Safeguarding children and young people from radicalisation; a positive school ethos NAHT Workshop Manchester, 6 October 2016

The Prevent duty – what does good practice look like? Advice and resources for schools Kirsten Joppe Prevent sector lead (Education) Department of Education / Home Office

Department for Education’s Vision & Goal “All children and young people are protected from harm and vulnerable children are supported to succeed with opportunities as good as those for any other child” Delivery System Goal “Run a proactive, inquisitive counter-extremism function and work with the Home Office and other agencies to protect children from radicalisation” Delivery Priority

Due Diligence and Counter Extremism Division Objectives: To take action against institutions and individuals who breach standards, including undermining fundamental British values by: To improve the resilience and capability of the education system to keep children safe, including from extremism, and educate them for life in modern Britain by: proactively collecting and analysing intelligence to identify issues in the education sector; and undertaking high-quality casework, proactive investigations and prompt enforcement.  strengthening the regulatory regime, including for supplementary and independent schools; and giving professionals the responsibility, support and confidence to act.

Threats Children and young people are vulnerable to a wide range of safeguarding risks, and vulnerability to radicalisation needs to be seen in that context. The online threat is particularly acute among under-18 year olds. A small but growing number of children and young people are being drawn into terrorism – both in the UK and abroad. Cases of families travelling to conflict zones.

The Prevent Duty The Prevent duty requires schools (and many other bodies and institutions, including local authorities, universities, early years provision) to “have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism.” 

Confidence in the successful implementation of the Prevent duty in the education sector

Safeguarding - general “Schools can help to protect children from extremist and violent views in the same ways that they help to safeguard children from drugs, gang violence or alcohol. Schools’ work on Prevent needs to be seen in this context.” Prevent Strategy, 2011 The department’s statutory guidance for schools on safeguarding, Keeping Children Safe in Education, is clear that radicalisation is one of a number of safeguarding concerns.

Safeguarding - procedures “Knowing what to look for is vital to the early identification of abuse and neglect. If staff members are unsure they should always speak to the designated safeguarding lead.” Keeping children safe in education

Safeguarding – multi-agency approach “no professional should assume that someone else will pass on information which they think may be critical to keeping a child safe. If a professional has concerns about a child’s welfare and believes they are suffering or likely to suffer harm, then they should share the information with local authority children’s social care.” Working together to safeguard children

Training “Specified authorities should make sure that staff have training that gives them the knowledge and confidence to identify children at risk of being drawn into terrorism, and to challenge extremist ideas which can be used to legitimise terrorism and are shared by terrorist groups. They should know where and how to refer children and young people for further help. Prevent awareness training will be a key part of this.“ Prevent Duty Guidance

School leadership and Prevent Head teachers and school governors play a crucial role in ensuring that schools protects children and young people from the risks of radicalisation. Prevent implementation should be led by those who have the responsibility for putting policies and procedures in place and ensuring that they are adhered to. Prevent can sometimes entail the sharing of sensitive information and other bodies may expect to engage with the school leadership. Six strands of good practice for schools.

Building resilience We want every school, including faith schools, to actively promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance for those of different faiths and beliefs. Building resilience of young people and the promotion of fundamental British values is at the heart of preventing radicalisation. Safe spaces for discussion Critical thinking Curriculum PSHE Citizenship

Challenges …. “One lady [teacher] in the north-west said that Isis comes up quite often and she used to use it as an opportunity for a discussion: why are they using violence, what about other ways, what about Martin Luther King, what about Mahatma Gandhi, someone mentioned the IRA – are they the same as Isis? They would have had a discussion. “The toxic views would come out and they would either be blunted or neutralised, or at least [pupils] would be given something to think about. Now, she said, you choke off the discussion because teachers are watching their backs and don’t want to be reported.”

…. and the need for myth busting The Prevent duty is not intended to stop pupils discussing controversial issues. On the contrary, schools should provide a safe space in which children and young people can understand the risks associated with terrorism and develop the knowledge and skills to be able to challenge extremist arguments.

Counter Extremism Helpline How DfE is supporting the sector Guidance Training Counter Extremism Helpline Educate Against Hate

By email: Counter.extremism@education.gsi.gov.uk Department for Education’s Counter Extremism Helpline By phone: 020 7340 7264 By email: Counter.extremism@education.gsi.gov.uk

Teacher resources

Best practice – examples from Manchester Presentation from safeguarding professionals