The Prevent Strategy for Schools
The duty to prevent extremism in the Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015
In March 2015, The Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015 was published. Section 26 of the Act places a duty on schools in England and Wales to prevent people being drawn into terrorism. This duty applies to all schools and children’s homes. Statutory guidance has been published and comes into effect on 1 July 2015, giving schools time to ensure their policies and procedures are in place.
It is Ofsted’s responsibility to monitor schools to ensure they are implementing this duty effectively.
School leaders (including governors) must:
Ensure all staff members understand the Act and build capabilities to deal with it
Use or establish mechanisms to understand extremism risks
Communicate and promote the Act and the importance of the duty
Ensure staff members implement the duty effectively
Other duties schools must fulfil include to:
Work effectively with other local agencies, e.g. police
Share information
Preserve appropriate records
Assess the risk of extremism in the local area
Demonstrate the protection of children
Develop clear protocols for visiting speakers, for example, staff members should ask to view the event content before the speech takes place, including presentations and footage
Produce and implement safeguarding policies which take account of Local Safeguarding Children Board’s policies and procedures
Train staff effectively so they have knowledge and confidence
Ensure the implementation of ICT protocols to filter out extremist materials
Ensure school buildings are not used to give a platform to extremists
FE institutions and sixth-form colleges should manage prayer and faith facilities and they need to have clear policies on the use of these facilities
I hope that helps a little.
John
