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Guidance

Preventing and tackling the bullying and harassment of school staff

Published 9 July 2026

Applies to England

© Crown copyright 2026

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preventing-and-tackling-bullying-and-harassment-of-school-staff/preventing-and-tackling-the-bullying-and-harassment-of-school-staff

Who this guidance is for

This guidance applies to:

  • maintained schools and academies
  • school employers

It is for:

  • school leaders
  • school staff
  • local authorities
  • governing bodies
  • trust boards
  • trust executives and proprietors

Where provisions do not apply to a particular type of school, we aim to make this clear.

Other education providers can refer to this guidance, noting that some parts may not apply to:

  • early years settings, including maintained nursery schools
  • further education (FE) colleges and community settings
  • independent schools
  • 16-19 academies and other FE settings

Using this guidance

Bullying and harassment of school staff is unacceptable. This non-statutory guidance outlines the government’s expectations of schools and provides clarity for employers on:

  • their legal duties to prevent and address bullying and harassment

  • the actions they should take to ensure all staff are supported, respected and protected in line with the school’s:

    • behaviour policy
    • staff behaviour policy or code of conduct
    • parental code of conduct, or any similar shared agreement between the school and parents or carers

We also list resources that provide useful tools or further information on specific issues.

This guidance should not be taken as a complete or definitive statement of the law, or as a substitute for relevant legislation. Always seek legal advice when necessary.

Employers should develop their own procedures for preventing and tackling the bullying and harassment of their staff. Employers such as local authorities and trusts often delegate this to individual schools. Where there is a reference to “school”, it is meant that action would be taken at school level.

Terminology

The terms “must” and “should” are used throughout the guidance as follows:

  • “must” means the person in question is legally required to do something
  • “should” means this is our expectation of what would be appropriate

These are pre-existing requirements that we are bringing together in this guidance for ease of access and understanding.

School staff refers to employees and agency workers, but does not include volunteers.

The term academy refers to academy schools (including free schools) and alternative provision (AP) academies (including AP free schools).

The phrase parent or carer or parent should be read as inclusive of carers and any other person with parental responsibility.

The employer

In community schools, community special schools, voluntary-controlled schools and pupil referral units, the employer is the local authority.

In foundation schools, foundation special schools and voluntary-aided schools, the employer is the governing body.

In academies, the employer is the academy trust.

Introduction

All forms of bullying and harassment of school and trust staff should be taken seriously. It is never acceptable for anyone to harass, intimidate or bully education staff, either online or offline, whether they are:

  • pupils
  • parents or carers
  • other members of school staff
  • governors
  • trustees

It is the responsibility of school leaders, governors and trustees to create a culture that promotes excellent behaviour for the whole school community. School leaders, governors and trustees should ensure that high standards and expectations of good behaviour pervade all aspects of school life, including the relationships between staff, governors, trustees, pupils and parents or carers.

We expect families to:

  • value daily attendance
  • be supportive of school policies
  • be willing and active participants in their children’s learning
  • be respectful towards school staff

Bullying, harassment and discrimination of school staff and leaders that is related to any protected characteristic, whether experienced individually or in combination, is unacceptable and may constitute a criminal offence.

This includes, but is not limited to:

  • racism
  • antisemitism
  • anti-Muslim hostility, sometimes called Islamophobia

  • discrimination related to any protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010, including:

    • religion
    • belief
    • disability
    • gender
    • gender reassignment
    • other protected characteristics

Every staff member should feel safe, valued and that they belong. They should be able to work in schools free from bullying, harassment and discrimination, as in every other workplace.

School leaders, governors and trustees should be aware that particular groups are more likely to experience bullying, harassment and discrimination. Teachers and leaders from ethnic minority groups[footnote 1] and those with a physical or mental health condition have consistently been more likely to report experiencing bullying, harassment or discrimination in the working lives of teachers and leaders survey. 

Teachers and leaders may experience harassment and discrimination from:

  • colleagues
  • parents
  • pupils
  • third parties

Where school leaders are the victim of incidents related to protected characteristics, employers retain the same duties to prevent, address and remedy that conduct, including ensuring clear reporting and escalation routes.

