Skip to content

Meeting your responsibilities

There are a number of practical things that schools should do to prevent students being drawn into terrorism and to challenge extremist ideas: carry out a risk assessment, work in partnership, train staff and have appropriate IT policies and practices in place.

First, as a school leader, you should familiarise yourself with key documents including keeping children safe in education and the Prevent duty guidance. You should also do the following:

Carry out an appropriate risk assessment:

  • Assess the risk of children being drawn into terrorism, including support for extremist ideas that are part of terrorist ideology
  • Make sure your school understands the risks that are likely to be relevant to your students and can respond appropriately
  • Consider the risk to your students presented by extremist groups who use social media and the internet to recruit young people
  • Talk to your local authority and police to get practical information to help you understand the risks in your area

Build on existing local partnership arrangements:

  • Ensure your school’s safeguarding arrangements take into account your Safeguarding Partners Children policies. Safeguarding Partners are responsible for coordinating how agencies promote and safeguard the welfare of children in the local area.
  • Work with your local authority who is a vital partner for all aspects of Prevent work and who can provide further advice on Prevent-related issues
  • Seek advice and support from the police service, civil society organisations and families and parents
  • Ensure that your school has effective arrangements for communicating with parents/carers and families, as they can often be key to spotting signs of radicalisation

Ensure staff have access to training:

  • As a minimum, you should ensure that your designated safeguarding lead undertakes Prevent awareness training and is able to provide advice and support to other members of staff
  • Other staff should also have access to training that will help them identify children at risk

Make sure that children are safe online at your school:

  • Ensure that your school has suitable filtering in place
  • Equip your students to stay safe online both at school and outside
  • Integrate internet safety into your school’s ICT curriculum, which can also be embedded in PSHE and SRE

Free online training from the Home Office is available.

The following documents will be useful for head teachers, teachers and governors: Keeping children safe in education; Prevent duty guidance.

Resources

Download, print and display this striking poster on classroom or corridor display boards to support the fight against extremism. This poster explains that a school is a place that inspires and engages young minds. That a school is a place where democracy and the laws of the country are taught. Where every individual has a voice that is heard and respected, no matter what their faith or belief. It explains school values and that there is no place for extremism in schools. Free printed versions are also available to order for using the website’s ‘Contact Us’ form.

Magistrates visit schools, colleges and community groups to discuss how our justice system works, including how verdicts and sentences are decided. Teams of magistrates give a presentation and discuss a range of topics, including how magistrates are appointed, what kind of cases they deal with, how guilt or innocence is decided and sentencing when guilt is established. The presentations are tailored to suit different audiences and requirements. These visits can support schools in promoting fundamental British values by giving students the opportunity to learn about and engage with the rule of law.

A link to quickly and anonymously report online material promoting terrorism or extremism. Anyone can report material such as: articles, images, speeches or videos that promote terrorism or encourage violence; content encouraging people to commit acts of terrorism; websites made by terrorist or extremist organisations; and videos of terrorist attacks. All referrals made through this tool go directly to the Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit in the Metropolitan police for assessment and investigation. School staff may become aware of inappropriate content through students or through online monitoring software.

An online interactive fictional trial, where the viewer learns about court process and compares their own verdict with that of the jury.