Issue - items at meetings - Equality and Anti-Bullying Work in Schools

Report of the Interim Director of Children’s Services (copy attached)

            RESOLVED – That the contents of the report be received and noted.

33.1    The Committee considered a report of the Interim Director of Children’s Services providing a summary of bullying data (Safe and Well School Survey) for 2011 and racist and religiously motivated incident data 2010-11.

33.2    The report also set out information including bullying and prejudice incident data as it related to children and young people in Brighton and Hove schools and outlined support for schools provided to schools to enable them to fulfil their Public Sector Equality Duty under the 2010 Equality Act.

33.3    Councillor Lepper commended the work that had taken place, It was clear that a number of children still did not feel safe in school. The further steps in working with schools to combat this problem were also welcomed.

33.4    Councillor Wealls stated that he had attended a carers meeting recently and those present had commented that bullying was treated seriously. He also referred to the scrutiny work that had taken place and to the work that had been undertaken with the young carers project.

33.5    Councillor Powell referred to a session which she had attended at Longhill School recently which had facilitated discussion on this issue. In answer to questions it was explained that it was not possible to break the data down any further, however, it was considered very important to encourage schools, especially those where problems had been identified to dig deeper into the available data to seek to highlight issues within their own schools. It and was more effective to encourage engagement to such schools and to encourage them to liaise with schools who had been successful in addressing such problems.

33.6    Soad Eboyok, Youth Council enquired whether teachers received training to deal with bullying and it was confirmed that they did, from the LEA and via projects such as “Allsorts” and “Kidscape”.

33.7    Bethan Prosser Amaze stated that the Voluntary Sector welcomed break downs of the available data and any pressure which could be placed upon schools to improve as appropriate.

33.8    Councillor Gilbey stated that referred to the training available for school governors stressing that the importance including cyber bullying.

33.9    RESOLVED – That the contents of the report be received and noted.