Belmont has three values: Be Kind Be Brave, Be You. That first, all-important value was shown in abundance during Anti-Bullying Week, where the whole school acknowledged such an important theme.

To start the week, pupils all sat for an informative assembly, where they all engaged in discussions and listened earnestly about the importance of mutual respect.

Year groups then attended different workshops and talks suitable for their age. Years 5, 6 and 7 attended a workshop called The Boy in the Photograph by Rob Higgs. Rob was fantastic as he told pupils about his experiences of being bullied and showed them various strategies on how to deal with it. Pupils were involved with roleplay and got to watch clips about how professionals, such as comedians and musicians, dealt with people calling out negatively from the crowd or on social media.

Year 8 boys had the opportunity to sit and talk with some Sixth Form boys from the Senior School. These Sixth Form pupils hold leadership roles over at Mill Hill, from Head of House to 1st Team Captain. They spoke to Year 8 about how they could be a positive influence in people’s lives and discussed ways to call out inappropriate behaviour. Conversation flowed within individual groups as scenarios were handed out and talked through.

There was a day of wild and wonderful and wacky socks as pupils acknowledged Odd Socks Day, and pupils were also encouraged to draw on the pavements and playgrounds in colourful chalk things that showed or meant kindness to them on World Kindness Day.

Throughout the week, pupils sent each other Kindness Notes. These postcards and notes were handed out every morning by the School’s Wellbeing Ambassadors. On them were messages telling the receiver how they were kind and respectful and thanking them for having a positive impact on the writer or the community. The whole school had set themselves a target of 1000 acts of kindness, which they completely smashed!

The whole week was an amazing success; it was brilliant to see the school community pull together for such an important cause. Well done to all those involved.