5 tips to bully proof playtimes and lunchtimes

Create an emotionally and physically safe playground environment

In the United Kingdom, primary school children can spend up to one and a half hours – 20% of their school day, in the playground. It is a vital part of a child’s day and what happens in the playground affects the whole life of the school.

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Research from Sharpe and Smith shows us that 75% of bullying in schools happens in the school playground and one of the suggested causes is boredom or lack of stimulus. Recent research by the Anti-Bullying Alliance (ABA) also cites that children are four times more likely to be bullied in the school playground
than online.

As part of any Child Protection Policy it is important that we set the highest standards in protecting and safeguarding our children within the school environment. The best preventative to bullying is to have a whole school-wide programme with everyone working together towards the same goal – a great school where everyone feels safe and can learn.

With that in mind, here are our top 5 tips to create a bully proof playtime and lunchtime.

1 Teach the children what bullying is and what it is not – ‘The Bullying Facts’
Bullying involves an imbalance of power between the bully and the victim, is intentionally harmful and occurs repetitively.

2 Promote a caring, safe and positive school environment with Playground Rules
Ensure these are visibly displayed in the playground and that they are consistent with your school rules and values; we often have them inside our schools though forget we need them outside too!

3 Ensure you have a Playtime Behaviour Policy
A Playground Behaviour Policy for pupils, teachers and midday supervisors (MSAs) sets out clear guidelines for managing pupil behaviour during break and lunch times. With rewards for positive behaviour – Reward Stickers, green Reward Slips, Caught Being Good Tokens, Playground Star Award Certificates and also Sanction notes to establish consequences for breaking the playground rules and bullying – you can create a culture of no tolerance.

4 Provide Training for Midday Supervisory Assistants (MSAs)
MSAs are responsible, in some schools, for an hour of a pupil’s day every day. Many schools have recognised the importance of training these valuable members of staff so that they can be proactive in reducing bullying. (Contact Therese Hoyle for further information on her ‘How to be a Lunchtime Superhero Course.’) Empower duty staff to better guide children’s play behaviour ensuring they understand the rules, rewards and sanction systems.

5 Build Resilience through play
Lester and Russell highlight the importance of building resilience through play: ‘Play can help build resilience – the capacity for children to thrive despite adversity and stress in their lives.

Emotions have a key role in playing and play makes a major contribution to developing emotion regulation, building strong attachments and peer friendships, engendering positive feelings and enabling children to cope with stressful situations through developing creative approaches and problem-solving.’

This can include the teaching and playing of traditional and co-operative playground games and getting lunchtime supervisors to organise age and gender-appropriate activities and games.

I really hope this article helps support you in creating an emotionally and physically safe playground environment. Being bullied can be a painful and life lasting experience and we need to do all we can in our schools to safeguard our children.

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Therese Hoyle


Therese is the best-selling author of 101 Playground Games 2 nd Edition and 101 Wet Playtime Games and Activities. She runs Positive Playtime and How to be a Lunchtime Superhero programmes in person and online,
nationally and internationally.
You may contact her at: www.theresehoyle.com
adminangel@theresehoyle.com