Wellbeing
Mr Ben Ronald, Acting Director of Wellbeing
Bulling No Way Week
From 17-21 August schools across Australia are recognising Bullying No Way Week, an annual opportunity to promote safe, respectful and inclusive school communities. This year's theme, Small Acts, Big Impact, reminds us that everyday actions matter. However, while individual kindness is important, effective bullying prevention requires more than encouraging students to "be nice". It requires schools to have clear systems, strong procedures and a whole-school commitment to prevention and response.
This focus aligns closely with the new NSW Anti-Bullying Framework, which will guide all NSW schools from 2027. The Framework highlights four interconnected areas that are essential for addressing bullying effectively: Preventing, Responding, Partnering and Implementing.
Preventing bullying means creating a school culture where respectful relationships, belonging and inclusion are actively fostered. Research consistently shows that students are less likely to engage in bullying behaviour when they feel connected to their school community and experience positive relationships with both peers and adults.
Responding focuses on ensuring that concerns are taken seriously. Schools must have transparent and consistent processes for reporting, investigating and addressing bullying behaviour, while providing timely support to students who have been affected. Importantly, the Framework emphasises that it is not enough to simply respond to incidents; schools must follow up to ensure harmful behaviour has stopped and that appropriate supports remain in place.
Partnering recognises that bullying prevention is a shared responsibility. Students, families, teachers, boarding staff, counsellors and school leaders all play an important role in creating safe environments and supporting positive relationships. Strong communication and collaboration between school and home are critical components of effective prevention and intervention.
Finally, Implementing highlights the importance of ongoing staff training, policy review, data analysis and continuous improvement. Effective anti-bullying work is not a one-off program or annual event. It is embedded in everyday practice and regularly evaluated to ensure it remains effective.
Families are encouraged to read the new framework: nsw-anti-bullying-framework_0.PDF or download the poster.
At Kinross Wolaroi, much of this work is already underway. Our PDHPE curriculum, wellbeing programs including Compass, Respectful Relationships Education initiatives, boarding programs, restorative practices and student support systems all contribute to fostering a culture of respect, inclusion and belonging. Over the coming months, we will continue reviewing our existing Anti-Bullying Policy against the new NSW Framework, refining reporting processes, and strengthening our use of wellbeing data to identify trends and inform future action.
Every student has the right to feel safe, respected and able to learn. While no single initiative can eliminate bullying, a clear framework helps ensure that prevention, response and support are consistent, evidence-informed and focused on the wellbeing of every young person in our care.
As we continue this work, our commitment remains clear: bullying has no place at Kinross Wolaroi, and creating a safe and inclusive school community remains everyone's responsibility.
To those that need support, help is available:
- Trusted adult/teacher
- Mentor
- Head Mentor
- School Counsellors
- Boarding staff
- Health Clinic
You can also get help from: