Prevent Duty
What is the Prevent Strategy?
Prevent is a government strategy designed to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorist or extremist causes.
The Prevent Strategy covers all types of terrorism and extremism, including extreme right wing, violent Islamic groups and other causes.
How does the Prevent Stategy apply to schools?
From July 2015 all schools have a duty to safeguard children from radicalisation and extremism.
This means we have a responsibility to protect children from extremist and violent views the same way as we protect them from drugs or gang violence.
Importantly, we can provide a safe place for pupils to discuss these issues so they better understand how to protect themselves.
What does this mean in practice?
Many of the things we already do in school to help children become positive, happy members of society also contribute to the Prevent Strategy.
These include:
- Exploring other cultures and religions and promoting diversity;
- Challenging prejudices and racist comments;
- Developing thinking skills and a strong, positive self-identity;
- Promoting the spiritual, moral, moral, social nad cultural development of pupils, as well as British Values;
- We will also protect children from the risk of radicalisation, for example by using filters on the internet to make sure they can't access extremist and terrorist material, or by vetting visitors who come into school to work with pupils.
How does Prevent relate to British Values?
Schools have been required to promote British Values since 2014, and this will continue to be part of our response to the Prevent Strategy.
British Values are an important part of school life at Ridgeway Primary School
British values are broken into 4 key areas
Democracy
- Everyone is listened to and children are aught to respect and listen to others ideas and opinions;
- All pupils in Years 3 -6 are part of a pupil voice group in school;
Rule of law
- The importance of laws, whether they support an individual, class, school or country are consistently taught and embedded across school.
- As a school we have a behaviour policy which is shared and reinforced in every classroom.
- Each class creates their own class rules that are easily understood by all and are on show in class to ensure every class member is able to learn in a safe and supportive environment.
Individual liberty
- Within school pupils are encouraged to make their own choices.
- We offer a range of extra-curricular activities which children are encouraged to join.
Mutual respect for and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs and for those without faith.
- Respect is key part of our vision and values which are pupils helped create.
- Through SMSC children are educated on the importance of respect and tolerance.
- We celebrate different faiths and beliefs through our RE curriculum.
Is my child too young to learn about extremism?
- The Prevent Strategy is not just about discussing extremism itself, which may not be appropriate for younger children. It is also about teaching children values such as tollerance and mutual respect.
- The school will make sure any discussions are suitable for the age and maturity of the children involved.
