, behaviours, and the culture of bullying through a comprehensive and inclusive PSHE curriculum. This is bolstered by regular assemblies on the topic throughout the year, and special events involving guest speakers during key times of the year such as Anti-Bullying Week in the Autumn.
With more young people spending a lot of their spare time online, we soon recognised that some students experiencing bullying didn’t feel comfortable initially speaking to someone in person. So, last autumn, we launched an online self-referral, which they could access from their Oasis iPad homepage.
This immediately gave students a new ‘virtual’ safe space to share their concerns and proved hugely successful. To ensure students receive the in-person support they also need we have trained student anti-bullying ambassadors, many of whom also completed a Diana Award last year, to spot and support students who may need help.
Alongside vital peer-to-peer support, our incredibly mental health team are also on hand to support both the victims and perpetrators of bullying. By nurturing strong relationships with all students involved in cases of bullying, we can both prevent escalating cases of negative behaviour and provide much needed wraparound care to ensure Oasis Academy Sholing
remains a safe, happy and ‘kind place to learn, where bullying is rare’, something Ofsted noted in our latest report.
We are so incredibly proud of Summer, Adrianna and Hannah for confidently sharing their impactful experiences and thoughtful insights directly with those in charge of changing education policy.
They have made everyone at Oasis Academy Sholing proud, and we look forward to seeing how their contributions will play a key role in securing national support to combat bullying and other linking challenges that all schools face.
