Our pupils took a stand against bullying last week as they participated in a series of lessons designed to encourage tolerance and people taking responsibility for their actions to mark Anti-Bullying Week 2019. The activities all took place at LVS Hassocks on Wednesday 13th November to inform pupils that it takes a collective responsibility to stop bullying.
They were keen to take up the challenge and think about how bullying can affect people’s lives. The activities, which cut across all aspects of the curriculum from cooking to art to ICT, helped them recognise the importance of finding strategies to combat bullying, identify different types of bullying and think about new approaches to prevention.
Drama sessions were based around helping pupils to project themselves and develop confidence. They learned how to sit confidently, meet others, shake hands and demonstrate the personality traits that they most admire in others, whilst in art pupils designed and created their own t-shirts to proudly wear in support of Anti-Bullying Week.
PSHE (personal, social and health education) sessions revolved around understanding social anxiety and helping pupils to learn symptoms of, and strategies for relieving, their own anxieties. Team building sessions, including building structures together, allowed pupils to explore the themes that can help to minimise the chances of bullying, such as communicating effectively, listening, taking turns and respecting others.
Even cookery lessons in our designated food technology suite embraced the theme of anti-bullying, with pupils baking and decorating their own ‘odd socks’ biscuits, part of the nationwide campaign of odd socks day to celebrate difference and what makes everyone unique. In ICT, pupils used design programs on their computers to create anti-bullying posters.
Teacher Ewan Briggs said: “LVS Hassocks committing to a whole day focussing on anti-bullying enabled pupils to consider anti-bullying strategies through a range of mediums and workshops. They were able to appreciate that through making small changes they can influence their own environment. Pupils concluded that it is vital to work together to help combat bullying, and that was a key part of our activities on the day.”