The Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 places a duty on specified authorities, including local authorities and childcare, education and other children’s services providers, in the exercise of their functions, to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism (“the Prevent duty”). Young people can be exposed to extremist influences or prejudiced views, in particular those via the internet and other social media. Schools can help to protect children from extremist and violent views in the same ways that they help to safeguard children from child sexual exploitation, drugs, gang violence or alcohol.
The Prevent strategy aims to protect vulnerable people from being drawn into terrorism. While it remains rare for children and young people to become involved in terrorist activity, young people from an early age can be exposed to terrorist & extremist influences or prejudiced views. We recognise that as with other forms of safeguarding strategies, early intervention is always preferable.
Hunnyhill Primary school is committed to working with other local partners, families and communities, and we will play a key role in ensuring young people and their communities are safe from the threat of terrorism.
We also recognise that Hunnyhill Primary School has a duty of care to our pupils and staff which includes safeguarding them from the risk of being drawn into terrorism. Being drawn into terrorism includes not just violent extremism but also non-violent extremism, which can create an atmosphere conducive to terrorism and can popularise views which terrorists exploit. Prevent can work within both violent and non-violent extremism arenas and can include topics such as hate crime, racism, bullying, on line safety and extreme political views.
Our School is committed to:
Establishing a single point of contact in terms of safeguarding and Prevent which will be Mrs Steedman with support from Mrs Ward-Reynolds
We will assess risk of students being drawn into terrorism.
We are developing an action plan to reduce the risk.
We annually train staff to recognise radicalisation and extremism.
Referring vulnerable people to Channel.
Prohibiting extremist speakers and events.
Managing access to extremist material- ICT filters (Smoothwall)
Being confident about British Values
We promote and inform parents of risks and management of these via Dojo
We will therefore always take a considered and sensitive approach in order that we can support all of our pupils by:
providing a safe environment for children and young people to learn and develop in our school setting,
identifying children and young people who are particularly vulnerable to extreme views / radicalisation,
taking appropriate action in accordance with the schools Safeguarding procedures with the aim of making sure they are kept safe both at home and in our school setting,
making appropriate referrals to Children’s services for early intervention and support where necessary,
ensuring that staff member(s) or governor(s) responsible for safeguarding are kept fully aware of their responsibilities, by attending relevant training and briefings
letting staff, parents and pupils know how to voice their concerns
responding to any allegations appropriately in accordance with appropriate school policies and procedures
The school’s single point of contact for matters relating to the above is Mrs Steedman (Head Teacher)
*Hunnyhill Primary Schools 2024 Prevent risk assessment coming soon *