It should be recognised that some staff are likely to have experienced instances of discrimination throughout their lives, and the cumulative impact of those experiences will shape how they experience bullying or harassment. School leaders, governors and trustees should take this into account when supporting a staff member or school leader with a protected characteristic following bullying or harassment. They should consider whether further school‑wide intervention is required as part of responding to an individual incident.

Responses should go beyond addressing individual incidents in isolation and take account of systemic and intersectional factors. This could include actions such as:

  • whole‑school training for staff, governors and trustees on equality, racism or religious discrimination and other forms of prejudice, including how multiple forms of discrimination can interact
  • reviewing and updating relevant policies and procedures (including coverage of harassment by third parties and online abuse)
  • ensuring incidents related to protected characteristics are appropriately recorded and reviewed
  • reinforcing clear expectations around professional conduct and inclusive practice across the school

A whole-school approach

Schools with effective whole-school approaches to behaviour and conduct create a culture where pupils and staff can flourish in safety and dignity.

Schools should also have policies in place to deal with bullying (as part of their behaviour and harassment policy) that are clear to parents, pupils and staff, so any incidents are dealt with quickly.

In cases where a member of staff has been bullied or harassed, the appropriate process may not be included in the behaviour policy. It may involve the staff grievance process, if it is not a matter of pupil misbehaviour but includes complaints about another member of staff or a lack of support from the school, especially if the issue has not been resolved informally or is very serious. 

How a school chooses to define bullying or harassment of pupils and staff should be clearly communicated and understood by pupils, parents and staff.

In line with our behaviour in schools guidance, schools are best placed to decide how to respond to incidents that affect their staff, particularly the headteacher, with support from the governing body, trustees and trust leadership, where appropriate. There is no single solution to bullying of staff that will suit all schools in all circumstances, but schools should set out a clear escalation route.

Schools should ensure that all incidents of bullying or harassment of school staff are appropriately recorded in line with the school’s or trust’s established human resources (HR), behaviour and safeguarding procedures.  

In maintained schools, school leaders should periodically provide oversight information relating to staff wellbeing and workforce safety to the governing body as part of the leadership’s responsibility to assure the governing body that they are:

  • helping schools maintain a safe working environment
  • implementing suitable structures, systems, procedures and guidance established by the employer (either the local authority or the governing body)

In academies, the trust board should receive equivalent oversight information in line with its employer responsibilities. Such oversight may include anonymised or thematic reporting on staff bullying or harassment incidents, with care taken to minimise the risk of individuals being identifiable, particularly in smaller settings.

In serious cases, or where risks to staff safety indicate a material or systemic concern, the relevant governing body or trust board should be informed in a timely and proportionate manner in line with its strategic oversight role. This should be done through locally agreed escalation and reporting procedures, avoiding unnecessary reporting of individual cases that do not meet this higher threshold.

A flow chart to support with handling incidents of bullying and harassment in schools is available. It sets out the approaches described in detail below.

Building a positive staff culture

Headteachers, governors and trustees should model positive behaviour and support staff in creating an inclusive, calm, safe and disciplined environment in their setting. They should collaborate with staff, parents and pupils to:

  • implement and maintain a behaviour policy appropriate for their setting
  • build a shared understanding of how good behaviour is encouraged and rewarded

Staff, parents and pupils should understand the consequences if the standards outlined in the behaviour policy are not met.

Schools may want to offer regular surveys so that staff can raise concerns and give feedback on their experiences.

The law and employer responsibilities

While there is no legal definition or prohibition of bullying, it can constitute harassment under the Equality Act if it involves a protected characteristic

Employers must protect staff under the:

Bullying can lead to other legal issues – for example, if it causes an employee to resign and claim constructive dismissal under the Employment Rights Act 1996.

Employers can be vicariously liable for bullying of staff or agency workers.

Employers must also take reasonable steps to prevent the sexual harassment of their employees. This means identifying risks and implementing measures to stop harassment before it happens – not just reacting after an event. Acas guidance on preventing sexual harassment may help you take action in your setting.

If you do not take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) could take enforcement action, and you may have to pay more compensation if an employee wins a tribunal claim.

The Employment Rights Act 2025 will amend this duty by requiring employers to take all reasonable steps. Changes are expected to come into force in October 2026 and 2027.

Employers in the education sector should ensure that staff are supported, protected, and able to fulfil their roles effectively. This includes:

  • promoting staff wellbeing
  • providing access to professional development
  • fostering a safe and respectful working environment
  • protecting staff from abuse, harassment or intimidation, including from parents or carers, by promoting a culture of mutual respect and taking robust action against any behaviour that threatens staff safety or wellbeing

An overview of the legal obligations on employers, and the legal protections for employees against bullying and harassment at work, can be found in the guidance on statutory obligations regarding workplace bullying, harassment and safety.

Guidance for governors and trustees

Governing bodies and academy trusts play a vital role in setting the culture and values of the school or academy trust. Governors and trustees should support school leaders in taking robust action where staff safety or wellbeing is threatened, including that of school leaders.

As part of their strategic oversight, governors and trustees should ensure that the school’s policies and practices uphold professional standards and provide a safe, respectful working environment for all staff. This includes:

  • promoting a culture of dignity and respect across the school community, including in interactions between staff, pupils, parents, governors and trustees
  • ensuring all staff are protected from abuse, harassment or intimidation, including from parents or carers
  • monitoring and reviewing policies regularly (including behaviour, safeguarding, complaints and health and safety policies) to ensure they are effective in preventing and addressing bullying and harassment
  • supporting and challenging school leaders to make sure staff concerns are taken seriously and responded to appropriately
  • championing staff wellbeing and professional development, recognising that a safe and supportive environment is essential for high-quality education

This responsibility is underpinned by statutory duties under: 

Statutory duties are also referenced in:

In academy trusts, trustees should ensure there is clear differentiation between:

  • strategic oversight at board level, and
  • operational management of incidents, which is typically carried out by school leaders and trust executives

Trustees should assure themselves that appropriate escalation routes are in place across all tiers of governance and that these are consistently applied.

Trustees have the legal obligation within their role to ensure that relevant laws are followed as set out in the Charities Act 2011. Under The School Staffing (England) Regulations 2009, governing bodies of maintained schools, whether or not they are the employer, must have a procedure for staff discipline and conduct, and a staff grievance procedure.

If the perpetrator is another member of staff

Preventing incidents

All school staff should receive clear guidance about expectations of their own conduct at school. Staff, including leaders and governors and trustees, should be given the time to read and understand policies and complete training in relation to bullying and harassment, including refresher training.

Schools should have a staff behaviour policy (sometimes called the code of conduct), which reflects the teachers’ standards guidance. These standards should underpin the school’s approach to preventing staff from being bullied and harassed by other members of school staff, specifically the:

  • requirement to ‘develop effective professional relationships with colleagues’
  • expectation to demonstrate consistently high standards of personal and professional conduct, including online

Tackling incidents

Schools and trusts should have clear processes for staff to report bullying and harassment, including for cases involving colleagues, leaders, governors or trustees.

All grievances[footnote 2] should be:

  • taken seriously
  • investigated promptly
  • treated sensitively and confidentially

Bullying and harassment are personal grievances and therefore not covered by whistleblowing law, unless they also disclose information about wrongdoing that is in the public interest[footnote 3].

Staff should be directed to appropriate support, such as employee assistance programmes or their recognised trade union representatives.

Some cases may be resolved informally with the victim’s agreement, through discussions, meetings or mediation. However, formal procedures such as grievances or disciplinary procedures may be necessary for serious issues or when informal resolution is not possible.

A headteacher or designated lead may investigate. If they are the victim of bullying and harassment, or the subject of the grievance, they should have regard to school policies, which should determine the investigator to ensure a fair and impartial investigation is undertaken. An unaffected governor or academy trustee may investigate, but they should consider the impartiality required in appeals processes.

