Next week is Anti-Bullying Week, so here are four things to bear in mind when planning any activities in your school.

Language

For primary children, take a piece of paper and ask them to tell you something that they’ve been told that they didn’t like, such as not being allowed to play today. Screw up the paper. Take more ideas from the children and do the same. Now, ask them what they could do if they upset somebody. Their usual response is to say, “I’m sorry!” Say this to your paper as you unwrap it. It’s at this point that you link the activity with your definition of bullying: it may appear OK on the outside, but you are left with internal scars, like the paper.

School systems

Have systems in place for children to report bullying. Detail this next week, but then commit to covering it regularly. Children might not retain your system until they need to use it, so regular reminders are crucial.

Parents

Hold workshops during the week to make parents aware of school systems and your proactive approach, so they are fully informed and can support your work.

SEND

You need to be extremely vigilant with your pupils with SEND. They might not be able to verbalise incidents and might even accept bullying. You are their champion. Note every incident that they are involved in, so that you can spot any patterns. Online systems make this much more manageable and all staff can contribute to the records.

Tracey Lawrence is assistant headteacher and specialist leader of education in social, emotional and mental health at Danemill Primary School in Leicester