This is Engelska Skolan Norr

Engelska Skolan Norr is an independent school with 515 students from age six to sixteen. They come from 19 different municipalities but mostly from Stockholm. It is situated in three buildings, two of which are next to each other, and the third a five minute walk away., Roslagstullsbacken 4, Roslagstullsbacken 27 and Roslagstullsbacken 31, Stockholm. ESN contains two classes at each level from pre-school through grade nine. The proximity of the buildings facilitates a common administration and the use of special rooms for art and music to be used for the entire school. The location of our grade 6-9 buildings in the new Alba Nova University Center provides an interesting and stimulating environment for our young academics.

The students at Engelska Skolan Norr come from a variety of different cultural and socio-economic backgrounds providing an exciting blend which can build the foundation for enriched lives as well as increased tolerance and understanding. This heterogeneous student body also provides a stimulating challenge.

ESN Quality Report 2006-2007
(word document)

Kvalitetsrapport 2006-2007
(word dokument)

ESN Plan for Equal Treatment

ESN SCHOOL GOALS 2006-2007

TO FURTHER THE PEDAGOGICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE SCHOOL:

Methods:

Continue to develop student influence and systemise it including the development of the student council..
Continue to increase subject integration.
Develop a clearer structure for working with developing English and Swedish in parallel.
Develop hands-on-science and maths throughout the school.
Develop second language teaching methods through discussions and teacher education.
Classroom management education and discussion.

TO DECREASE STUDENT CONFLICTS AND BULLYING:

Methods:

Clarify the terminology for all.
ABC to visit classes twice a year.
Continue to develop ‘Friends’ and make it more visible in the school.
Work in Internet bullying.
Develop methods to counteract bullying between girls.
Teacher education and discussions about child development, adolescence and conflict solving.
Implementation of the new law to promote fair and equal treatment.

TO KEEP OUR TRADITIONS ALIVE and OTHER SCHOOL EVENTS ACTIVE:

Whole School Traditions: United Nations Day (Human Rights) (½ day)Halloween (½ day), Lucia, reading week, science fair, friendship week, health days, end of term concerts
Other school events: Chess activities and tournaments, football tournaments, two sports’ days and a winter activity day, 9th grade graduation, excursion day.

Methods:

Work on traditions in class and in ‘fritids’ as well as whole school.
Dates to be known well ahead of time, events to be well planned with a schedule for all, day of week to be varied. Staff list for big events. Teachers to know that they are to be available the whole day on a big event day.
Organising committees to be set up in each resource group at the beginning of the year..

TO CONTINUE TO IMPROVE TEAM SPIRIT, COOPERATION AND UNDERSTANDING

a)WHOLE SCHOOL

Methods:

Use the planning matrix as a tool to integrate subjects.
Staff visiting classes in other parts of the school.

b) AMONGST THE STAFF
Methods:

Team building exercises, parties etc.
Self care education and activities.
More visits from the principal and vice-principals.

c) AMONGST THE PUPILS
Methods:

Team building exercises. Need to mix A and B classes.
Social and emotional intelligence class each week..
Buddy classes (K-6)
Sports’ activities with mixed teams.
Choice with parallel classes mixed (if at the same time) and with different levels.
Equal rights in the class for boys and girls – teacher awareness.

TO CONTINUE TO DEVELOP THE USE OF COMPUTERS IN TEACHING

Methods:

Scheduled staff instruction at different levels.
Teachers helping each other.
Develop Intranet.
Using the multi-media trolleys.
Grades 1 and 2 to have computer lessons (SSV)
Using computers as a tool in other subjects.

TO ENCOURAGE HEALTHY LIVING.

Methods:
a) AMONGST THE STAFF

Promote physical activity.
Have anti-stress activities.
Reduce stress levels by tightening up decision making areas.

b) AMONGST THE PUPILS

Integrate indoor and outdoor physical activities for each season in the syllabus.
Promote healthy eating habits
Integrate anti-smoking, drugs and alcohol strategies in different subjects.

TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF AND IMPROVE THE ENVIRONMENT AROUND THE SCHOOL.