Schools may seek advice from their HR team, or engage an independent investigator or lawyer, maintaining independence throughout the process.

Guidance for employers

Employers are responsible for preventing workplace bullying and harassment. Acas provides advice for employers on approaching and handling a bullying or discrimination complaint.

Depending on the nature of the incident, if the employer has been unable to resolve the matter, they may seek mediation from the dispute resolution service provided by Acas.

Employers have a duty to consider whether to refer the matter to the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) if the alleged perpetrator is a teacher whom, as a result of serious misconduct:

  • the employer has decided to dismiss or whose services it has ceased to use, or
  • a dismissal decision might have been taken had the teacher not resigned

The TRA only considers allegations of the most serious cases of misconduct. All other matters should be dealt with locally by employers. The TRA, acting on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education, determines whether a teacher should be prohibited[footnote 4] from teaching work. This decision is based on whether the alleged behaviour of the perpetrator is proven and includes any of the following:

Any decision may also take into account any failure by a teacher to comply with the personal and professional conduct elements of part 2 of the teachers’ standards.

Guidance for school leaders and staff

If a member of school staff is bullied or harassed by a colleague, school leader, governor or academy trustee, or a member of the trust, they should report the matter immediately to the appropriate lead, depending on who the alleged perpetrator is, in line with the school’s own procedures.

The person reporting may also choose to:

  • report the matter to the school via their recognised trade union representative
  • seek their union’s support in reporting the matter themselves – for example, they may request a union representative accompanies them to a meeting to discuss the matter

Where bullying or harassment comes from a senior colleague, such as a headteacher, trust CEO or chair of governors, staff should follow their school’s procedures. If those procedures do not specify what to do in this situation, they should seek advice from the school’s HR team or the governing body or trust board.

When there is a reported instance of bullying or harassment, the school should react quickly and support the member of staff concerned. It is important for school leaders or their designated leads, or the governing body or trustees to understand:

  • what has happened, or is happening
  • who the alleged perpetrator(s) is or are (if that is known)
  • what the member of staff is experiencing

Having this information will help determine:

  • whether it is bullying or harassment
  • what course of action is needed
  • what support the victim needs

To help you determine the right support, and who is best placed to help, it is important to understand if there may be a discriminatory element, including:

  • sexism
  • racism
  • ableism
  • homophobia
  • transphobia
  • ageism

  • discrimination related to:

    • religion or belief
    • marriage or civil partnership
    • pregnancy or maternity

A safe space should be provided to allow staff to have confidential conversations. This includes agreeing how to:

  • investigate and progress the matter, involving both:

    • informal routes, such as speaking to the (alleged) perpetrator, having meetings or arranging mediation
    • formal routes ’ in most cases, following the school’s grievance procedure

  • if necessary, implementing appropriate support mechanisms for the person reporting the incident, following the school’s policies

If an informal approach is not appropriate or does not work (for example, the victim has tried to solve the problem by talking to the appropriate lead), a member of staff can make a formal complaint using their employer’s grievance procedure, if applicable. Raise a grievance at work provides government advice.

If the member of staff remains dissatisfied, they may wish to seek advice from Acas, or their recognised trade union[footnote 5] before considering if legal action involving an employment tribunal is appropriate.

If the perpetrator is a pupil

Preventing incidents

Pupils should be taught that they have a duty to:

  • follow the school behaviour policy
  • uphold the school rules
  • contribute to the school culture
  • respect school staff

Parents and carers should be expected to support the school in upholding the behaviour policy and encouraged to reinforce this, where possible. Schools should build and maintain positive relationships with parents using two-way communication, and ensure parents are aware of the behaviour expectations.

Clear processes should be in place so parents can raise concerns with the relevant member of staff in a respectful way that promotes working in partnership and avoids becoming abusive. Where appropriate, parents should be included in any pastoral work following misbehaviour by their child.

