Bullying Doesn't Just Happen Between Pupils – Why the New Guidance on Protecting School Staff Matters

For years, conversations about bullying in education have understandably focused on children and young people but schools are workplaces too.

Behind every classroom door, safeguarding meeting, behaviour intervention and difficult conversation are professionals who deserve to feel safe, respected and valued. When staff experience bullying, harassment or intimidation, it doesn't just affect them personally, it affects organisational culture, staff retention, leadership, and ultimately the children and young people those professionals support.

The Department for Education has now published new guidance, Preventing and Tackling the Bullying and Harassment of School Staff, recognising something many professionals have known for years: bullying towards school staff is a workplace issue that deserves serious attention.

This is about more than difficult behaviour

Every role in education brings challenge.

Parents may disagree with decisions. Pupils may become dysregulated. Staff will occasionally experience conflict with colleagues.

None of those situations automatically amount to bullying.

The new guidance is instead focused on repeated or serious behaviour that creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading or offensive environment for staff. It also recognises that bullying can come from a variety of sources, including:

• colleagues

• senior leaders

• governors or trustees

• parents and carers

• pupils

• members of the wider community

• online abuse and social media

That acknowledgement is significant. For many professionals, particularly Designated Safeguarding Leads, senior leaders and pastoral staff, abuse from adults has increasingly become viewed as "part of the job” but it shouldn't be.

Safeguarding starts with a safe workforce

At RLB, we often talk about safeguarding culture.

Culture isn't simply whether policies exist.

It is how people feel when they come to work.

If staff are anxious about speaking up...

If they fear raising concerns...

If bullying goes unchallenged...

If leaders fail to model respectful behaviour...

Then safeguarding culture is already being weakened.

Children benefit when the adults around them feel psychologically safe.

Professionals who feel supported are more likely to exercise professional curiosity, challenge poor practice, escalate concerns appropriately and remain emotionally available for the children they support.

Staff wellbeing and safeguarding are not separate conversations.

They are closely connected.

Leadership sets the standard

One of the strongest messages within the guidance is that preventing bullying cannot rely on responding once something has gone wrong.

It requires proactive leadership.

Schools and trusts are encouraged to have:

• clear reporting processes

• prompt and confidential investigations

• consistent responses regardless of who is involved

• leadership that models respectful behaviour

• support for staff affected by bullying or harassment

• appropriate policies that staff understand and trust

Importantly, this applies whether concerns involve colleagues, leaders, governors, trustees, parents or others.

Policies alone are not enough. People need confidence that concerns will actually be heard.

Online harassment is becoming harder to ignore

One area that deserves particular attention is online abuse.

School staff increasingly find themselves targeted through social media, community groups, messaging apps or online reviews.

Digital harassment can be relentless, extending beyond the school gates and into someone's personal life.

The guidance provides practical online safety advice for staff and encourages organisations to consider how they will support employees experiencing online abuse, not simply after incidents occur, but as part of wider organisational planning.

As digital spaces continue to blur professional and personal boundaries, this is likely to become an increasingly important aspect of safeguarding leadership.

Questions leaders should now be asking

Rather than simply publishing another policy, leaders may wish to reflect on:

• Would every member of staff know how to report bullying?

• Would they trust the process?

• How do we respond when concerns involve senior colleagues?

• Are governors or trustees receiving assurance about workplace culture?

• Are exit interviews highlighting recurring themes?

• Are wellbeing surveys telling us what staff really experience?

• How are we supporting staff who experience abuse from parents or online?

These conversations are often uncomfortable. That makes them even more important.

Final thoughts

Safe schools rely on safe adults. The new guidance is not about creating additional bureaucracy or encouraging unnecessary complaints, it is about recognising that respect, professionalism and psychological safety are fundamental ingredients of effective education.

When the adults feel safe, heard and supported, everyone benefits, including the children.

At RLB, we believe safeguarding should never be viewed solely through the experiences of children. It is also about creating environments where every professional can thrive, speak up with confidence and carry out their role free from bullying, intimidation or harassment.

Strong safeguarding cultures begin with strong organisational cultures.

Resources

Read the Guidance- Preventing and tackling bullying and harassment of school staff