PUPILS have performed a play to their fellow peers in a bid to try and wipe out bullying at their school.
Youngsters from Bay House School in Gosport acted out scenes in assembly to all Year 7 students as part of Anti-Bullying week.
It focuses around a group of young people who are being bullied and shows the effects it has on them.
Year 10 pupil Ashleigh Bate, 14, said: ‘Bullying upsets so many people. It affects many people’s lives.
‘So we came together to do a play for anti-bullying. We all volunteered to do it.’
Martin Smelt, 14, also in Year 10, added: ‘I think this is good because it helps to talk if people are affected.’
The school recently won an award for their ‘Bay House Buddies’ scheme which sees older pupils support the younger pupils to provide a listening ear and to give them some support if they are bullied at school.
They won the Make it Count award – an award for community projects helping make a difference to combat bullying.
Carolyne Downham, English teacher at the school, came up with the idea after attending an anti-bullying conference organised by Hampshire County Council.
She said: ‘They were absolutely brilliant. They were very confident. They were very excited and energetic. They are a lovely bunch of youngsters.
‘I think it’s very important that the message comes across from the pupils themselves because they feel strongly about anti-bullying.
‘I think if they see their peer groups speaking about that strong anti-bullying message it makes a difference, rather than hearing it from an adult. They get a lot of support from each other.’
The school is now considering performing the play at other schools across the area to try and spread the message.
She added: ‘The response we had to the assembly was that a lot of the youngsters really enjoyed the performance but they all said that it really made them think as well.
‘It’s really just another way of getting across the anti-bullying message.
‘I’m proud of what they have achieved and that they have stood up and shown that they are prepared to do something for anti-bullying week.’
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