Strategies and evaluation

Anti-Bullying Strategy for Grenaa Gymnasium

Grenaa Gymnasium views a positive atmosphere as an essential prerequisite for both students and staff to experience the school as a welcoming and constructive learning environment.

Purpose of the Anti-Bullying Policy

The purpose of an anti-bullying policy is to prevent bullying by maintaining a clear stance that bullying is unacceptable and by establishing clear guidelines for addressing it if it occurs.

Bullying occurs when one or more individuals consistently and over an extended period or repeatedly subject one or more individuals to hurtful actions that are perceived as offensive or degrading.

Bullying encompasses actions that target individuals to weaken their position within a community. Bullying can range from physical harassment to demeaning use of social media and more.

It is also considered bullying if a student or staff member takes actions outside of school hours that negatively impact school-related interactions. Such actions will be addressed according to the school’s regulations.

Goals of the Anti-Bullying Policy

Grenaa Gymnasium should be a safe place: a place where people interact with dignity and respect each other’s differences.

Activities and Guidelines:

To prevent bullying and ensure a positive atmosphere, the school will actively engage in the following activities:

• Highlight that collective well-being is a shared responsibility among leadership, staff, and students.
• Regular workplace assessments and student satisfaction surveys with a focus on psychological work environment. Based on these, possible concrete measures for improving the psychological work environment will be implemented.
• Educate students on responsible use of social media and other platforms.
• The work environment organization should ensure a focus on the psychological work environment.
• Annual employee development conversations for all staff. Bullying prevention should be a topic in these conversations.
• During orientation for new students and staff, comprehensive information about the school’s organization and culture, including the anti-bullying policy, will be provided.
• Annual social events will be organized for both students and staff.

Guidelines for Addressing Bullying

If anyone witnesses a situation or incident that can be characterized as bullying, both leadership, staff, and students have an obligation to intervene. This can involve immediate intervention in the situation or reporting to a teacher/management. Any report will be treated confidentially.

Any student or staff member who feels offended or harassed has a duty to speak up, if possible. This can be addressed directly with the person(s) engaging in bullying behavior or reported to a teacher/management.

Leadership and workplace representatives are responsible for ensuring that a solution to the problem is reached through dialogue with the parties involved and that follow-up occurs over time.

For more severe cases of bullying, external counseling may be sought if deemed necessary by the leadership.

Sanctions for Bullying

The school must develop an action plan within 10 days to address the bullying incident, outlining steps to halt the ongoing bullying. This includes notifying relevant individuals/parents. Failure to do so gives students the right to complain to DCUM.

Bullying is sanctioned according to labor regulations and the school’s study and code of conduct rules, which can range from reprimand to dismissal/expulsion from the school.

Strategy of evaluation

Plan for follow-up action

Grenaa Gymnasium’s primary goal is to assist students as effectively as possible throughout their educational journey.

The foundation is built on the school’s values:

• Academic immersion
• Mutual respect
• Reflection.

Grenaa Gymnasium places a high priority on students’ well-being, creating space for diversity and individual development opportunities.

We expect students to be committed to completing their education by doing homework, submitting assignments, attending all lessons, and actively participating in both classes and school life as a whole.

We emphasize a thorough academic and social introduction to education and provides individual guidance throughout the process.

In each class, the objective is to foster a positive classroom culture that accommodates each student, striking a balance between expectations and consideration for varying levels of interest and engagement.

This framework creates an environment for strong academic performance, allowing students and teachers to flourish in collaboration.

Support Along the Way

For students at risk of dropping out, swift action is crucial. The student’s advisor plays a central role in this process, which involves identifying issues and implementing support for the student.

This support may include academic assistance through study modules, homework cafes, extra student or teacher support, reading guidance, etc.

Additionally, personal support, such as mentorship or psychological counseling, may be provided. Collaboration with external partners, such as UU-Djursland and SPS, is also essential to retain students in their educational journey.

The retention task is multifaceted and can only be achieved through close collaboration with various stakeholders within the school.

