AROUND 240 youngsters from Malmesbury took part in an anti-bullying campaign by forming a circle outside of their school and stamping their feet as hard as they could for 30 seconds.

Malmesbury Primary School, which has a strong anti-bullying ethos, was keen to take part in the UK-wide Stamp Out Bullying campaign organised by the national young people’s newspaper First News.

The event resulted in nearly 50,000 youngsters around the country stamping their feet in unison during Anti-Bullying Week.

Children aged from seven to 11 took part in the ‘stamp out’. Assistant headteacher Rachel Bristow said: “It went really well.

“Our upper junior children have been continuing to gain confidence in what constitutes bullying and learning practical ways in which to deal with it, particularly cyber-bullying.

“It has formed a significant part of our Learn4Life unit this term so we were well aware of Anti-Bullying Week.

“Finishing the week with a 30-second stamp out to support the campaign was a very fitting end to the week,” she said.

The stamp out was described by the organisers as a “symbolic gesture by the nation’s young people that more needs to be done to stamp out bullying for good.

“Too many adults still see bullying as ‘just part of being a kid,’ yet it is a serious problem that leads to many negative effects for victims, including suicide,” it added.