Royal High School Bath team up with The Diana Award to host Anti-Bullying training

Over 150 students came from far and wide to take part in Anti-bullying Ambassadors training sessions run by The Diana Award at Royal High School Bath on Tuesday 14 and Wednesday 15 November. Tuesday saw Year 9, 10 and 11 students from nine secondary schools, both independent and state, while Wednesday was the turn of Year 3, 4 and 5 pupils from five primary schools.

In addition to Royal High School Bath, other secondary schools taking part included Bedwas High School, Caerphilly; St John’s C of E Middle School Academy, Bromsgrove; Shaftesbury School, Dorset; King’s Academy, Binfield; Highworth Warneford School, Swindon; Beechen Cliff School, Bath; Ringwood Waldorf School, Dorset; King’s Academy, Binfield, Bracknell; Kingdown School, Warminster and Trinity Catholic High School, Brentford. Primary schools included Royal High School Bath’s Prep School; Leehurst Swan School, Salisbury; Northleaze CoE Primary School, Bristol; and Headley Park Primary School, Bristol.

The purpose of the ambassador training is to help the young people taking part to acquire and develop vital skills, as well as to build their confidence and ability, in helping change the attitudes and behaviours of bullying in their schools. On both days, the students worked together really well and showed great maturity and openness during group discussions. They talked about what bullying means, the different forms it can take - face-to-face and online - as well as about how bullying can be stopped and how to go about achieving this.

Facilitators from the Diana Awards’ Anti-Bullying Ambassador Programme were there on the day helping and supporting the students and equipping them with the tools needed to tackle bullying behaviour head on. They also offered advice and guidance on how to create a safer, kinder school community, online and offline. At the end of the day’s training, the pupils left feeling more confident, better equipped and more committed to taking on their roles as Anti-Bullying Ambassadors.

The Diana Award's Anti-Bullying Ambassador Programme is freely available to schools across the UK, and is youth-led with a strong peer-to-peer focus. As a result of the training, students gained the skills and confidence to become Anti-Bullying Ambassadors to tackle bullying in their schools long after the training has finished. The Diana Award's anti-bullying work is recognised as world-class thanks to this sustainable approach.

Commenting on the training, Hannah Morton, Senior Teacher Pastoral at Royal High School Bath, said: "We are very proud to be part of this programme and were delighted to host this year’s training sessions especially during Anti-Bullying Week. The facilitators were fantastic and worked really well with the students who themselves were very engaged and passionate about the issues discussed.

"In our group, we talked a lot about kindness, respect and inclusivity – all strong values here at Royal High School Bath, and our students recognise how important and valuable they are to ensure our school continues to be a place where everyone can be themselves, enjoy learning and spending time with their friends without fear or anxiety about bullying. Underpinning The Diana Award is the belief that young people have the power to change the world for the better, something which we also strongly promote and believe in here at Royal High School Bath, so for us it was totally fitting that we were able to host this event.”

Jemma Joakim, Deputy Head Pastoral, Royal High Prep School Bath, said "It was wonderful to see how passionate and enthusiastic the girls were. They all spoke so eloquently and expressed their ideas with great confidence. I feel proud to have such a committed team at the Prep School.”

The Diana Award Anti-Bullying Ambassador programme is run by the charity, The Diana Award. The Diana Award was founded as a legacy to Diana, Princess of Wales' belief that young people have the power to change the world for the better. Its mission is to foster, develop and inspire positive change in the lives of young people.