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The Prevent Duty for Schools

The Department for Education (DfE) has launched the Educate Against Hate website. The site brings together the best advice, support and resources available for parents, teachers and school leaders who want to learn how to protect young people from extremism and radicalisation.

This is the result of successful collaboration between the Department for Education, the Home Office, the NSPCC, Internet Matters, Childnet, ParentZone, UK Internet Safety Centre, and the many other organisations who have contributed resources.

As of July 2015, the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act (HMG, 2015) placed a new duty on schools and other education providers. Under section 26 of the Act, schools are required, in the exercise of their functions, to have “due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism”. This duty is known as the Prevent duty.

It requires schools to:

• teach a broad and balanced curriculum which promotes spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of students and prepares them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life and must promote community cohesion;
• be safe spaces in which children/young people can understand and discuss sensitive topics, including terrorism and the extremist ideas that are part of terrorist ideology, and learn how to challenge these ideas;
• be mindful of their existing duties to forbid political indoctrination and secure a balanced presentation of political issues;

Our school works in accordance with The Prevent Duty and approaches this issue in the same way as any other child protection matter. Any concerns that one of our students is at risk in this respect, will be referred to Children’s Social Care in line with our safeguarding procedures. Guidance for schools on the Prevent agenda has been published.

If a member of staff has any concerns about any of our students with regard to becoming radicalised, then they have a duty to refer to Mrs Goodes, Designated Safeguarding Lead, in the same way as any other child protection concerns.

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