Earlier this summer, Diversity Role Models and the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) launched a new Research and Evaluation Report to gain insight into the issues faced by marginalised young people in schools in England.
The report is the culmination of a three-year DfE-funded project called Embracing Difference, Ending Bullying and has informed our new Best Practice Guide for educators. Many of the findings were a sobering reminder of the prevalence of prejudice-based bullying in our schools.
Reported trends in bullying in schools
A clear trend from our research was the gulf in perception between school staff and governors compared to young people and their parents/carers. For instance, only 58% of primary students reported feeling safe in their schools while over 83% of governors felt that all students were safe.
These trends in differences in perception were a common thread throughout much of the data analysed. This clearly indicates that more work needs to be done to bring the whole school community together to build a shared understanding of its challenges and to establish a shared vision for creating inclusive and welcoming school environments.