Dear colleagues,

Thanks to everyone for their input with the Anti-Bullying Thematic Inspection. Patricia Cameron was very positive about the visit, her discussions with you and our approaches. It was helpful to have an objective eye looking over policy, questionnaire results and conducting focus groups. It was reassuring to know that we know our school well.

To help us with improvements in this area, the key actions that emerged were:

• ensuring everyone (pupils & staff) knows and understands both policy and procedures for logging, dealing and following-up on bullying.

• all staff must challenge bullying behaviours, particularly 'banter' between pupils

• all staff welcoming pupils at the door of their classroom helps pupils feel safe and prevents incidents of unpleasantness that cause pupils to feel unsafe or disrespected

Next steps:

• Katie McDonald (Head Prefect), with support from Kate Reid, has created a new more in-depth, year group specific, survey to help us understand the progress made and issues that exist

• Claire Appelquist will follow-up with further focus groups

• I will feed back to parent council and include them in all discussions and decisions

• Pupils told HMIe they want to learn about issues that are the focus of bullying behaviour such as racism, homophobia, sexism, misogyny, and disablism. A focus on the wider opportunities in the curriculum including and beyond PSE will be prioritised, an overview shared and reviewed regularly.

We have many varied and different activities and approaches for our young people which is fantastic. Thank you all for leading and supporting these. It is important for us all to promote these as they all contribute to our positive relationships policy and approach. In terms of further inspection, the key thing is for us is to demonstrate impact.

Quality Indicator 3.1 (ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion) is a core indicator in all inspections. It is an outcome indicator. That means that regardless of the many great things we do, the indicator will be evaluated on the impact of those things. It is critical that we evaluate them regularly, and adapt/improve based on evaluation.

I am away with S4 pupils to Skye on the Columba 1400 Leadership Academy this week. Your help to the senior team with supervision would be much appreciated.

As always, thanks for your hard work and professionalism.

Have a great week.

Elaine