This is always a worry for parents and you can be confident nowadays that any report of this by you, any other responsible adult, and any child must be taken seriously by all pre-school settings.

The Government has made tackling bullying in schools a key priority and the Department for Education (DFE) has made clear that no form of bullying should be tolerated. Bullying in schools should be taken very seriously; it is not a normal part of growing up and it can ruin lives.

It is compulsory for schools to have measures in place to encourage good behaviour and respect for others on the part of pupils, and to prevent all forms of bullying. The DFE supports registered pre-schools in designing their anti-bullying policies, and their strategies to tackle bullying, by providing comprehensive practical-guidance documents such as the Safe to Learn material. Regional advisers with expertise in the field of bullying are also on hand to help.

Schools can also sign up to the Anti-bullying Charter to show their commitment to tackling all forms of bullying, and use the principles of the Charter to self-evaluate their anti-bullying policies and practices. You may wish to ask your child's pre-school if they have signed up to the document.

We know that children who stammer, as their speech appears to be different, are sadly quite likely to be the subject of comments or worse by other young children. This is very upsetting for your child and will undermine his self-esteem.

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Text for this page: What to do about teasing and bullying
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