It was a whole day conference which was very well supported by Kingston schools, the police, the voluntary sector and the local authority Education and Community Services Directorates.

The two speakers on the day were Tim Fields and Diana Lamplugh, both of whom had a wealth of knowledge and experience on the topic.

The workshops provided an opportunity to exchange ideas and good practices from each other.

Issues that came across were that bullying should be dealt with as part of a whole school policy incorporating all staff, students and parents and it should be part of the school curriculum.

Preventing and identifying bullying at an early stage is all important, together with giving support to the victim and educating the bullies.