While the language of schools frequently changes - currently it’s all about leadership, collaboration, federation and specialisationnbsp;- some words remain constant. One of them is bullying. Quite right, too: we forget at our peril how damaging even low-level bullying can be. It is a central responsibility of schools to create conditions that deter bullying and then to act quickly and effectively if it happens.

Chris Lee’s book offers a comprehensive guide to this sensitive topic. He starts with a good account of what bullying is and uses a range of activities for staff to encourage a school-wide approach to the topic. There are many of these, and just how far, in practice, schools would actually be able to undertake work in such depth is debatable.

But what is admirable about this book is the way it makes a difficult and sometimes intangible issue and shows systematic strategies for dealing with it.

Geoff Barton is headteacher at King Edward VI school, Suffolk nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;

Read this review in full in this week’s TES. Friday features will continue to appear in the paper through the summer, but the magazine will return in all its glory on September 3 2004