Methods:

Classes and student council to work with recycling.
Have a central recycling centre for batteries. Educate pupils about throwing away batteries.
Sort garbage before throwing it away (paint, computer parts etc.)
Reduce the amount of copying paper used.
Recycling boxes to be in each class as well as fritids.
Clean up weeks for all classes.
Have contact with the municipalities.

ESN’s plan of action to promote fair & equal treatment

Introduction regarding ESN’s commitment to this endeavour. School policy, School rules, Social & emotional intelligence training in curriculum, ABC, Friends-reps.

Identification of conflicts occurring at school
According to the law (2006:67), any acts of discrimination, harassment or other acts of intimidation of a child or student are forbidden. This refers to unfair treatment on grounds of any of the following:
1.     gender,
2.     ethnicity,
3.     religion or other belief system,
4.     sexual orientation, and/ or
5.     handicap.

A plan of action has been put in place for any of the above violations. However, it is important to specify the type of conflict situation that has occurred at school. This will determine which course of action is appropriate, as well as whose responsibility it is to implement the plan of action.
The following definitions are that which we follow to assess which is the suitable intervention.

Definitions:
Conflicts Intimidation, Harassment, and Bullying
Conflicts
There is a marked difference between a conflict situation and either a bullying or harassment situation. Conflicts are usually direct confrontations between two or more individuals in a specific situation. This conflict is usually a disagreement over a situation and is marked mostly by verbal confrontations but also can be accompanied by physical confrontations as well. These situations can usually be sorted out by school personnel or by the individuals themselves with no further incidents occurring after the original conflict. It is important that staff members intervene in conflicts and come to a mutually agreed settlement so that the conflict does not grow into a larger more serious situation. A the same time even though a conflict is situational and usually resolved immediately, acts of harassment or discrimination can occur during that conflict and it is important for the staff to be aware of all the details and appropriate action be taken in accordance with the schools guidelines, if there is any harassing or discriminatory behavior that has taken place during the conflict.
Acts of intimidation
The dictionary definition of intimidation is “To coerce or inhibit (an individual) by or as if by threats” and applies in our school. No individual should be allowed to inhibit threaten another member of our school. Intimidation can take the following forms: student to student; student to teacher; and teacher to student intimidation.
Discrimination
Discrimination is when there is unfair treatment of a person based on a negative or hostile attitude towards a group they belong to. It is not just a thought or attitude (prejudice) but its expression in behaviour, action or outcome.
Harassment
Harassment is defined as “To irritate or torment persistently”. This can be physical and/or physiological. Harassment falls directly under the title of ‘Bullying’ and will be dealt with according to the school guidelines concerning ‘Bullying’
Bullying
Bullying at school is when one or several students repeatedly and systematically harass another student physically, psychologically or both during a specific period of time. The time period can be a few weeks but it is often months or occasionally years. Individual incidents of harassment are not classified as bullying. Bullying most often takes place within a student’s class.
Source: “Mobbing i Skolan by Karl Ljungström
Using these definitions as a starting point ESN has instituted the following plan to combat Bully as well as discrimination, harassment and intimidation that occurs during conflict situations at our school

ESN’s Preventative plan to promote fair & equal treatment
Prevention
Student Education

Invite special speakers to increase awareness regarding 5 grounds for discrimination including speakers from within school community ie nurse, counsellor (school)
Social & emotional intelligence training /Health & Values (responsible teachers)
Educate students about law (SO)
Educate and train friends-reps – student action (ABC- Friends supporters)

Staff Education

Incorporate aspects of law into current syllabus for Social & emotional intelligence training (Vice-principal - pedagogics)
ABC to educate regarding new law, process of reporting bullying, forms etc. Set up agenda for staff training on a calendar at beginning of year. (ABC)
Have an up-to-date staff package regarding this new law (Principal in consultation with ABC)
Continued staff education agenda to be focused on training to do with ‘Constructive conflict solving’, Classroom management (Principal)

Parent Information & Education
1. Package regarding ESN’s plan of action to promote fair and equal treatment (Principal)
2. Booklet for parents about Anti-bullying Committee (ABC)

Other preventative activities:

Buddy system
Integrate parallel classes as often as possible during whole school events

Intervention
When incidents occur and in order to prevent any forms of discrimination, harassment or intimidation as well as to document and intervene when these situations occur, the following plan will be enacted to ensure that all members of the ESN community can attend and work our school without the fear of being improperly treated. An active and engaged staff, student body and parents is crucial for any plan to function. The following plan is designed to identify and stop any cases of discrimination, harassment, intimidation and overall bullying that should appear at ESN.

