Anti-bully prolicy hailed a success in Herefordshire (From Hereford Times)

Anti-bully prolicy hailed a success in Herefordshire

1:10pm Monday 29th June 2009 in

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THE number of pupils switching schools in the county because of bullying has dropped dramatically over the past academic year.

School chiefs say the fall from 56 in 2006/2007 to 18 in 2007/ 2008 is down to high-profile antibullying initiatives in schools, nurseries, youth clubs and children’s centres.

There is a significant drop too in the overall number of pupils switching schools, with the 354 that changed over 2007/2008 being 167 fewer than the previous year. The majority of transfers involved pupils moving into Herefordshire from another county or country.

Hereford’s Aylestone High School had the highest number of pupils transferring out, but the 30 who left in 2007/2008 was well down on the 93 that went the previous year. Aylestone also received 53 requests from pupils wanting to join the school over the same period.

But few were counting on a big fall in the bullying figure, particularly over such a relatively short space of time.

Dr Sharon Menghini, Herefordshire Council’s director of children’s services, says the drop measures the “positive impact” of initiatives now in place.

“All this activity reflects the hard work going on in schools, nurseries, youth clubs and children’s centres to deal with bullying quickly and efficiently,”

said Dr Menghini.

Bullying was the focus of several strategies launched by children’s services during 2007/2008 including the adoption of an anti-bullying policy launched after consultation with schools and citing specific examples of successful schemes early last year.

The Youth Council and associated youth groups also put on their own anti-bullying conference, publishing a related charter and a series of leaflets.

SCHOOL TRANSFERS 2007/2008 – REQUEST REASONS AND NUMBERS.

■ Moved into Herefordshire from another county – 131

■ Moved into Herefordshire from another country – 63

■ Moved house within the county – 59

■ Bullying – 18

■ Preferred school – 23

■ Unhappy at current school – 33

■ Exclusion/managed move – 2

■ Other (no school, home educated, independent school, Pupil Referral Unit) – 25.

TOTAL: 354