Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance has been issued to headteachers on the application of the Prevent programme in schools.

The Department for Education has issued statutory Prevent duty guidance

with practical advice to governing bodies, school leaders, head teachers and school staff to help them understand their role under the new Prevent duty and how to access support. This is available online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/445977/3799_Revised_Prevent_Duty_Guidance__England_Wales_V2-Interactive.pdf

In addition, the Department launched a dedicated webpage for preventing extremism in the education sector on 1 September 2015. This page brings together the Department’s existing guidance and advice on the Prevent duty, fundamental British values, and safeguarding, all of which provide advice and help head teachers uphold their obligations under the Prevent duty.It also gives details of the Department’s dedicated counter extremism helpline, which enables people to directly raise concerns relating to extremism. Head teachers, school staff, parents, governors and members of the public can make use of the helpline to report their concerns about extremism in schools and to seek guidance on the Prevent duty. The webpage can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preventing-extremism-in-schools-and-childrens-services/preventing-extremism-in-the-education-and-childrens-services-sectors

The Home Office has developed core training for the purpose of raising awareness of school staff, the Workshop to Raise Awareness of Prevent (WRAP). It is free of charge, tested, flexible and includes case studies involving schools and young people. There are a number of professionals who are accredited WRAP facilitators, particularly in safeguarding roles and within local authorities and the police.

The department is continuing its work to support the sector in implementing the Prevent duty, including looking at ways to provide support that specifically and separately focuses on school governors, head teachers, teachers and parents.