British Values

 

Promoting Fundamental British Values

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In accordance with The Department for Education we aim to actively promote British values in schools to ensure young people leave pre-school prepared for life in modern Britain.

 

Children are encouraged to regard people of all faiths, races and cultures with respect and tolerance and understand that while different people may hold different views about what is ‘right’ and ‘wrong’, all people living in England are subject to its law.

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The Key Values are:

• Democracy

• Rule of law

• Individual liberty

• Mutual respect

• Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

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British values and the Prevent duty

From 1 July 2015 the Prevent duty became law. This is a duty on all schools and registered early years providers to have due regard to preventing people being drawn into terrorism. In order to protect children in your care, you must be alert to any reason for concern in the child’s life at home or elsewhere. This includes awareness of the expression of extremist views.

 

British values are a set of four values introduced to help keep childrensafe and promote their welfare – as is the duty of all providers following the EYFS; specifically, to counter extremism.

In addition to this, The Counter Terrorism and Security Act also places a duty on early years providers “to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism” (The Prevent duty), effective from 1 July 2015.

 

The Department for Education has also produced some departmental advice on meeting the new duty.

 

Common Inspection Framework, British Values

 

What is the Prevent duty ?

From 1 July 2015, all schools and childcare providers must have due regard to the need to prevent people being drawn into terrorism.

 

The government has defined extremism in the Prevent strategy as: “vocal or active opposition to fundamental British Values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs."

 

Childcare and Early Years Providers subject to the Prevent duty will be expected to demonstrate activity in the following areas:

• assessing the risk of children being drawn into terrorism.

• demonstrate that they are protecting children and young people from being drawn into terrorism by having robust safeguarding policies.

• ensure that their safeguarding arrangements consider the policies and procedures of the Local Safeguarding Children Board.

• make sure that staff have training that gives them the knowledge and confidence to identify children at risk of being drawn into terrorism, and to challenge extremist ideas which can be used to legitimise terrorism

• expected to ensure children are safe from terrorist and extremist material when accessing the internet.

 

What does this mean in practice?

As a childcare and early years provider we have a critical part to play. Early years providers serve arguably the most vulnerable and impressionable members of society.

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In England, the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) accordingly places clear duties on providers to keep children safe and promote their welfare.

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It makes clear that to protect children in their care, providers must be alert to any safeguarding and child protection issues in the child’s life at home or elsewhere (paragraph 3.4 EYFS).

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It is important to remember that the Ofsted Common Inspection Framework that was implemented September 2015 includes reference to “providers promoting children’s welfare and preventing radicalisation and extremism”.

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Inspecting safeguarding in early years, education and skills settings - Guidance for inspectors undertaking inspection under the common inspection framework also refers to the Prevent duty and keeping children safe from dangers of radicalisation and extremism.