In a perfect world, all children would be looking forward to the start of the new school year. The prospect of seeing their friends and teachers, the excitement of meeting new people and the promise of stimulating lessons should make going back to school an exciting and positive event. But for many children, school is not a happy or a safe environment. For them, bullying, or the fear of bullying, makes going to school a frightening prospect. Our young My Life columnist this month explains how her own excitement about changing schools is mixed with anxiety about being bullied, and our interview with children who have been excluded from school shows how bullying - including racist bullying - can trigger a reaction from the victim with far reaching consequences. Many schools have now developed sophisticated policies and programmes to prevent and tackle it.

Among the best of these are initiatives that engage pupils in changing the school’s culture, and encourage protective relationships between pupils (see feature, page 10). But while there are many resources available to combat bullying, we are still a very long way from eradicating it from schools. And it’s important to remember that bullying is the reason why many children and young people avoid going to school.

The start of the new term is also blighted by shame for many children living in poverty. Those who have had nothing to do during the long summer break but play in the street or watch TV will not enjoy a class discussion or homework on "What I did on my holidays". Many return knowing that the costs of school clothes, equipment and trips put an enormous financial strain on their families, or are simply unaffordable. Children should not be expected to cope with this painful and damaging manifestation of social exclusion.