Socking it to Bullying at BBCET School

There were mismatched socks all round when a BBCET school celebrated uniqueness and individuality as part of this year’s Anti-Bullying Week.

Staff and pupils at St John Vianney Catholic Primary in West Denton were participating in Odd Socks Day to ‘kick off’ the week-long annual event.

“Odd Socks Day marks the beginning of Anti-Bullying Week and is an opportunity to encourage the whole school community to express themselves and celebrate their individuality and what makes us all unique,” explained organiser Stephanie Langford, who is Assistant Headteacher at the school, as well as Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) Education Lead.

“All children and staff are invited to wear odd socks for the day.”

Besides sporting odd socks, children across all year groups attended assemblies which focused on the 2024 theme of ‘Choose Respect’, and enjoyed age-appropriate classroom activities linked to respecting one another.

“Respect is one of our school values, so this was the perfect opportunity to reflect on what it means to be respectful to each other, and the importance of showing respect to ourselves and to each other,” continued Mrs Langford.

St John Vianney takes part in Anti-Bullying Week every November.

“All children are taught our ‘STOP’ code, which is a simple, memorable acronym for ‘See bullies, Tell someone, Offer kindness, Protect each other’,” added Mrs Langford.

“Keeping children safe takes priority at St John Vianney Catholic Primary School, and the work we do during Anti-Bullying Week, and throughout the year as part of our PSHE curriculum, helps to ensure our children recognise what bullying behaviour looks like, and – most importantly – how to deal with it.”