Prevent Policy

Please click here to download a copy of this Prevent Policy

Statement of intent

Storth CE Primary School recognises that pupils can be vulnerable to extremist ideology and radicalisation, and we are committed to protecting pupils from this risk as part of our safeguarding responsibilities.

Our commitment to safeguarding pupils against extremism, radicalisation and terrorism includes interventions and collaboration with other agencies including the police and the LA where appropriate and as required.

We support and will adhere to guidance from the DfE which requires schools to actively promote fundamental British values in order to enable pupils to challenge extremist views and ensure that pupils are encouraged to regard people of all faiths, races and cultures with respect and tolerance.

This policy relates to the potential radicalisation of pupils at our school.

Legal framework

This policy has due regard to all relevant legislation and statutory guidance including, but not limited to, the following:

Children Act 1989
Education Act 1996
Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015
Childcare Act 2006
Data Protection Act 2018
UK GDPR
DfE (2015) ‘The Prevent duty’
HM Government (2021) ‘Revised Prevent duty guidance: for England and Wales’
DfE (2025) ‘Keeping children safe in education 2025’
DfE (2018) ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’
Home Office (2021) ‘Channel Duty guidance: protecting people vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism’

This policy operates in conjunction with the following school policies:

Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy
Data Protection Policy
Online Safety Policy
Equality Information and Objectives Statement

Definitions

For the purpose of this policy:

Extremism – is defined as vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and the mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs. This includes calling for the death of members of the armed forces.

Radicalisation – is defined as the process by which an individual or group comes to support terrorism and extremist ideologies associated with terrorist groups. .

Terrorism – is defined as violent threats or actions designed to influence government or intimidate the public with the purpose of advancing a political, religious or ideological cause. This includes endangering or causing serious violence to a person or people, serious damage to property, and seriously interfering or disrupting an electronic system.

Roles and responsibilities

The governing board will be responsible for:

Ensuring the appropriate measures are in place to protect pupils from radicalisation.
Ensuring the Prevent duty is seen as part of the school’s wider safeguarding duties.

The headteacher will be responsible for:

The overall implementation and management of this policy.
Ensuring every staff member is familiar with the scope of this policy.
Ensuring pupils are taught about British values through the curriculum.
Ensuring the school is a safe space in which pupils can understand and discuss sensitive topics, including terrorism and extremism, and are able to challenge these ideas.
Undertaking a risk assessment to determine whether pupils are at risk of being drawn into terrorism.
Identifying extremist risks in the local area.
Ensuring any visitors and speakers at the school are appropriate and vetted prior to them having access to pupils.

The DSL, and any deputies, will be responsible for:

Handling any referrals to the Channel programme and supporting staff who make referrals to Channel.
Following up any referrals made to the Channel programme.
Providing advice and support to staff on protecting pupils from the risk of radicalisation.
Delivering staff training on the Prevent duty.
Working with external agencies to support pupils at risk of being drawn into terrorism.
Providing guidance to other staff members to help them support pupils at risk of being drawn into terrorism.
Understanding local procedures for making a Prevent referral and making Prevent referrals where appropriate.
Considering if it would be appropriate to share any information with a new school or college in advance of a pupil leaving, e.g. if the pupil is currently receiving support through the ‘Channel’ programme and the information would allow the new setting to have support in place for when the pupil arrives.

All staff members will be responsible for:

Being alert to the risk factors of extremism and radicalisation and any changes in a pupil’s behaviour which could indicate that they may be in need of help or protection.
Raising any concerns with the DSL (or any deputies, in their absence).
Notifying the DSL (or any deputies, in their absence) when they make any referrals to the Channel programme.
Engaging in staff training on the Prevent duty.
Using their professional judgement to identify pupils who may be at risk of radicalisation and acting proportionately.

Safeguarding from extremism

The school protects the right to freedom of expression. This policy is not intended or designed to restrict or prevent legitimate and lawful congregation or debate.

The school has a dedicated DSL who deals with any incidents of extremism and/or terrorism within our school community. As is the school’s responsibility under law, we will do our utmost to safeguard our pupils from being drawn into extremism and terrorism.

The school has strong relationships with our local safeguarding partners, and will involve them at the earliest opportunity if safeguarding issues arise.

The school will encourage any pupil, parent, staff member or member of the wider school community to speak to the DSL if they have concerns about:

Pupils becoming radicalised.
Groups, clubs or societies with extremist or radical views.
Friends and/or families of pupils becoming radicalised or involved in extremism.
Pupils planning to visit known areas of conflict.
Members of the school and wider community attempting to draw young and/or vulnerable pupils into extremism.

