Anti-Bullying Week 2022: 14th - 18th November

Anti-Bullying Week is coordinated In England and Wales by the Anti-Bullying Alliance and takes place from 14th to 18th November 2022 with the theme Reach Out. The week kicks off with Odd Socks Day on Monday 14th November, where adults and children wear odd socks to celebrate what makes us all unique.

‘Bullying affects millions of lives and can leave us feeling hopeless. But it doesn’t have to be this way. If we challenge it, we can change it. And it starts by reaching out.’ Anti-bullying alliance.

The video below explains the theme Reach Out:

Anti-bullying Alliance resources

The Anti-Bullying Alliance has a range of resources to support schools during the week. These include a pack for both Primary and Secondary schools. They have also joined with BBC Teach to host a live lesson at 11 am on Monday 14th.

The theme of the week presents a perfect opportunity to reinforce the messages of checking in with each other and reaching out to stop bullying. Anti-Bullying Alliance patron, CBBC and CBeebies star Andy Day is leading celebrity support for the campaign with his band Andy and the Odd Socks, who will be recording and releasing a special song to mark Odd Socks Day on the 14th November.

Purple Mash resources

Purple Mash offers a whole curriculum area with a range of activities just for Personal, Social and Health Education which includes a special section just for Anti-Bullying Week. Teachers can also access the resource pack from the Anti-Bullying Alliance within Purple Mash.

We have some brand-new resources linked to the theme Reach Out within Purple Mash, including the chance to design your own odd socks in time for Odd Socks day. Pupils can use our template to map out people that they feel they can talk to and reach out to when they need support or have concerns. Children can also think about what makes a good friend and write about friendships and the qualities of a good friend as well as writing about one of their good friends and highlighting what makes a good friend.

Learners could write a poem with the theme of ‘Reach Out’ thinking about who they might reach out to and why. We have also made the text to one of our Serial Mash books freely available within Purple Mash – No Greater treasure is all about Freddie who has been brought up to believe that showing emotions is only for girls but events quickly show that there’s nothing wrong with having a good cry. It's the perfect read for the week.

These activities are on top of all the other activities within Purple Mash that cover the topic of bullying and encouraging children to both report and speak out against bullying.

Bullying UK resources

Bullying UK have a range of resources that can be used in school during the week including a presentation, advice texts, activities and a range of posters that you can download for free to display in and around school. Pupils could  also use 2Paint or 2Paint a Picture to design their own posters around the theme of Reach Out.

Mentally Healthy Schools have also produced a range of resources for both Primary and Secondary schools, containing a variety of anti-bullying resources, including:

• lesson plans
• videos
• information for education staff to help review anti-bullying policies and procedures
• a useful interactive tool for parents and carers

Odd Socks

Join the 2Simple team on Monday 14th November by wearing Odd Socks. We want to encourage teachers, parents and pupils alike to show their support for Anti-Bullying by joining in with Odd Socks Day. Tag us in your pictures so that we can see all your fun sock combinations.

Whatever you do during school for Anti-Bullying week 2022, please share you work on ourTwitter and Facebook pages using the hashtags #AntiBullyingWeek and #ReachOut.