Students at King James I Academy were thrilled to find themselves unexpectedly dancing in the aisles at an Anti-Bullying Week assembly arranged by Assistant Head, Mrs Jennings. Vibrant pop-punk band, The Silence, who are fronted by the flame haired Livvy Griffiths, visited the Academy as part of their UK Schools Tour to entertain students and talk about the effects of bullying and the importance of speaking up if you are a victim.

The live gig was the culmination of a week-long series of anti-bullying awareness sessions and events taking place across the school and the official launch of the "King James Peer Mentors', a team of students from all year groups who offer support and friendship to students in need. "We have an innovative and very effective anti-bullying strategy at King James," said Mrs Jennings. "I believe this is due to the high level of open communication between students, teachers and student support workers. Students feel confident in approaching our Student Support Team and are encouraged to look out for, and take responsibility for each other; our Peer Mentors are an extension of this ethos."

"We are always looking for new ways to deliver a positive message at King James and this visit from The Silence has certainly united students through music. Different year groups are now engaging in excited conversation about the event and new friendships have been formed; it was a huge success."

The Silence has appeared in educational venues all over the country during the course of their UK Schools Tour, however, King James was the only school in the North East to host the band on this leg of their tour. With a successful European and Florida USA tour behind them and the recent release of a new single, the band are on the way to stardom. Not only did King James students get the opportunity to see them live, but they also enjoyed a meet-and-greet session and went back to lessons with autographs.

Anti-Bullying - The Silence