Who does what

Tasks for Subject Teachers

• Work to ensure the entire class achieves academic goals
• Focus on fostering academic reading and developing writing skills
• Encourage timely submission of written assignments in the subject
• Collaborate constructively with the class’s other teachers (and students) to enhance classroom culture, general pedagogical aspects, and interdisciplinary projects
• Initiate communication with team teachers and advisors when an individual student is at risk
• Contribute to challenging and developing the classroom culture in the class

Tasks for Team Teachers

Team teachers prepare the scheduled status meeting with the counsellor regarding special initiatives for each student—support, guidance, notification of sanctions, etc.

 The counsellor records initiatives for each student. The record is available at the class council conference.

Tasks for Counsellors

• Guide  individual students in their overall study situation
• Guide individual students based on individual needs—including collaboration with the UU system for students at risk and other relevant external parties
• Coordinate various support initiatives for individual students—including collaboration with parents, teachers, reading counselors, management, and external partners such as psychologists and case workers
• Participate in meetings with the team and management about the individual class and take decision notes
• Conduct conversations with students regarding study and disciplinary rules
• Initiate actions that support the personal and academic development of students
• Inform teachers about students who require special consideration

Tasks for Reading Counsellors

• Conduct screening of each class at the beginning of the school year
• Support students with dyslexic problems
• Contribute to the satisfactory functioning of study modules
• Offer specially designed teaching programs for students with specific needs
• Collaborate with teachers on academic reading and writing skills
• Collaborate with advising and provide feedback on individual students

Management Tasks

• Ensure ongoing dialogue between the board and the school about retention policies—including finding resources for relevant support measures for each student
• Take responsibility for implementing the school’s retention policy
• Take responsibility for and participate in the necessary collaboration with the parent group
• Ensure that applicable regulations are followed in pedagogical and study administrative collaboration for each class
• Participate in meetings with the team and advisor about the individual class and contribute to the implementation of decisions
• Provide information about student satisfaction surveys to the class team
• Provide information about neglect and sanctions.”

From Core Values to Strategy and Action

Grenaa Gymnasium’s core values are:

Expertise
Reflection
Mutual respect

Our goal is to help you develop academically, socially, and personally so that you learn to believe in yourself and your own abilities. We want as many students as possible to pursue higher education in Denmark and/or abroad.

You encounter these values and goals in your everyday life at school. They are also integrated intoGrenaa Gymnasium’s Strategy 2023 – 2027, developed by the school’s board. Each year, the strategy and results from self-evaluations are translated into the school’s action and follow-up plan (currently under development).

The strategy and action plans are renewed every 4 years and are essential elements of Grenaa Gymnasium’s quality assurance and evaluation strategy.

In the winter term 2020 Grenaa Gymnasium had a survey of the teaching environment conducted. The results were very satisfying and reflect our values and goals.

High Academic Standards
Grenaa Gymnasium is well-known for its good teaching environment. Our teachers have high academic standards and are ambitious on behalf of our students. We strive to get our students to see and make use of their academic potential, and while respecting the differences between students, we set out to strengthen their knowledge using innovative and interesting teaching methods.

It Takes All Kinds
The social environment also plays an important part at Grenaa Gymnasium. Our students are tolerant, social and welcoming to many different types of students. Students know each other regardless of which class or grade they are in. The fact that we have three different educations adds to the difference, since we have both English-speaking students from all over the world in the IB-program and older students in the HF-program (Higher Preparatory Exam).

Dedicated Teachers
We have a well-knit group of teachers. There is a good balance between new and experienced teachers, and all of them get along really well, which inevitably can be felt in class and in the interdisciplinary teamwork. Our teachers are very dedicated to teaching and extra-curricular activities.

Smiles at the Administration
Finally we have an administration where you can always get a smile and a helping hand. All students come into contact with the office at some point and those working there add to the good atmosphere at the school.

Everybody tries their best to make you feel well, because we believe that it is easier to learn when you are happy at school.