Last week, Durrington High School marked Anti-Bullying Week with a range of activities designed to raise awareness, promote kindness and ensure every student knows how to seek support. The week began with assemblies for all year groups, reminding students of our processes as a school and the importance of speaking up. On Monday 10th, we celebrated Odd Socks Day, with students and staff embracing the theme of individuality and difference. It was brilliant to see so many colourful socks across the school and on our social media pages.
Throughout the week, both students and staff took part in random acts of kindness, and many students exceeded ten pro-social signatures on their expectation cards, showing a real commitment to creating a supportive environment. All students also took part in a focused SME lesson on anti-bullying. Year 7 students reflected thoughtfully on their learning, sharing that “in our SME lessons we talked about what to do to help people who may be being bullied, and how we can report it,” and “we watched some videos that showed the different types of bullying and how it made people feel.” Many emphasised the importance of speaking out, explaining that “if you see anyone being bullied it is really important to tell an adult because if you ignore it, you are making it worse for that person.”
As part of Friday Chat, every form class completed a trusted adult activity supported by our Anti-Bullying Ambassadors. Students were asked to write down the name of someone in school they felt they could approach if they ever needed help. They shared how valuable this was, saying it “made you think about who would be your trusted adult” and noting that they had “lots of teachers” they felt comfortable speaking to. One student shared proudly, “My trusted adult is Mrs Dacosta, the librarian, and I know I can talk to her if I need someone to talk to.” Many expressed how the week had helped them feel more confident, with one student saying, “After anti-bullying week I feel I will be able to stand up to bullying and help put an end to it. I know to go to a trusted adult and report it, and block cyber bullies too.”
Our Anti-Bullying Ambassadors played a vital role throughout the week, supporting activities and demonstrating leadership, empathy and responsibility. They spoke passionately about what their role means to them, saying, “You don’t have to have the badge, and you don’t have to have the title, but you can do something—stop something, tell someone, talk to the victim.” Another ambassador explained, “It means a lot to me because I don’t think it is okay to pick on, or hurt someone, because you have more power than them, or because they look different to you.”
They described the pride they feel in helping others and the importance the school places on their work. One ambassador shared, “To me, being an Anti-Bullying Ambassador means making people happy and not coming to school every day sad… I feel more responsible and like a good person as I have a responsibility in the school.” Amber in Year 8 reflected on their training, noting that they had learnt about the different types of bullying, the different roles people can play — such as the ringleader — and how to stop and report incidents, adding that it was interesting to learn about others’ reactions and feelings.
Anti-Bullying Week was a powerful reminder of the importance of kindness, responsibility and courage. Our students embraced every opportunity to learn, reflect and support one another, and we are incredibly proud of the maturity and compassion they showed in helping make Durrington a place where everyone feels safe, included and respected.
