Anti-bullying activities for primary schools

Anti-bullying activities for primary schools could include creating a display with posters, running an assembly and circle time activities. Our free, ready-to-go resources can help you run all of these activities.

As pupils begin to learn about hateful language and attitudes, it’s vital that schools open up discussions. Our free resources are designed by former teachers and focus on kindness, allyship and anti-bullying.

Disappointingly, 78% of 9 to 11 year olds have heard others using homophobic language. That’s according to a new school survey of 4,307 primary pupils by VotesforSchools and Just Like Us.

Just Like Us is the LGBT+ young people’s charity. We provide free educational resources to more than 9,000 primary and secondary pupils across the UK.

There are many ways that you can run anti-bullying activities for primary schools – all by using our free resources. Sign up now to download the resources.

If you are already signed up, head straight to our school resources portal.

Anti-bullying activities for primary schools

Display posters

Download our free anti-bullying posters for KS1 and KS2. They include phrases such as: ‘In this school, we celebrate each other’s differences‘. Others say phrases like: ‘Words matter. Be kind to everyone‘, ‘Gay is not an insult‘, and ‘Spread kindness‘.

Alternatively, you could encourage pupils to design their own posters, creating a display together.

Sign up to download the posters.

Do an assembly

A whole-school assembly is a great way to address anti-bullying as a school community. Our free assembly slides on anti-bullying are ready-to-use and designed specifically for KS1 and KS2.

Assembly slides we have available for free to primary schools:

• Preventing anti-LGBT+ bullying: Being LGBT+ is something to be celebrated – primary assembly
• Anti-Bullying Week: The importance of language – KS1/KS2 assembly
• Anti-Bullying Week – EYFS/KS1 assembly

Sign up to download the assembly slides.

Watch a video together

Our free videos of young people talking about bullying are available to stream and/or download. They discuss the importance of being kind and how homophobic language is harmful. The videos are presented in an age appropriate way for primary pupils. Two young people – Zaynab and Rayyan – share their experiences on camera, talking about allyship in the videos.

Sign up to stream or download the video.

Circle time activities

Reading and watching stories as a class is a fantastic way to show young people that it’s OK to be different. By doing this, you’ll be creating an inclusive, supportive environment and therefore reduce levels of harmful language and bullying.

We have free circle time video stories available to stream or download on the following books:

• Elmer
• Modern-day, inclusive versions of Goldilocks and Waiting for a Princess
• Grandad’s Camper
• The Marvellous Doctors for Magical Creatures
• The Sunshine Project

Sign up to stream or download the storytime videos.

We’re always adding to our storytime video collection. Do you have a suggestion of a book you’d like us to create resources on? Please get in touch – we’d love to hear from you.

Run a PSHE lesson

For both EYFS and Key Stage 1, our free lesson plans open up conversations about diverse families and accepting people who are different to you.

Use our free lesson plan, video, slides and activity sheet for KS2 on ‘Supportive friends, supportive families’. The lesson includes a video of a LGBT+ young person talking about their experience of bullying and how pupils be kind and supportive to each other.

Sign up to download the lesson plan and activity.

Diversify your school reading list

By making your book library more inclusive, pupils will get to hear stories and life experiences that better reflect the diversity of the world around them. Our comprehensive primary reading list is packed with great inspiration, and is available to read and download now – just sign up.

Make your subject lessons more inclusive

From PE to computing, we have free lesson plans and resources to help teachers turn curriculum subjects into inspirational, diverse learning activities. As always, our resources are free and ready-to-use so there’s no preparation required. And they’re designed to fit the curriculum too.

Sign up to download the lesson plans.

Use our SEND, Welsh language or faith-specific resources to suit your school

Just Like Us provides free educational resources designed specifically for SEND pupils as well as different kinds of faith schools. For primary, these include a SEND-specific assemblies on ‘Celebrating diversity’ and ‘LGBT+ families’. We also have many resources specifically designed for a variety of faith schools. Many of our resources are also translated into Welsh.

Sign up for free resources

Teachers can sign up to browse and download all of our free primary resources on anti-bullying activities and more. If you are already signed up, head straight to our school resources portal.