School leaders, supported by their employer, should provide visible and consistent support to all staff in managing pupil behaviour. Where circumstances arise that endanger the safety of a staff member, the school should:

  • act swiftly and decisively to manage the immediate situation
  • remove the threat – for example, removing the child from the classroom
  • reduce the likelihood of recurrence

Tackling incidents

Incidents of bullying or harassment by a pupil should be reported immediately to the designated lead, headteacher, or the governing body or academy trust. Staff may also report via their recognised trade union, or request union support.

If a staff member’s safety is at risk, the school should respond consistently, promptly, and assertively in accordance with the school behaviour policy to restore a calm and safe environment. Achieving this may involve removing the child from the classroom.

The incident should be dealt with in line with the school’s behaviour policy and involve the staff member, where appropriate. In serious cases, the matter may be reported to the police following NPCC guidance on when to call the police to schools and colleges.

Staff may feel able to address bullying by a pupil directly under the school’s behaviour policy. If not, the school should actively support resolution, with the staff member involved in agreeing next steps, especially if ongoing contact with the perpetrator is required.

If the perpetrator is a parent or carer

Preventing incidents

Parents and carers need to be made aware of the school’s expectations in terms of how they interact with staff at the school. Schools may do this through home-school agreements or social media policies. Schools should make sure parents are consistently updated and made aware of any changes in their contents. Schools should expect parents to:

  • value daily attendance
  • be supportive of school policies
  • be willing and active participants in their children’s learning
  • treat school staff respectfully

Schools should build and maintain positive relationships with parents to ensure parents are aware of these expectations. Clearly communicated processes should allow parents to raise concerns with the relevant member of staff in a respectful way that promotes working in partnership and avoids becoming abusive.

If a parent or carer asks to record a meeting – for example, as a reasonable adjustment – you should set clear expectations that:

  • recording is subject to the consent of all parties
  • any recording should not be used in ways that cause harm, distress or intimidation

Schools must have a simple, transparent complaints procedure to ensure parents are aware of how to raise a formal complaint in the correct way.

Schools and parents need to be a partnership, with effective two-way communication and understood roles and responsibilities.

Tackling incidents

Incidents of bullying or harassment by a parent can be in person or take place online – for example, through email or social media. This includes the misuse of a recording of a meeting or conversation to abuse or harass a member of staff.

Incidents should be reported immediately to the designated lead, headteacher, governing body or academy trust. Staff may also report incidents via their recognised trade union and request union support, such as accompaniment to meetings. Staff should be involved in deciding how to investigate and proceed, in line with the school’s policies.

If a staff member’s safety is at risk, the school should respond promptly to remove the threat and prevent recurrence. This could include barring someone from the premises, if the school feels that their aggressive, abusive or insulting behaviour or language is a risk to staff or pupils.

If the incident is a potential criminal offence, a single point of contact[footnote 6] from the school should consider involving the police, following the advice in when to call the police – guidance for schools and colleges.

Employers have a legal duty under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of its employees. Making sure that staff feel supported during and after any incident of bullying or harassment is part of meeting this duty.

Addressing bullying or harassment by parents may involve:

  • communication
  • meetings
  • mediation

Staff, including headteachers, should not be expected to manage these situations alone. Headteachers at:

  • maintained schools should inform their local authority
  • academies should escalate to the appropriate level within the academy trust

Appropriate support should be provided by the employer.

Schools should ensure that any incidents are properly reported using a clear and effective data capture system, so that trends can be monitored and reviewed regularly. A monitoring and evaluation cycle gives leaders the opportunity to pose questions that may help identify possible factors contributing to the behaviour, including:

  • any systemic problems
  • where support needs to be provided

Further information can be found in behaviour in schools – guidance for headteachers and school staff.

Employer responsibilities when the perpetrator is a pupil or parent

Employers have a responsibility to:

  • support staff during and after incidents
  • ensure staff are involved in decisions and investigations
  • allow access to recognised trade union support
  • maintain clear, consistent policies and communication

If a member of staff is bullied or harassed by a parent, the matter should be reported in accordance with the school’s policy, to agree an appropriate course of action. Depending on the nature and severity of the incident, this may involve:

  • mediation
  • giving verbal or written warnings
  • barring from the school site using Section 547 of the Education Act 1996[footnote 7]
  • reporting to the police

If the parent or carer has a reasonable complaint, they should be advised how to raise it appropriately in a way that is not bullying or harassment.

