SCHOOL's across Northumberland will benefit from further support and training to help pupils combat bullying.

This week marks anti-bullying week and the Department for Education has confirmed £1.1 million funding for five leading organisations to support schools and colleges to combat all forms of bullying.

The organisations include, National Children's Bureau, Diversity Role Models, Equaliteach, Anne Frank Trust and The Diana Award.

These organisations will work with schools across the county to focus on reducing bullying, support teachers and empower young people with support each other.

A new support scheme for school leaders have also been introduced, to promote good wellbeing across pupils, teachers and staff.

This scheme will also provide one-to-one counselling and support to school leaders across Northumberland and the UK, helping senior staff with their mental wellbeing ans will be available until march 2023.

Children and Families Minister Will Quince said: “Bullying in any form is unacceptable and can have a devastating effect on children, young people and their families. It is so important that we all take a stand against bullying so we can help create safe and inclusive places for young people both in schools and online."

An updated education staff wellbeing charter will be published this week, the aim is to set out the commitments from the Government, Ofsted, education unions and charities, to promote and protect the mental heath of the education workforce.

On the new commitment to tackle bulling in schools, a spokesman for the National Education Union said: "Whilst we welcome resources being dedicated to this vital issue, it must be realised that any major impact on bullying, be that of students or our members, as recently seen via the Tik Tok app, is something that must be addressed with urgency.

Education is fundamental to tackling this issue and requires the combined effort of schools, parents, carers, and wider society, social media being an example. This initiative will only reach one in ten state schools - more should be done by addressing the pressures on the curriculum and the proper funding and resourcing of education if it is to succeed."