Bullying
Let's talk about bullying – together
Bullying happens in every school. What makes the difference is whether it's noticed, talked about and dealt with. We've asked every school in Epping Forest to share its figures openly, so parents and schools can learn from each other – not to point fingers.
5 schools in Epping Forest have shared their bullying figures with us so far. Being open is the first step to tackling it.
In a typical primary school, about 0.9 incidents a year for every 100 pupils are recorded.
A school that records more isn't necessarily worse – often it means pupils feel able to speak up and staff take every report seriously.
If your child is being bullied
- Listen first. Let them tell you what's happened, write it down with dates, and ask how they'd like you to help.
- Talk to the school. Start with the class teacher or head of year. Ask what they'll do and when you'll hear back – and ask for the school's anti-bullying policy, which every school must have.
- Keep going if it doesn't stop. Follow up in writing, then use the school's complaints procedure if you need to.
More help: our Support for Parents guides, the Anti-Bullying Alliance and Kidscape.
What's working in Epping Forest schools
We're asking schools what has made the biggest difference in tackling bullying – how they help pupils speak up, how they work with parents, and what they'd tell another school. Their answers will be shared here, so every school can learn from the best.
Are you a school leader? We'd love to hear what's working at your school, or put you in touch with a school that's turned things around. Email admin@theschoolcompanion.org.
How your school compares for its size
Each dot is a school. The shaded funnel shows the range you'd expect: smaller schools naturally bounce around more, so the funnel widens on the left. A school outside the funnel has an unusually high or low rate for its size.
● Exact count ● Reported "<5" – plotted as 2.5 for comparison
Look up your child's school
See a school's own figures, alongside everything else we know about it.
See every school's figures
42 schools asked · 5 shared their figures · 0 declined · 37 yet to reply. Schools record incidents in different ways, so small differences don't mean much. Figures from 1 to 4 may be shown as "<5" to protect pupils' privacy. The line in each list marks the typical school here – there's no national figure, because nobody else collects these.
Ordered by the bars – fewest recorded incidents per 100 pupils first. More recorded incidents often means pupils feel able to speak up and staff write every report down – so ask a school how it responds, not just how many it records.
Primary and junior schools
- Upshire Primary Foundation School 0 per 100 pupils (0 incidents, 2025/26)
- Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy 0.3 per 100 pupils (2 incidents, 2025/26)
- Coopersale and Theydon Garnon Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School under 2.4 per 100 (<5 incidents, 2025/26)
- Chipping Ongar Primary School 1.4 per 100 pupils (3 incidents, 2025/26)
- Ongar Primary School 2.5 per 100 pupils (4 incidents, 2025/26)
Yet to reply (27): Buckhurst Hill Community Primary School, Chigwell Primary Academy, Dr Walker's CofE Primary School, Epping Primary School, Epping Upland CofE Primary School, Hereward Primary School, High Beech CofE Primary School, High Ongar Primary School, Hillhouse CofE Primary School, Ivy Chimneys Primary School, Lambourne Primary School, Leverton Primary School, Limes Farm Junior School, Matching Green Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Moreton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Nazeing Primary School, Roydon Primary Academy, Sheering Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, St Andrew's CofE Primary School, St John Fisher Catholic Primary School, St John's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Buckhurst Hill, Stapleford Abbotts Primary Academy, Staples Road Primary School, The Alderton Junior School, Theydon Bois Primary School, Thomas Willingale Primary School and Nursery, White Bridge Primary School
Secondary schools
No school here has shared its figures yet.
Yet to reply (7): Davenant Foundation School, Debden Park High School, Epping St John's Church of England School, King Harold Business & Enterprise Academy, Roding Valley High School, The Ongar Academy, West Hatch High School
Across Essex: suspensions for bullying and sexual misconduct
From the Department for Education, which publishes these for council areas rather than individual schools. Most bullying never leads to a suspension, so these show only part of the picture.
- Secondary schools, 2024/25: bullying 216 (2.2 per 1,000 pupils; England 1.9); sexual misconduct 227 (2.4 per 1,000 pupils; England 1.7)
- Primary schools, 2024/25: bullying 17 (0.1 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2); sexual misconduct 28 (0.2 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Figures: each school's reply to our Freedom of Information request. Council-wide suspensions: Department for Education. Pupil numbers: Get Information About Schools.