Visitors and speakers coming into the school will be vetted prior to them having access to pupils. All materials handed out to pupils, whether by teachers or visitors and speakers, will be checked by the headteacher.

Channel and Prevent

Channel, a key element of the Home Office’s Prevent strategy, is a multi-agency approach to protect people at risk from radicalisation. The school will work with the LA, local law enforcement, and religious and community leaders, to identify children vulnerable to radicalisation and to challenge extremism if it arises. This includes identifying pupils to whom any of the following criteria applies:

Displaying feelings of grievance and injustice
Feeling under threat
Searching for identity, meaning and belonging
Displaying a desire for status amongst their peers
Displaying a desire for excitement and adventure
Displaying a need to dominate and control others
Displaying a susceptibility to indoctrination
Displaying a radical desire for political or moral change
Appearing susceptible to opportunistic involvement
Having family or friends involved in extremism
Appearing susceptible to being influenced or controlled by a group
Displaying relevant mental health issues

The school will cooperate with local panels involved in the Channel process. A representative of the school will attend meetings as required to aid the mitigation of identified risk and vulnerabilities. This includes contributing towards the support plan and sharing information necessary and proportionate to the effective working of the panel.

Preventing radicalisation

The school will assess the risk of pupils being drawn into terrorism through identifying the factors that affect children in the local area and knowing how to identify those at risk.

Allegations and concerns of radicalisation and/or terrorism will always be taken seriously and staff will act proportionately, which may include making a Prevent referral.

Where appropriate, pupils will be helped to channel their desire for excitement and adventure into suitable and healthy activities.

Extremist propaganda is widely available online – the school will ensure that British values are promoted regularly to encourage pupils to develop an appreciation of society. The school will work with local religious and cultural organisations to instil a strong sense of identity in our pupils, as well as a clear place and purpose within the school.

The school recognises that pupils’ parents and families are best placed to spot signs of radicalisation and, as such, will promote effective engagement with parents and families.

All internet activity that takes place on site will be recorded, as well as activity on any school-owned computers, laptops and tablets off site, and appropriate filters will be installed to protect children from terrorist and extremist material online, in accordance with the Online Safety Policy. In accordance with KCSIE and our Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy, pupils will be taught about the importance of staying safe online through PSHE lessons.

We will always aim to integrate and engage every child within the school community, and in the wider community. A range of different religious and cultural festivals will be celebrated across the year giving every pupil the opportunity to take part.

The school will monitor and assess incidents which suggest pupils are engaging, or are at risk of engaging, in extremist activity and/or radicalisation. Where a pupil has been identified as at risk of radicalisation, the school will take action proportionate to the incident or risk.

Making a judgement

Although extremist behaviour can be presented in many forms, the school recognises the following as potential indicators of radicalisation or a susceptibility to radicalisation:

Disclosure about extremist or radicalised behaviour by pupils – this could include exposure to materials outside of school
Use of specific terms associated with certain ideological views, e.g. ‘hate’ language
Intelligence reports from local and national agencies regarding the radicalisation of groups of people in the local area
Focus on specific narratives that highlight particular extremist views
Evidence of accessing online materials that include extremist materials
Refusal to accept views expressed by others which is counter to the school’s Equality

Information and Objectives Policy

Documented concerns raised by parents or family members about the changing behaviour of the pupil
References to an extremist narrative in the pupil’s work
Disassociation from existing friendship groups
A loss of interest in activities in which they previously engaged
Behavioural characteristics, such as low self-esteem, isolation, and perceptions of failure and injustice
Family tensions
Events affecting their country or region of origin
Alienation from UK values
Grievance triggered by personal experience of discrimination
Property damage
Refusal to cooperate with the requests of teachers or other adults

When assessing whether a pupil is at risk of radicalisation, staff will ask themselves the following questions:

Does the pupil have access to extremist influences through the internet?
Does the pupil possess or actively seek extremist material?
Does the pupil sympathise with, or support, extremist groups or behaviour in their speech or written work?
Does the pupil’s demeanour suggest a new social, religious or political influence, e.g. through jewellery or clothing?
Has the pupil previously been a victim of discrimination or a religious crime?
Has the pupil experienced any major disagreements with their peers, family or faith groups, leading to rejection, isolation or exclusion?
Does the pupil display an irregular and distorted view of religion or politics?
Does the pupil display a strong objection towards specific cultures, faiths or race?
Is the pupil a foreign national awaiting a decision regarding deportation or immigration?
Is there an irregular pattern of travel within the pupil’s family?
Has the pupil witnessed or suffered from trauma or violence in a war zone or through sectarian conflict?
Is there evidence of a relative or family friend displaying extremist views?
Has the pupil travelled for extended periods of time to international locations?
Does the pupil have experience of poverty, disadvantage, discrimination or social exclusion?
Does the pupil display a lack of affinity or understanding for others?
Is the pupil a victim of social isolation?
Does the pupil have insecure, conflicted or absent family relationships?

