Governors for Schools is delighted to announce the launch of our latest campaign, ‘Boards Against Bullying’, in conjunction with anti-bullying charity Kidscape. With almost 30% of school leaders reporting that non-physical and physical forms of bullying occur at least twice weekly in their schools, we believe it’s time to take action. Over the coming weeks, we look forward to working with Kidscape to deliver a valuable set of resources for new, existing, and prospective governors, as well as the wider education community.
At Governors for Schools, we strongly champion schools’ role in nurturing safe, enjoyable learning environments for children and young people. As we explored in our recent ‘All Pupils, Every Ambition’ campaign, all children have the potential to follow their dreams when offered the right kinds of support. However, bullying puts young people’s mental health and life chances at risk. As well as impacting their schoolwork, bullying can dent a pupil’s self-esteem and ability to thrive in the broader social world.
As actor, comedian, and official Kidscape ambassador Olga Thompson explains: “Bullying can have a lasting and detrimental impact on people’s lives. The ‘Boards Against Bullying’ campaign represents a significant step towards combatting this issue and demonstrates the vital role school governors play in shaping a school’s ethos and culture. Let’s build a future in which kindness, empathy, and friendship flourish.”
As Olga mentions, governors have a unique opportunity to drive cultural change in schools and help instil values such as kindness and cooperation in today’s classrooms. Their strategic responsibilities mean governors have a say over current anti-bullying policies and whether they’re fit for purpose. Governors can also help schools build valuable partnerships with community organisations and specialist anti-bullying programmes to address bullying inside and outside school.
To equip governors with a deeper understanding of bullying and make the most of board meetings, we’ll cover some of the most pressing issues affecting today’s young people. Common problems include the effects of bullying on mental health, the underlying reasons young people bully their peers, and how online technologies like games, social media, and instant messaging play a role in bullying behaviours.
As part of our efforts, we’ll release a new eLearning module focused on anti-bullying strategies, host a webinar in conjunction with experts at Kidscape, and publish a real governor story about tackling bullying. We’ll also publish a host of engaging articles, the first of which will focus on myths and misconceptions surrounding bullying. For more information, visit our campaign webpage.
Find out more and get involved!
With so much going on over the next couple of months, we encourage you to follow our Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn accounts to stay up to date with all our exciting activities. We also encourage you to share our campaign animation with your friends and colleagues, and via social media!
If you’re interested in giving back to your community and supporting education, why not apply to become a governor today? One of our friendly advisors will match your skills with a school in need.