Anti-bullying guidance for Church of England schools

Guidance for Church of England schools to prevent and tackle bullying.
Children in a classroom share a piece of paper; a girl smiles at her classmate

“Every child deserves to learn in an environment where they are loved, supported, and respected.”

Bishop Jonathan Frost

Flourishing for All: Anti-bullying Guidance for Church of England Schools (2024)


Guidance for Church of England Schools to tackle and prevent bullying.

Following the consultation on a draft publication in July 2024, Flourishing for All has been updated and this final version of the document is now our recommended guidance. We recognise that the government’s guidance pertaining to Gender Questioning Children (2023), and the updated Relationships, Health and Sex Education (RHSE) guidance (2024) remain in draft form. Once these are finalised, this document will be reviewed to reflect any changes required. 


Key changes in this final version include:

  • Broad scope: We have made it clearer that this is just the beginning of a broader suite of guidance, with further sections to come. We have added the rationale for the selection of these different sections. 
  • Freedom of Speech: The final version emphasises the importance of freedom of speech, especially on the basis of faith. It is made clear that there is an expectation when exercising that right, adherence to the Church of England’s pastoral principles is expected. 
  • Focus on bullying: We have reiterated that the document is a practical guide for Church schools on addressing bullying, as befits their role as providers of state education with a distinctively Christian character. It should not be interpreted as a position paper on human sexuality or gender identity by the Church of England.
  • Primary school guidance: The final version clarifies that we do not expect primary schools to teach about sexual orientation and/ or sexual LGB relationships. However, we do encourage primary schools to provide positive messaging around different family structures, including LGB parents. 
  • Updated terminology: The acronym LGBT+ has been updated to LGB/GQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual/Gender Questioning) when referring to children and young people.  This aligns with the Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSiE) 2024 document. 
  • Consistency with KCSiE: The entire document has been updated in line with the newly published Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSiE) 2024 guidelines. 
  • Glossary revision: We have removed the definition of ‘transgender’ in the glossary so it is clearer that when the document refers to ‘transgender’, it is always referring to transgender adults. 
  • Improved Navigation: In recognition of the length of the document, we will provide a summary and navigation pages as new sections are added. This will support school leaders, clergy and chaplains in accessing the relevant information more easily.
     

Section A contains an overview and general principles. 

Section B contains guidance for preventing and tackling homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying in schools. Additional sections will be added in the coming months addressing bullying on the basis of protected characteristics, including race, special educational needs and disability, religion and belief, as well as sexist bullying and sexual harassment.

This new guidance replaces the earlier document ‘Valuing All God’s Children’, first published in 2014.