Critical indicators include where a pupil is:

In contact with extremist recruiters.
Articulating support for extremist causes or leaders.
Accessing extremist websites.
In possession of extremist literature.
Using extremist narratives and a global ideology to explain personal disadvantage.
Justifying the use of violence to solve societal issues.
Joining extremist organisations.
Making significant changes to their appearance and/or behaviour.

The DSL, and any deputies, will undergo regular Prevent awareness training in order to provide advice and support to staff on protecting pupils from the risk of radicalisation. Staff will undergo regular Prevent awareness training, delivered by the DSL, in order to ensure that they are up-to-date to recognise indicators of radicalisation. Staff, including the DSL and any deputies, will also undergo regular training in response to any updates.

The school will encourage staff to engage with online government resources, including the website Educate Against Hate, and the Prevent e-learning modules provided by the Home Office.

Making a referral

In accordance with the school’s Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy, if any member of staff has any concerns about a pupil, they will raise this with the DSL.

Parents will be contacted to discuss the issue and investigate where there are any mitigating home circumstances, unless doing so would put the pupil at further risk of harm. A decision will be made at this meeting to determine whether a referral should be made to the Channel programme. In most cases, the DSL will refer the case to the Channel programme where there is a radicalisation concern, as appropriate.

Staff members may make referrals to the Channel programme if they deem it necessary – the DSL will be notified in all cases and will support staff members who do so. Staff members will be informed that they may be asked to attend a Channel panel to discuss the pupil who has been referred to determine whether support is required. The LA’s Channel panel will decide which support, if any, is required and arrange for this support to be implemented.

The DSL will follow up any referrals and the pupil will be monitored for a period of time to determine whether there have been any changes in behaviour. Parents will be consulted during this period, unless doing so would put the pupil at further risk of harm.

If any concerns are raised, the DSL will contact the Channel programme to discuss further steps.

The DSL will record and retain all incidents for school records in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK GDPR, as outlined in the Data Protection Policy.

Promoting fundamental British values

Through the national curriculum, the school will:

Teach our pupils a broad and balanced international history.
Represent the cultures of all of our pupils.
Teach a wide range of English and non-English literature.
Commemorate World War 1 and 2.
Discuss the UK’s relations with the rest of Europe, the Commonwealth and the wider world.

Through our social, moral, spiritual and cultural programme, the school will:

Enable pupils to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence.
Enable pupils to distinguish right from wrong and to respect the civil and criminal law of England.
Encourage pupils to accept responsibility for their behaviour, show initiative, and to understand how they can contribute positively to the lives of those living and working in the locality of the school and to society more widely.
Enable pupils to acquire a broad general knowledge of, and respect for, public institutions and services in England.
Further tolerance and harmony between different cultural traditions by enabling pupils to acquire an appreciation of, and respect for, their own and other cultures.
Encourage respect for other people.
Encourage respect for democracy and support for participation in the democratic processes, including respect for the basis on which the law is made and applied in England.

The school will do this by:

Including material on the strengths, advantages and disadvantages of democracy, and how democracy and the law work in Britain as part of our curriculum.
Ensuring that all pupils within the school have a voice that is listened to, e.g. by demonstrating how democracy works via a school council whose members are voted for by the pupils.
Using opportunities such as general or local elections to hold mock elections to offer pupils the chance to engage in politics from an early age.
Offering a debate club to provide pupils with the opportunity to learn how to argue and defend points of view.
Using teaching resources from a wide variety of sources to help pupils understand a range of faiths.
Considering the role of extra-curricular activities, including any activity run directly by pupils, in promoting fundamental British values.

10.Community links

The school will operate an open-door policy for community members to report concerns.

The school will, where appropriate, partake in community festivals, religious celebrations and other events. The school will select a range of charities to support across the year which represent our school community, including local community groups.