Bullying, relationships and the new RSHE guidance for primary schools

The guidance makes this clear from the outset. It says the focus in primary school should be on:

“the building blocks of all positive relationships… to grow into kind, caring adults who have respect for others and know how to keep themselves and others safe”

That’s a big responsibility. And for many schools, the challenge is how to move beyond simply telling pupils to be kind and instead help them understand what that actually looks like in real life.

Teaching what respectful relationships actually mean

From the very start of primary school, pupils are expected to learn:

“how to treat each other with kindness, consideration and respect”

Alongside this, they need to understand:

• what healthy friendships look like
• how to recognise when relationships are not positive
• how these behaviours apply in all contexts, including online

The guidance also highlights the importance of teaching:

“the features of positive relationships… and strategies to support and improve respectful relationships, as well as identifying… harmful behaviours such as bullying”

So this is not just about promoting kindness. It’s about giving pupils the tools to recognise, understand and respond to behaviour.

How The Bully Busters helps

The Bully Busters programme is designed to bring these expectations to life.

Through interactive drama and discussion, pupils explore what respectful behaviour actually looks like in real situations. They see how friendships can break down, how behaviour can cross a line, and how those situations can be resolved.

The Bully Busters themselves provide a fun and engaging way into the topic, helping turn abstract ideas like respect into something pupils can recognise and talk about in their own lives.

Recognising harmful behaviour, including bullying

A key expectation in the guidance is that pupils can identify when something isn’t right.

It states that teaching should help pupils:

“recognise any less positive relationships when they encounter them”

Pupils should also be able to identify harmful behaviours, including bullying and discriminatory behaviour.

This is not just about learning definitions. It’s about safeguarding, and making sure pupils can recognise problems when they happen.

How The Bully Busters helps

Bully Busters gives pupils a safe space to explore different types of bullying, including verbal, physical, relational and online.

It helps them understand:

• how bullying can start and escalate
• the different roles people can play, including how to safely support others
• the impact bullying has, and how to build empathy for those affected

Importantly, it focuses on behaviour rather than labels, helping pupils recognise these situations in real life.

Knowing how to get help

Another clear expectation in the guidance is that pupils should know what to do if something goes wrong.

Schools should ensure pupils have:

“the knowledge they need to recognise and to report abuse” and “know how to report concerns and seek advice”

This includes situations involving bullying. The aim is not just awareness, but confidence to act.

How The Bully Busters helps

This is a core part of the programme.

After taking part:

• 99% of pupils said they would tell someone if they saw bullying
• 87% could name three places to go for help

Pupils are encouraged to think about who they can talk to, both at school and at home. They explore how to speak up, how to support a friend and why telling someone matters.

By the end of the session, pupils are clearer not just on what bullying is, but on what they can actually do about it.

Building a whole school culture

The guidance also highlights that relationships education should support wider wellbeing and safeguarding.

It aims to help children:

“grow into kind, caring adults” and “keep themselves and others safe”

This isn’t something that can be achieved through a single lesson. It’s about creating a consistent message across the school.

How The Bully Busters helps

The Bully Busters programme supports that wider approach by giving schools:

• an engaging starting point for discussing bullying
• shared language around respect and behaviour
• follow up materials to continue the learning

It helps ensure that anti-bullying work is not a one off, but part of a broader RSHE and safeguarding strategy.

Why this matters now

The updated RSHE guidance reflects the reality that children are navigating increasingly complex social environments, both offline and online.

They need more than simple rules. They need understanding, empathy and the confidence to act when something doesn’t feel right.

The Bully Busters programme helps schools deliver exactly that. It turns the expectations set out in the guidance into something pupils can recognise, relate to and apply in their everyday lives.

If you’re looking for a practical way to meet the new requirements while making a real impact on your pupils, The Bully Busters offers a clear and engaging way forward.

To book your sessions, call 0121 446 4880 or email enquiry@loudmouth.co.uk