PREVENT

Sapience Girls Academy (SGA) is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all its pupils. Every member of staff recognizes that safeguarding against radicalization and extremism is no different to safeguarding against any other vulnerability in today’s society. The Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 places responsibility on schools and colleges to safeguard and prevent their pupils from being radicalised.

What is Prevent?

The Government’s National Prevent strategy aim is to stop people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. This is supported by three specific objectives:

Respond to the ideological challenge of terrorism and the threat we face from those who promote it
Prevent people from being drawn into terrorism and ensure they are given appropriate advice and support
Work with a wide range of sectors and institutions (including education, faith health and criminal) where there are risks of radicalisation which need to be addressed

Our prevent policy incorporates guidance from the following documents-

The Prevent Strategy, GOV.UK -Home Office
Keeping Children Safe in Education DfE 2016
Working Together to Safeguard Children HM Gov 2015
Learning Together to be Safe: a Toolkit to Help Schools Contribute to the Prevention of Violent Extremism was published in 2008 by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), a predecessor of the Department for Education

At SGA we ensure that we make it clear for all pupils that-

Violent extremism is not part of the Islamic faith
There is no place for extremists in SGA including expression of extremist views vocal or active which are opposed to fundamental British values
Protect all pupils from harm and to ensure that they are taught in a way that is consistent with the law and the British values of tolerance, democracy and liberty.
Address both Awareness of Prevent and the risks it is intended to.
Enable pupils to explore issues like terrorism and the use of violence in a considered and informed way.
Facilitate understanding of wider issues within the context of learning about the values on which our society is founded and our system of democratic government.
Make pupils aware about extreme views and about those who hold them and why these are Islamically wrong.

At SGA we fulfil our prevent policy by-

Teaching PSHCE, History, and Citizenship which emphasis the strengths, weaknesses and of democracy in contrast to other forms of government in other countries and how democracy works in Britain.
Ensuring that all pupils within the school have a voice that is listened to, for example by having democratic processes such as the school council whose members are voted in by the pupils.
Organising visits to local councils and places of worship of other faiths, and encourage contacts with those of other faiths, in political or local office.
Using opportunities such as general or local elections to hold whole school mock elections whereby pupils can learn how to argue and defend points of view.
Using teaching resources from a wide variety of sources to help pupils to understand a range of faiths, and beliefs such atheism and humanism.
Working with the Oldham Prevent team.
Providing adequate awareness training for staff, pupils and parents.