Jenny Hulme - How to Create Kind Schools: 12 extraordinary projects making schools happier and helping every child fit in

HOW TO CREATE

KIND SCHOOLS

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HOW TO CREATE

KIND SCHOOLS

12 EXTRAORDINARY PROJECTS MAKING SCHOOLS HAPPIER AND HELPING EVERY CHILD FIT IN

JENNY HULME

FOREWORD BY CLAUDE KNIGHTS, CEO OF KIDSCAPE

Jessica Kingsley Publishers
London and Philadelphia

Picture credits: Anthony Horowitz Jon Cartwright (courtesy of Walker Books); Jill Halfpenny Kidscape; Jamie Oliver The Princes Trust; David Charles Manners Diversity Role Model; Baroness Janet Whitaker Friends, Families and Travellers; Henry Winkler Achievement for All; David Domoney Thrive; Jane Asher The National Autistic Society; Linda Jasper Brian Slater; Michael Sheen Carers Trust; Jack Jacobs Beat; Ade Adepitan Kelly Hill.

First published in 2015

by Jessica Kingsley Publishers

73 Collier Street

London N1 9BE, UK

and

400 Market Street, Suite 400

Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA

www.jkp.com

Copyright Jenny Hulme 2015

Foreword copyright Claude Knights 2015

Front cover image source: Don Thongcharoen for Kidscape. Diversity Role Models. The cover images are for illustrative purposes only.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form (including photocopying or storing it in any medium by electronic means and whether or not transiently or incidentally to some other use of this publication) without the written permission of the copyright owner except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 or under the terms of a licence issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd, Saffron House, 610 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS. Applications for the copyright owners written permission to reproduce any part of this publication should be addressed to the publisher.

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Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data

A CIP catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 978 1 84905 591 8

eISBN 978 1 78450 157 0

Contents

Foreword

Kidscape was launched 30 years ago, the first charity in the UK to really examine the culture of school bullying. It remains at the forefront of new techniques and support, and brings its wealth of expertise to consultations with the government on issues affecting children, to teacher training, to the media and to the thousands of parents and children who contact the charity each year.

Kidscape sees the phenomenal work schools do every day to protect the children in their care. It has, though, learned with and from teachers that the culture of the classroom and playground can create an environment where bullying still exists and even thrives. Teachers know better than anyone that children need to feel safe and happy if they are going to learn and so fulfil their potential, and they also know how bullying can sabotage that. They understand how it can have a devastating impact on those feelings of security and happiness, and on childrens learning and results.

This book asks some pertinent questions why do children bully, why does a culture of bullying still exist, and what can be done about it? It sees Kidscape bringing together a whole group of different charities, each with their own specific aims and objectives, but who all at the end of the day are trying to answer those questions and share the single hope of ensuring that no child goes into or comes home from school feeling scared, isolated or excluded. And it visits schools across the UK working with those charities to create safer, happier and more inclusive settings. The schools have some great stories to tell, about how it is sometimes the simplest ideas, and the smallest shifts in attitude, which can have the most marvellous effect enriching not only the life of the child who has struggled to fit in, but also the life of every child in their class. These stories show us how children when given the skills, support, setting and opportunity can be a force for change, the schools most powerful tool in tackling bullying and creating kinder schools. What better way to celebrate Kidscapes anniversary than to share these stories with you.

Claude Knights, CEO, Kidscape

Acknowledgements

I am so grateful to all the schools and charities, parents and students who shared their experiences and expertise with me during the writing of this book, and to the charity ambassadors who spoke to me about the issues and charities close to their heart. I am indebted to Peter Bradley and the team at Kidscape for helping me bring this publication to life. My thanks, too, to my editors at JKP, to Ian Whybrow, Ali Filder, Liz Eddowes and Vanessa Greatorex for their support, and to Mark Blayney for all the wise words and advice. This is for all the children who want and so deserve to fit in and be happy at school, for my parents who taught me how much kindness matters, and for my own children (pictured here, with the wonderful Henry Winkler) who inspired and helped me to write this book.

Jenny Hulme

Introduction

What Makes a Kinder School?

A school where everyone feels valued where there is a more equitable balance of power benefits everyone, including the bullies and the bystanders.

PETER BRADLEY, DIRECTOR OF SERVICES, KIDSCAPE

Every month you will read about a young person, or more than one, who has taken their life as a result of being bullied. And for every suicide there are dozens of failed attempts. The Carers Trust reports that over half of school-age carers in the UK (and it suggests there may be 700,000) are bullied. The National Autistic Society says that over 700,000 children have autism (70% are taught in mainstream settings), and at least four out of ten are bullied. The Childrens Society says that 63 per cent of young Travellers have been bullied or attacked, and Diversity Role Models (DRM) reports a shocking rise in homophobic bullying. According to one survey, some 66 per cent of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) students suffer bullying at school, and half of them skip classes as a result. Many more charities direct their resources to picking up the pieces once children have left school without either the results or self-worth they need to progress, and they know that bullying features frequently in their stories.