"BULLYING happens - and it happens in all walks of life. It happens at work, at home and at school. It happens when you put two people together," said headteacher Richard Appleton.

In his six years in charge at Eastbourne Comprehensive School, Darlington, he admits that there has always been a problem and it is one he feels needs constantly addressing.

A recent survey of pupils showed the majority - more than 58 per cent - say they have never been bullied.

Of the rest, a little more than 35 per cent said they had experienced bullying "once or twice".

However, Mr Appleton, who has introduced a number of programmes to try to counteract the problem, believes there is confusion over the definition and perception of bullying.

The survey backed this point. When asked about the types of bullying pupils that thought were most prominent, the response pointed strongly to "name calling", which featured more than twice as often as the second placed answer, "physical attacks".

Third most prominent were "rumours", said the survey.

"It is about perception," said Mr Appleton, who also points to the survey's indication that most pupils feel the bullying situation is no worse than at any other school in Darlington.

The school proudly boasts a record of not having to exclude a single pupil in 18 months, and this could be partly attributed to two areas set up specifically for students who are having problems mixing or are disruptive.

While being sent to the "orange room" and "the bungalow" is not deemed as punishment, it takes pupils out of normal lessons for anything from one hour a week upwards, and gives them extra personal tuition with the aim of reintegrating them back into mainstream classes.

Learning manager Julia Knight, who works with key stage three pupils in the orange room, said: "They are given an awful lot of intensive support in here. Every person does what they would be doing in mainstream. It is looking at solving the problem and getting them back out. A lot of the children are coming in with massive problems, a massive amount of baggage.

"It is helping them deal with it - we are not letting them get away with it and use it as an excuse."

The bungalow is for key stage four pupils, and encourages better and more co-operative behaviour among pupils who have trouble coping in lessons.

It can be used on a part-time or full-time basis until the student can be returned to mainstream classes.

"These rooms are all about making education work for everyone," said Mr Appleton.

Pupils can be given support after completing their stint in the rooms, to suit individuals.

"This is not a punishment centre. If they do something that requires punishment, then that occurs as well," he said.

But the school is eager to point out that while it is spending money to aid pupils with problems, it is also paying out to help top pupils with such items as new computers and Saturday lessons.

However, among the main difficulties the school is trying to tackle is pupils' reluctance to tell teachers what is happening.

The school's head of year nine, Bob Caldwell, believes in the success of an approach where people accused of bullying are not told who the complainant is.

Instead of saying "somebody says you picked on them", he will take a bully to one side and say "you were seen doing this".

He said: "We are winning with what we call bullying, because we are getting more and more pupils who, when they feel threatened, will come and report it. I think it's working. I think the main thing is that they will see that somebody will do something about it.