If, as part of a dispute, parents or others start filming outside of the school grounds and including individual members of staff in the footage, this has a harmful impact on the wellbeing of staff and can also put children at risk. Schools can attempt to address concerns regarding inappropriate filming around school premises using the advice in No filming at this school.

If there is any violence or aggression towards school staff as a result of bullying behaviour by a pupil or parent, the school should carefully consider its response. It can be noted that pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), trauma or difficulty can be dysregulated and can present as challenging in a way that does not constitute bullying. While these behaviours require addressing, they are not usually incidents of bullying. We expect employers to ensure school staff feel supported when dealing with these kinds of issues.

In all circumstances, regardless of the type of bullying or harassment by a pupil or parent, or groups of either, the employer should support their member of staff during and after the incident. This should include advising them of the options about how to deal with the matter and agreeing a course of action, if they need to have contact or regular interaction with the perpetrator, and providing ongoing support.

Online bullying and harassment

Online bullying and harassment[footnote 8] should be managed as part of a whole-school approach to behaviour. It is crucial that schools take measures to prevent and tackle all bullying, including making it clear that online bullying or harassment of staff is unacceptable, whether by pupils, parents or colleagues. Employers must respond swiftly and appropriately to any instances of online bullying and harassment, including any that take place out of school hours.

Schools can offer support to parents on how to help their children engage safely and responsibly in their online activity and with social media. When schools are reviewing or updating their behaviour or use of technology policies[footnote 9], they may wish to provide information on this through:

  • parents’ evenings
  • safer internet day activities[footnote 10]
  • advice in newsletters or communications
  • signposting to other sources of support

It is an offence (except in limited circumstances expressly permitted by legislation), for any person to publish any material that may lead to the identification of a teacher in a school who has been accused by, or on behalf of, a child from the same school (where that identification would identify the teacher as the subject of the allegation). Pupils or parents who make allegations online and elsewhere before an investigation by the relevant authorities may be acting in breach of the law[footnote 11].

If allegations are made, the school could:

  • contact the perpetrator involved and ask them to remove any posts or messages
  • inform them that such allegations may be in breach of the law

Getting offensive content removed or stopping abusive messaging provides advice to victims of an online harassment or campaign.

A flow chart to support with handling online bullying and harassment in schools is available. It sets out the approaches described in detail in this section.

Guidance for employers

Employers have a range of statutory and common law obligations, including a duty to protect employee health, safety, and wellbeing at work. This extends to preventing and responding to online bullying and harassment of school staff by pupils, parents and other members of staff, and supporting staff if it happens.  

Employers should provide:

  • policies and procedures that:

    • are clear, understandable and accessible
    • safeguard against online bullying and harassment
    • record reporting routes (including any designated leads) and responsibilities

  • a staff behaviour policy (or code of conduct) that includes:

    • how to handle allegations
    • whistleblowing procedures
    • acceptable use of technologies (including use of mobile phones)
    • staff-pupil relationships and communications
    • use of social media

  • support for staff that:

    • reacts quickly to reported incidents
    • supports affected staff
    • provides information to additional personal support

  • help with handling and removing harmful content by:

    • approaching the person who posted harmful content and requesting them to remove it, if they are known and it is appropriate to approach them[footnote 12]
    • contacting internet providers or agencies like Report Harmful Content, if the perpetrator is unknown, or a request for removal is unsuccessful
    • removing harmful content, if it is on a school website, email or social channel

  • reputation management through:

Acceptable use policies

Every school and academy should have clear and understood policies that include the acceptable use of technology by pupils and staff and address online bullying and harassment.

