Leadership

Promoting British values as part of SMSC

The recent terror attacks in Paris prompted Nicky Morgan to reiterate the government's desire to 'actively promote' British values such as free speech and tolerance in schools. But what does that mean? We summarise the DfE's recent guidance on the matter in relation to teaching SMSC as part of a broad and balanced curriculum.

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      string(331) "The government’s Prevent duty, imposed on schools without any extra resources, begs lots of questions. What exactly is radicalisation? What are British values? How can schools practically monitor student views, let alone divert them from dangerous ideological paths? Ian Pringle makes some initial suggestions. "
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      string(331) "The government’s Prevent duty, imposed on schools without any extra resources, begs lots of questions. What exactly is radicalisation? What are British values? How can schools practically monitor student views, let alone divert them from dangerous ideological paths? Ian Pringle makes some initial suggestions. "
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      string(5701) "young British Muslims, will see that thisis not upholding British values and understand why this view has no place in theircommunity.Showing young people the consequences of their involvement in extremism is alsoa good approach. For example, a teenager may like the idea of participating in a right-wing march, perhaps thinking it will garner respect from peers. Even if the pupil doesrecognise the potentially problematic nature of the group’s more extreme views, he orshe may think simply attending a march will not cause any harm. Getting the messageacross that taking part might damage the student’s future career prospects, or thatthe school may be obliged to investigate the matter and perhaps even report it to thepolice, could be an effective deterrent.A heavy responsibilityStaff now need to consider pupils’ vulnerability to radicalisation with the sameseriousness as they would to drugs and alcohol. A student is more susceptible after afamily breakdown, bereavement, or something they may feel guilt over.38Vol 7.3School Leadership Todaywww.teachingtimes.comLeadershipSkillsPreventdutyKnowledge trails1. Preventing the radicalisation of young people online – As extremists turn to social mediato recruit and radicalise children in their own bedrooms, Brian Durrant discusses the steps schoolleaders can take to protect their students online.library.teachingtimes.com/articles/preventing-the-radicalisation-of-young-people-online2. Preventing extremism – Guidance and resources to raise staff awareness of the threat of ex-tremist messages and assist in setting up policy and practice to build young people’s resilience toextremism.library.teachingtimes.com/articles/preventingextremismSigns to look for include:■ emotional changes such as mood swings■ changes in appearance – e.g. change in dress(sometimes but not always to show affiliation to anextremist group), new tattoos or piercings■ verbal clues – e.g. hate terms, voicing of opinions drawnfrom extremist ideology, mistrust of media reports andbelief in conspiracies, anger towards government policy,especially foreign policy, or a new-found contempttowards a certain group of people or cause■ out of character changes in behaviour, routines,interests or friendship groups■ secretive behaviour such as switching computerscreens when the teacher comes near.More obvious signs include producing graffiti symbols,writing or artwork that promotes extremist messages,accessing extremist material online, following jihadistsor other extremists on social media, mixing with knownextremists and attending extremist meetings or marches.Tackling any of this is not without its challenges.Teachers need to also be equipped with the skillsrequired to engage effectively on highly sensitivetopics. Specific training on anti-radicalisation alongsidesafeguarding for trainee teachers is inevitable.Now could be a good time to begin evolving thevalue statements for your school to more closely reflectthe new duties and British values. Perhaps even look atincluding online behaviour and expectations in a newgeneration of policy documents. Involve your teachersin developing these; if they feel involved, they will feel asense of ownership.More questions than answersPublic sector frontline staff have been identified asplaying a key role in the identification and referral ofindividuals at risk of radicalisation, which puts teachersfirmly in the hot seat.Where do we draw the line with youngsters’interests? The environment? Animals? KnowingGreenpeace has spilled over into violence more thanonce and animal rights campaigners have sent letterbombs in the past, would a child’s internet search intowhat could be an innocent interest in animals or theenvironment warrant a referral outside of school?At the end of the day, it does seem that we haveto rely on the intuition of teachers. But don’t despair,there is support out there – schools are not alone. ThereReferences1. Department for Education (2015) The Prevent duty:Departmental advice for schools and childcareproviders. [online] Available at: gov.uk/government/publications/protecting-children-from-radicalisation-the-prevent-duty [Accessed 29 February 2016].2. HM Government (2015) Channel duty guidance:Preventing vulnerable people from being drawn intoterrorism. [online] Available at: gov.uk/government/publications/channel-guidance [Accessed 29 February2016].3. Department for Education (2014) Promotingfundamental British values as part of SMSC in schools.[online] Available at: gov.uk/government/publications/promoting-fundamental-british-values-through-smsc[Accessed 29 February 2016].4. Quinn, B., Ball, J., and Rushe, D. (2014) GCHQ chief accusesUS tech giants of becoming terrorists’ ‘networks ofchoice’. The Guardian, [online] 3 November. Available at:theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/nov/03/privacy-gchq-spying-robert-hannigan [Accessed 29 February 2016].5. HM Government (2015) Tackling extremism in the UK:report by the Extremism Taskforce. [online] Available at:gov.uk/government/publications/tackling-extremism-in-the-uk-report-by-the-extremism-taskforce [Accessed29 February 2016].are local Prevent co-ordinators, counterterrorism unitsand safeguarding boards that can all offer support. Ouradvice to schools is to seek it out.Make sure staff are familiar and happy with theresponse mechanisms in the school, so they’re not afraid touse or promote the internet. Your policy needs to be morethan a piece of paper; it should be living and breathing.Backing it up with a detailed flow chart to help you andyour colleagues make"
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Leadership

