Prevent teaching resources for schools

Protecting students from the risk of radicalisation is part of schools’ overall safeguarding responsibilities.

Since July 2015, schools have a legal responsibility to “have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism”. The Prevent duty: departmental advice for schools and childcare providers offers guidance on this.

Given the rise of extremist voices it’s important that you know how to protect them from this threat. Understanding how the Prevent duty is embedded as part of your school’s wider safeguarding policies will help you to:

Protect students from radicalising influences
Build your students’ resilience to extremist narratives
Identify any vulnerabilities or worrying changes in behaviour
Know what to do if you have concerns about a student

Prevent is not about spying on students or intruding unnecessarily into their families. It’s about making sure you can identify worrying behaviour and know how to refer those students who may be at risk of radicalisation for appropriate support.

There are many misconceptions about Prevent, you can read more in our Prevent mythbuster.

There are no mandatory reporting requirements under the Prevent duty. If you have a concern, you should follow your school’s safeguarding procedures.

There are several things you can do to increase your students’ resilience to extremist narratives, such as:

Making sure your classroom is a safe space where students can discuss ideas and controversial issues freely and openly
Providing skills and knowledge to explore political and social issues critically, to weigh evidence, debate and make reasoned arguments
Promoting the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect for and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs

Here are some related resources:

Resources

Prevent duty: statutory guidance

Guidance for specified authorities in England and Wales on the duty in the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism. The aim of the Prevent strategy is to reduce the threat to the UK from terrorism by stopping people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. This guidance helps schools to develop an awareness and understanding of the risk of radicalisation and take steps to appropriately report and manage those risks in line with the law.

Working together to safeguard children

Statutory guidance for local authorities and agencies working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in their care. The Children Acts of 1989 and 2004 set out specific duties of the local authority to undertake enquiries if they believe a child has suffered or is likely to suffer significant harm. These duties can only be discharged with the full co-operation of other partners and other agencies. Everyone who comes into contact with children and families has a role to play and this advice sets out clearly the principles and key areas of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

Prevent: An Introduction

Prevent: An Introduction, are three short videos created by the Home Office. The videos introduce how Prevent works on the ground, told by those who have come into contact with the programme.

There are three videos:

An introduction to Prevent – main film
Supporting friends and family
Prevent tackling the far-right

ACT Early

Radicalisation is the process by which a person comes to support terrorism and extremist ideologies. If you are worried someone close to you is becoming radicalised act early and seek help. The sooner you reach out, the quicker the person you care about can be protected from being groomed and exploited by extremists.

Police forces across the country have specially trained Prevent officers who work with professionals in health, education, local authorities and charities, as well as faith and community groups to help vulnerable people move away from extremism. They are here to listen and offer help and advice. Receiving support is voluntary.

Friends and family are best placed to spot the signs, so trust your instincts and share your concerns in confidence.

They can help if you act early. You won’t be wasting police time and you won’t ruin lives, but you might save them.

To find out more about how to help someone close to you visit ACT Early.

A note about our third-party resources

Third-party resources are those not created directly by the Educate Against Hate team, or by the Department for Education. All third-party resources hosted on Educate Against Hate have undergone a quality-assurance process, a due diligence assessment and content review before being added to the site, so you can have confidence that you’re using trusted, accurate, high-quality content.

You should use any resources on this website at your own discretion. When selecting resources and materials to use, schools may find it helpful to review guidance produced by the Department for Education on using external agencies.

See all Resources

Common Questions

What support is available for discussing the violent disorder that followed the Southport attack?

How do I make a complaint about Prevent?

What is ‘fake news’, disinformation, and misinformation?

How can I teach students about sensitive topics like ongoing conflicts?

How does Educate Against Hate decide which resources to share?

What is Channel?

How do we define terrorism and extremism in the UK?

What are the warning signs of radicalisation?

Why is extremism and Prevent relevant to me as a teacher?

Which young people are vulnerable to radicalisation?

What is Prevent and what are my responsibilities as a teacher under the Prevent duty?

What training is available for the Prevent duty?

How can I build my students’ resilience to extremism and teach them about fundamental British values?

What should I do if I have a concern about a child?

Are there examples where Prevent has stopped a young person being radicalised?

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