Member

Amendments 439 and 495 in the names of the noble Lords, Lord Storey and Lord Holmes of Richmond, focus on addressing anti-bullying as part of teacher training and establishing a review of teacher training. I agree with the noble Lord, Lord Storey, that every child has the right to feel safe, valued and respected at school. What the noble Lord proposes is important, but this is already in hand. Schools are already required to have a behaviour policy, with measures to prevent bullying. Schools develop their own anti-bullying strategies to best suit their setting, which includes ensuring staff get the right anti-bullying training. Starting from this month, all ITT courses leading to QTS and training supporting induction will include content on bullying, including responding quickly to bullying that threatens physical or emotional safety. Ofsted’s inspection framework has long included an evaluation of how schools approach and prevent bullying as well.