Policies on the responsible use of technology should include:

  • rules on the use of school equipment, software and access routes when used on or off the school premises within school hours, for example through:

    • internet access
    • tablets
    • laptops
    • mobile phones

  • acceptable behaviour for pupils and employees, including behaviour outside school[footnote 13]. For example, teachers’ and pupils’ use of social networking services and other sites should not cause harm to others or bring the school into disrepute. This should link to the school’s overall behaviour policy or code of conduct, including measures to prevent online bullying and harassment and prejudice-based and discriminatory actions

  • acceptable use policies for parents and carers in relation to online activities and social media groups, outlining the school’s expectations to ensure the school’s ethos is respected. Schools may also want to include policies around complaints to ensure parents are aware of the complaints procedures and how to raise any concerns and complaints in an appropriate manner

Policy templates and guidance on cyber security are available in resources and organisations for further support.

Guidance for school leaders and staff

For teachers, the teachers’ standards states that teachers must maintain high standards of ethics and behaviour, within and outside school, and at all times observe proper boundaries appropriate to a teacher’s professional position. In the context of online activity, this should be the case for all school staff. 

Advice on mediation with social media platforms to resolve online safety issues faced by school staff is available in resources and organisations for further support

A checklist which summarises support and advice from NASUWT, Childnet, and the UK Safer Internet Centre is available in the online safety guidance for staff.

Getting offensive content removed or stopping abusive messaging

The employer and the victim should collaborate when dealing with online bullying and harassment. The victim’s preferences on how to proceed should be respected. If offensive content is posted online, the school should ask the responsible person to remove it. Guidance for schools is available from:

Most social media networks have reporting mechanisms for inappropriate content. The UK Safer Internet Centre provides social media guides. If the person responsible is unknown or unresponsive, use the site’s reporting tools. Advice on how to do this is available from Report Harmful Content.  

For sexual images or videos, guidance is available, as follows:

If the content is illegal, contact the police.

Some providers do not accept third-party complaints. For mobile phone abuse, the account holder should contact the provider directly. Ofcom has advice on abusive and threatening calls.

Community tensions, protests and campaigns

Complaints and grievances regarding decision-making can occasionally escalate into high-volume or complaint ‘campaigns’. This can take place either offline in the community or as a result of an organised online campaign, or be a combination of both. While these could relate to legitimate concerns, they may also include abusive, intimidating, and harassing behaviours and language.

Peaceful protest is a vital part of a democratic society. People are free to gather and demonstrate their views provided they do so within the law.

Where issues escalate into intimidatory or threatening behaviour, including threats of protest, it is essential to work closely with local partners, including your local authority and the police. Local authorities have powers known as Expedited Public Spaces Protection Orders to restrict protests taking place outside a school. Those powers can be used where protests are or are likely to:

  • be unreasonable or persistent
  • be intimidating or harassing to staff or those using the school
  • impede the provision of the school’s services
  • prevent access to the site

Best practice guidance for school complaints procedures sets out the approach local authority-maintained schools should take to resolve complaints.

Best practice guidance for academies complaints procedures sets out the approach academies should take to resolve complaints.

Preventing incidents

Campaigns or protests can be triggered by:

  • the implementation or enforcement of a school policy, such as a uniform or behaviour policy
  • specific incidents or perceived controversial decisions or teaching related to sensitive topics, including political, religious and cultural issues

School policies should be clear and enforced impartially and consistently. Where there is a new policy, or significant changes made to an existing policy, it is good practice to engage with parents if the change could impact them – for example, about a new school uniform.

Schools are free to teach about political issues. They play an important role in:

  • helping pupils understand the society in which they grow up
  • preparing pupils for life in modern Britain

All schools have a statutory duty to teach religious education (RE).

Primary schools have a statutory duty to teach relationships and health education (RHE).

Secondary schools have a statutory duty to teach relationships, sex and health education (RSHE).

Parents have a right to withdraw children from RE and non-statutory sex education within relationships and sex and education (RSE), but not from RHE.

Statutory guidance on relationships and sex education and health education covers openness with parents about RSHE materials. Engaging parents with relationships education policy contains further guidance for primary headteachers.

Local authorities, governing bodies, headteachers and academy trusts have statutory political impartiality duties[footnote 14]. School leaders and staff have a responsibility to ensure that they act appropriately, particularly in the political views they express. When political issues are discussed, schools must offer pupils a balanced presentation of opposing views, and teaching must not promote partisan political views.

