Prevent

Working together to protect young people from radicalisation

Some of you may already know about the Prevent programme which aims to prevent young people from being radicalised by for example, far right extremists or religious extremists.

In school we have a duty of care for the children and take note of any child who is at risk of radicalisation, regardless of their background. We also have to take steps to help prevent children being exposed to extremist ideas. It is important that all children feel safe in school and that they are able to express tolerance towards all cultures and religions, even when personal views may be different.

Here, at Fonthill Primary we approach this in a number of different ways. For example:

• We give very high priority to building relationships with children. Staff members know the children well and are trained to note any subtle changes in behaviour or attitude. Our safeguarding procedures are under constant review.    

• We work hard to build our community and give all children a sense of belonging and responsibility. Examples include our School Council and Y6 responsibilities. We promote the importance of participation in society through a range of different events including charity events, community events and PTA events.  We organise enquiry events for parents and carers so that all children make their contribution.   

• Our Social, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural curriculum (SMSC) provides opportunities for children to explore feelings and opinions in a safe environment. We use this curriculum to help challenge attitudes such as racism or discrimination against people with a disability. We also talk about the democratic process through our School Council. Representatives are elected through class council and children are supported to share ideas and views through this process.   

• Our e-safety teaching shows children how to stay safe on the internet and is regularly updated. Our regular safeguarding bulletins address e-safety issues as they arise.   

• Throughout the curriculum and in assemblies we focus on British values, especially the need for respect, and acceptance of people from different backgrounds.  Through the curriculum we consider the impact of war and promote peaceful values through our history and RE topics. Through all our teaching we aim to challenge prejudice and discrimination but we also take every opportunity to celebrate our diversity. For example, our geography enquiry term provides an opportunity to find out about other countries and cultures from across the world.   

• We consider topical issues and address these in an age appropriate way. In assemblies this term we have looked at immigration and migration discussing the reasons why people move around the world. We have looked at some of the reasons people may be forced from their homes. Children in Y6 have considered the impact of civil war through work on Israel.   

• We work closely with families to encourage participation in school life, welcoming them in to share successes each week in our celebration assembly, inviting them in for enquiry sessions and to attend PTA coffee afternoons and events. We have parent workshops which all parents and carers are invited to attend. We support children and parents who are new to the country through ensuring every attempt is made to welcome them into our school community.   

• We work very closely with other agencies such as Social Care and the Police; if we felt a child was in danger of radicalisation, we would be able to act very quickly.   

• Finally we rely on parents to provide any relevant information about safeguarding. If you have any reason to worry that a child you know is in danger of being exposed to extremist views, then please tell us in confidence. If you don’t want to speak to a member of school staff then you can ring the Police on 101. Your call will be handled confidentially.

If you want to know more about the Prevent strategy then Mrs Lock, Mrs Hughes, Mrs Welti or Mrs Thompson will be happy to speak to you. Alternatively you can follow the link below to read all about it.

http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/8396/1/DCSF-Learning%20Together_bkmk.pdf