Tackling extremism

29 Mar 2016

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Leadership Briefing 9.05(101)"
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Leadership

Promoting Fundamental British Values As Part Of SMSC In Schools

3 Dec 2014

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Leadership

SLT 6.4 Report Update

27 Jan 2015

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      string(5752) "self-evaluation processes are regular,rigorous and robust is equally stressed.The contribution of governors to the school’s performance is also evaluated as partof this judgement. Governors should note the expectation that effective governancegoes beyond being well-informed and the emphasis on the importance of holdingleaders to account.Key questions for leaders■ How well do leaders at our school establish, pursue and secure the highestexpectations and outcomes for pupils, staff and the school?■ To what extent do we have a cohesive and accurate understanding of ourstrengths, our development priorities, the difference we intend to secure andthe impact of our actions?18Vol 7.1School Leadership Todaywww.teachingtimes.comSpecial ReportOfsted Significant changes and impactAll leaders should be unequivocally clear about the emphasis on and importance of:a. SMSC development and the development of British valuesb. Safeguarding and the Prevent duty.SMSC and British valuesBefore making the final judgement on overall effectiveness, inspectors must evaluatethe effectiveness of SMSC. The definitions have not changed since they first appearedin the September 2014 framework, but are listed again.2 Leaders are also specificallyrequired to ‘actively promote British values’. For a definition, see the document, ‘Promotingfundamental British values as part of SMSC in schools’. Without effective provisionfor pupils’ SMSC development, schools cannot achieve an overall grade of good oroutstanding.Safeguarding and the new Prevent dutyThere are now five key documents which must inform school safeguarding provision andpractice, and are essential reading for all leaders and managers. These are:■ Inspecting safeguarding in early years, education and skills from September 2015,Ofsted (Updated August 2015): www.gov.uk/government/publications/inspecting-safeguarding-in-early-years-education-and-skills-from-september-2015.■ Keeping children safe in education: for schools and colleges, Department for Education(Updated July 2015): www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education–2.■ Working together to safeguard children, Department for Education (Updated March2015, now applicable in full to schools): www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-safeguard-children–2.■ Safeguarding children and young people and young vulnerable adults policy, Ofsted(Updated July 2015): www.gov.uk/government/publications/ofsted-safeguarding-policy.■ Prevent duty guidance for England and Wales, Department for Education (March 2015):www.gov.uk/government/publications/prevent-duty-guidance.The Prevent duty came into force in March 2015, and requires all schools and early years/later years childcare providers, in the exercise of their functions, to pay due regard to theneed to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism.Under the new Ofsted framework, inspectors are now required to:■ undertake an internet check as part of their pre-inspection planning■ consider how well leaders and managers have created a culture of vigilance■ evaluate how well providers fulfil their statutory and other responsibilities.Evidence sought includes:■ a positive culture and ethos■ effectiveness of safeguarding policies■ quality of safeguarding practice■ timeliness of response to concerns■ quality of work.The document, ‘Inspecting safeguarding in early years, education and skills fromSeptember 2015’ (linked above), outlines the responsibilities placed on governing bodiesin relation to safeguarding, including the prevention of links to extremism/terrorism andthe creation of a culture in which staff are confident to challenge senior leaders over anysafeguarding concerns.Key questions for leaders■ What evidence do we have to demonstrate effective provision for:❏ the development of SMSC and British values; and❏ the effectiveness and impact of our safeguarding?https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/promoting-fundamental-british-values-through-smschttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/promoting-fundamental-british-values-through-smschttp://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inspecting-safeguarding-in-early-years-education-and-skills-from-september-2015http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inspecting-safeguarding-in-early-years-education-and-skills-from-september-2015http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education–2http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education–2http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-safeguard-children–2http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-safeguard-children–2http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ofsted-safeguarding-policyhttp://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ofsted-safeguarding-policyhttp://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prevent-duty-guidance19Vol 7.1School Leadership Todaywww.teachingtimes.comSpecial ReportOfstedThe quality of teaching, learning and assessmentKey theme: the pivotal importance of integrated assessment practices onprogress and outcomesUnderpinning this criterion is the need for teachers to have a good subject knowledge,a secure understanding of progression within that subject, a knowledge of thechildren’s skills and achievement to date, and the skills to effectively utilise thisinformation to secure the next step.Of equal importance is the format and use of classroom-based assessment recordsand how ‘assessment draws on a range of evidence of what pupils know, understandand can do across the"
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Leadership

Ofsted leadership guide 2015

21 Sep 2015