Middlewich High School … Looking out for others

Group Focus As a group we talked about what matters to us as young people. Out of all the options we decided to focus on… Bullying We chose this because it is something that is ongoing. It is something that can harm peoples lives We also want to create awareness about online bullying

Research We have been researching ways to stop bullying and how to help people that are being bullied. We discovered that if you walk into school with your head down facing the ground, trying not to be seen then you will be noticed more. This can make you appear defensive and vulnerable.

What is the solution? At Middlewich High School we would like to see: A student who is able to step out boldly and confidently. A student who understands that if they become less noticeable, the bullies will leave them alone. A student who gives the impression of being strong even if they aren’t very confident.

What have we done so far? We meet every week to discuss ideas We have delivered assemblies We have launched “The Chat Room” We have created a “Confide” button on the school system We have asked students to complete a survey about safety in our school

The Chat Room This is a place that: Is staffed by us ……… but we have a member of staff nearby just in case Will be situated next to the Year 7 & 8 school yard Students can come for advice about a problem Students can come to report any issues affecting them Students can come and sit quietly or use the computers Students can feel SAFE

This is a button on the desktop of the school computers. Students like this because: It can be used to report a problem that you (or maybe other people) are having around school or even at home. It allows you to report an incident without other students seeing you talking to staff directly. It can be anonymous if you want it to be……..but you can leave your name if you want somebody to help you directly with a problem. The Confide Button

Students started using the Confide System this term. They press the button on their desktop and a form comes up for them to complete. When they send this, it is monitored by the school staff in Student Services. They pass on the information to a member of staff who can deal with the concern. There have been 12 “Confides” that have needed action this term. The Confide Button

The Survey

The survey results reinforced what we thought as a group This has made us realise that our role in school is very important We need to get the message out that bullying is not acceptable We need to make sure students know what they can do to help themselves We need to make sure that students know that they can talk to us and that we can point them in the right direction We need to make bullies aware of the impact they can have on other peoples lives

Gather up information from today’s conference so we can then promote initiatives in school throughout the year. Ideas already include:  anti-bullying week  safer internet week  road safety week

Attend a Peer Mentoring course so that we can learn how to help others. Maintain a rota at lunchtimes in the Chat Room Introduce ourselves to the new Year 7 students in September. Wear our i-care hoodies so other students know they can ask us for help and advice

Middlewich High School … Looking out for others