Northampton pupils take a stand against bullying with training session
Around 100 pupils from #EMATter schools across Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes undertook anti-bullying training.
Primary and secondary pupils from East Midlands Academy Trust schools Castle Academy, Hardingstone Academy, Northampton International Academy and Stimpson Avenue Academy (Northampton), Prince William School (Oundle) and Orchard Academy (Milton Keynes) spent a day with the Diana Award Anti-Bullying Programme learning skills to help tackle bullying behaviour.
The training was organised following a decision by the Pupil Parliament, a pupil-led group representing schools across the trust. Members identified anti-bullying training as a key priority to help improve behaviour and attendance and unanimously voted to work with the Diana Award to establish a trained Anti-Bullying Ambassador programme within all their schools.
The Diana Award Anti-Bullying Programme raises awareness of bullying behaviours and empowers young people to address them. With a strong pupil-led focus, the programme equips young people with the tools and confidence they need to become Anti-Bullying Ambassadors, enabling them to tackle bullying and create lasting positive change within their school communities long after the programme has finished.
Chief executive of East Midlands Academy Trust Joshua Coleman said: "It’s great to see our Pupil Parliament take the lead on an issue as important as bullying and take steps to make real, positive change. As a result of the Diana Award training, our pupils will take away the skills and confidence they need to recognise and challenge bullying behaviour and support their friends and classmates to do the same, improving the day to day experiences of all our pupils.”