Dunhurst celebrates Harmony Week

Anti-Bullying Week has been marked by schools across the country for the last 16 years – but at Bedales Prep, Dunhurst, the event has inspired their own distinctive take on proceedings.

Anti-Bullying Week, which was introduced by the Anti-Bullying Alliance in 2004, aims to raise awareness of bullying of children and young people as well as highlight ways to prevent and respond to the problem.

At Dunhurst, staff welcomed the opportunity for pupils to focus on how their behaviour and actions affect others, but felt that focussing too heavily on bullying could have a detrimental effect, which in turn inspired them to create their own ‘Harmony Week’ from 16-20 November.

Throughout the week, pupils celebrated diversity and gave thought to important values, such as treating others how they wish to be treated themselves. There were plenty of opportunities to reflect, from a special Harmony Week assembly on Cobb’s Field, focusing on the power of friendships in Tutor Time, and discussing techniques to empower bullying victims and support bystanders to become upstanders in Wellbeing lessons.

Dunhurst’s Head of Wellbeing Debbie Baty explained: “We believe that you get more of what you focus on, so while we value the importance of Anti-Bullying Week, we decided to turn it on its head and call it Harmony Week instead. When you work in harmony, you can achieve great things.”

Head of Dunhurst Colin Baty added: “We are delighted to have supported the positive work of Anti-Bullying Week in such a unique way. Harmony is more important than it has ever been. We are in the midst of the second national lockdown of the year, with weekend activities and after-school activities on hold, and life feels harder than usual for many of us. At a time like this, harmonious comments, attitudes and gestures are crucial, and I am proud of our pupils for engaging with the week’s activities and showing how important it is to be kind.”