Political impartiality in schools provides guidance on political impartiality and discussing sensitive issues.

Classroom resources are available in resources and organisations for further support.

Tackling incidents

It is never acceptable for schools or school staff to be subject to intimidation or harassment, or for the provision of schooling to be significantly disrupted by persistent protest activity. Schools and trusts should work closely with the police and the relevant local authority on a co-ordinated response. This will enable partners to discuss their plans, share information and co-ordinate any local police response. Local authorities and police have a range of powers to minimise disruptive and intimidating protest activity outside of schools, including the power to make Expedited Public Spaces Protection Orders.

Guidance for school leaders and staff

If a protest or community tension is based around a complaint, schools should follow their policies and, as for all complaints:

  • remain impartial
  • respect confidentiality

They should consider the impact of the incident on those who are the target of the complaint.

Handling complaint campaigns could require a separate procedure, including a templated response or a single response published on the school’s website. We have published model procedures and guidance for dealing with complaints of this type:

Appropriate mediation and the prompt resolution of complaints can minimise disruption and limit the impacts of harassment on staff. Where necessary, mediation should occur with the parental and student body, and should be facilitated by a neutral, impartial body or person.

Preventing threats of violence against staff

Schools must comply with the: 

These laws require employers to assess and manage risks, including those related to violence against staff.

School security policy

Schools should develop a security policy that includes:

  • risk assessments for internal and external threats
  • procedures for responding to incidents
  • roles and responsibilities for staff during emergencies

Training and awareness

All staff should receive security training and be familiar with the school’s procedures for handling violent incidents. Staff should know when and how to contact emergency services.

Preventative measures

Schools are encouraged to implement:

  • access controls
  • security lighting
  • dynamic lockdown procedures
  • anonymous reporting mechanisms for pupils and staff

Recovery and support

Business continuity plans should include:

  • emotional support for staff post-incident
  • access to professional help
  • debriefing and evaluation to improve future responses

Controlling access to premises

Schools can bar individuals (such as abusive parents) from the premises if their behaviour poses a risk to staff or pupils.

  1. No significant differences were found between those in any other ethnic group and all respondents. This group has a base size of <100. ↩

  2. This section’s primary focus is staff being bullied by other staff. However, the information included (specifically on pursuing matters via the school’s grievance procedure) may be relevant where a member of staff feels the school has not protected them from bullying and harassment or where a complaint about bullying by a pupil or parent or other third party has not been handled satisfactorily by the school. ↩

  3. Further information is available in whistleblowing procedure for maintained schools or blowing the whistle to the Department for Education ↩

  4. A prohibition order means that the person concerned is prevented from carrying out teaching work in schools or other settings. ↩

  5. All individuals have a right to be accompanied, as per Section 10 of the Employment Relations Act 1999, whether they are a trade union member or not. ↩

  6. A single point of contact from the school may be the headteacher or designated safeguarding lead. ↩

  7. The school should have regard to the guidance on controlling access to school premises. ↩

  8. This guidance replaces DfE’s 2014 Cyber bullying guidance: advice for headteachers and school staff. ↩

  9. 360 Degree Safe offer a self-review tool to help schools review their online safety policy and practice. ↩

  10. Information is available from the UK Safer Internet Centre. ↩

  11. Section 141F of the Education Act 2002, as amended by Section 13 of the Education Act 2011. ↩

  12. When should you go to the police? contains advice on when to go to the police about harmful content. ↩

  13. Section 89(5) Education and Inspections Act 2006 for maintained schools includes the measures that the headteacher of a relevant school in England determines under subsection (1) may, to such extent as is reasonable, include measures to be taken with a view to regulating the conduct of pupils at a time when they are not on the premises of the school and are not under the lawful control or charge of a member of the staff of the school. For academies, their funding agreements and The Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 require proprietors to ensure behaviour policies are implemented effectively. ↩

  14. Refer to Political impartiality in schools for further guidance. ↩

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