Early and prompt intervention by all staff
1. If any conflict is seen by an adult in the school, that adult should stop the incident and discuss it immediately with the students involved. The adult may be a teacher or other member of the staff. If an incident is reported by a student it should be discussed with the students involved as soon as possible. Staff should also make a preliminary judgment as to whether any harassing or discrimination incidents have take place during the conflict.
If an incident is not solved on the spot or the staff suspects that the conflict is more serious than just the current incident a note should be put in the school counsellor’s box.

Early and prompt intervention by parents
2. Parents must be alert as to how their child is feeling about his/her relationships with classmates, and report problems to their child’s class teacher or any staff member.

Further Intervention for incidents not resolved
3. If the same students are involved in repeated incidents or if a particular incident is considered serious, parents are asked to please contact the school counsellor.
Should an incident be deemed serious and beyond the scope of an individual staff member then the ABC team and/or school administration will be called upon to intervene.

- by Anti-bullying Committee
4. In bullying situations, the following process, according to the Farsta method, will then take place:

Bullying Intervention plan

When a bullying situation is detected, a written report (see attached form) will be made to ESN’s Anti-Bullying Committee (ABC).
Please note committee members for 2006/07 who work specifically in sub-teams according to age level. That is, K -3 /fritids team, 4- 6 team, 7 -9 team.
A member of the ABC will investigate this situation by speaking with relevant students, witnesses, and/or staff members who have reported the situation.
This ABC member will speak directly with relevant students involved in the bullying situation within 2 days of the report being made. This meeting will take place without pre-warning for the students. An agreement regarding behaviour will be made and/or relevant consequence/s is/are put into place.
A follow-up discussion with relevant students will be made after 2 days, and again after 2 weeks. This is to ensure that the set agreement has worked.

5. If the problem persists after this intervention or is deemed in the first instance as a serious bullying situation:

5.1.          The principal will be informed, and be involved in further intervention.
5.2.          The situation will be taken up by the Student Care Team which includes, among others, the principal, nurse, school counsellor, special education team. A plan of action regarding further intervention will be made. Parents will be involved at this stage.
5.3.          Social authorities may be invited to intervene if the school cannot solve the problem.

- by ESN administration for ‘Other acts of intimidation’
According to law 2006:67 any acts of discrimination, harassment or intimidation are forbidden. To better clarify the procedure for repeated bullying or acts of discrimination, harassment or intimidation the following plan will be implemented when a student or staff member violates this provision.
In serious conflict situations which are not handled by Anti-bullying Committee or are repeated violations of school policy, and/or the school deems to be acts of intimidation or discrimination, the school will take the following actions:

1. If an incident occurs that is deemed by anyone as an act of harassment, discrimination or intimidation that incident will be reported to the school administration in written form (see attached form) if the staff deems that this is a bullying case it is to be reported to the ABC Committee as well.
2. Once the incident is received:
A. School administration will then contact the Anti-Bullying-Group to see if there is an active case concerning the student involved in the incident and confer with them.
or
B. If the incident involves teacher to student harassment, discrimination or intimidation, the school administration will take direct contact with the staff member.
School administration will then:
A. If a student is involved in an incident, the school administration will then determine if the actions taken by the ABC group are sufficient to rectify the situation, if not, and the incident is deemed serious, the students parents will be contacted concerning the situation. This will be noted in the incident case file.
B. If a teacher is involved the discussion will center on the incident and how the staff member can correct the inappropriate behavior and how to avoid situations like this in the future.
A plan of action will be written and agreed to by all participants in the incidents. Follow-ups will be done 2 days, 2-weeks and then 4-weeks after the incident. School administration is responsible for this follow-up.
Our counselor Ms Lee may be consulted for grades K-9. She will be available for conflict solving so that bullying does not have a chance to develop. Parents please call 08/441 85 84. If there is no answer, please call the office to leave a message and a note will be written so you will be called back. Ms Lee will be at school every day.