PUPILS at Ilkley Grammar School took part in events during Anti-Bullying Week 2022 (November 14-18).

Anti-Bullying Week 2022 was coordinated in England and Wales by the Anti-Bullying Alliance and had the theme Reach Out. The week kicked off with Odd Socks Day, with Year 7 students at IGS wearing odd socks to celebrate what makes us all unique.

Events were organised by The Ilkley Grammar School Anti-Bullying Group, which has been running for six years. Their activities fit within the Respect, Equality and Diversity strand of the newly launched Personal Development programme at IGS and align closely with the new school values of Respect, Responsibility, Resilience, Kindness, Courage and Pride which were launched in September.

A school spokesperson said: "The Anti-Bullying Group is a large, diverse group of students of varying ages who all share a drive to make school a kinder place.

"The team have succeeded in carrying out many whole school and community initiatives, and for Anti-Bullying Week 2022 they have tried to build on all they have achieved so far as a group. The team believe that challenging bullying in all its forms is particularly important at this moment in time, when considering the different forms bullying can take throughout the world, from an individual level in schools, to the workplace, to a national and even international level."

Last summer the team wrote a collective poem, comparing the experience of bullying to being stranded on an island. Using words given by Key Stage 3 students about bullying they worked to create a short film. For this film, 40 students of varying age groups read a line of the poem and it was been shown to all students at IGS as part of anti-bullying week.

In 2020 the group produced a book called RESPECT and this was on display during anti-bullying week. In addition, they created a mural, put up a display about bullying and shared a reading list on the theme of bullying. They hope all students will now be more aware, and think more about how they treat others.

The spokesperson added: "The team feel that it is important that students have opportunities in schools to discuss and learn more about bullying, and also to act in a constructive way to make a positive difference to their own lives and to the lives of others.

"In the words of one member of the group: 'It has been fantastic to see the whole school involved in this national anti-bullying week. It feels very positive and students from all year groups have got really involved'."