Nov. 7, 2024
Anti-Bullying Week is coordinated In England and Wales by the Anti-Bullying Alliance and takes place from 11th to 5th November 2024 with the theme Choose Respect. The includes Odd Socks Day on Tuesday 12th November, where adults and children wear odd socks to celebrate what makes us all unique.
‘Bullying affects millions of lives and can leave us feeling hopeless. But it doesn’t have to be this way. If we challenge it, we can change it. And it starts by reaching out.’ Anti-Bullying Alliance.
The video below explains the theme Choose Respect:
The Anti-Bullying Alliance has a range of resources to support schools during the week. These include a pack for both Primary and Secondary schools. They have also joined with BBC Teach to host a live lesson at 11 am on Tuesday 12th.
The theme this year of Choose Respect came about following consultation with teachers and pupils who wanted a theme that empowered them to do something positive to counter the harm and hurt that bullying causes.
This year, we’ll empower children and young people to not resort to bullying, even when we disagree and remind adults to lead by example, online and offline.
Purple Mash offers a whole curriculum area with a range of activities just for Personal, Social and Health Education which includes a special section just for Anti-Bullying Week. Teachers can also access the Odd Socks Day resource pack from the Anti-Bullying Alliance within Purple Mash.
We have some brand-new resources linked to the theme Choose Respect within Purple Mash, as well as the chance to design your own odd socks in time for Odd Socks day. To explore the this year's theme, pupils can compare respectful and disrespectful ways of speaking with the Respect vs Disrespect Activity, and can also create a poster showing how other people can Choose Respect.
Learners could write a poem with the theme of Choose Respect, thinking about how being respected makes people feel.
These activities are on top of all the other activities within Purple Mash that cover the topic of bullying and encouraging children to both report and speak out against bullying.
Bullying UK have a range of resources that can be used in school during the week including a presentation, advice texts, activities and a range of posters that you can download for free to display in and around school. Pupils could also use 2Paint or 2Paint a Picture to design their own posters around the theme of Choose Respect.
Join the 2Simple team on Tuesday 12th November by wearing Odd Socks. We want to encourage teachers, parents and pupils alike to show their support for Anti-Bullying by joining in with Odd Socks Day. Tag us in your pictures so that we can see all your fun sock combinations.
Whatever you do during school for Anti-Bullying week 2024, please share you work on our X and Facebook pages using the hashtags #AntiBullyingWeek and #ChooseRespect.
