Curriculum Overview 24/25

Preventing Radicalisation

Radicalisation is defined as the act or process of making a person more radical or favouring of extreme or fundamental changes in political, economic or social conditions, institutions or habits of the mind.

Extremism is defined as the holding of extreme political or religious views.

The Department for Education has published advice for schools on the Prevent duty. The Prevent duty requires all schools to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism in the exercise of their functions.

We are already responsible for keeping children safe, including from the risks of extremism and radicalisation, and for promoting the welfare of children in our care. The Prevent duty reinforces these existing duties by spreading understanding of the risks and current good practice across the country.

St. Gerard's Catholic Primary School is fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all its pupils. Every member of staff recognises that safeguarding against radicalisation and extremism is no different to safeguarding against any other vulnerability in today’s society.

SMSC & Modern British Values

At St. Gerard's Catholic Primary School, SMSC (spiritual, moral, social and cultural) and Modern British Values are fundamental elements of our curriculum and are central to all aspects of school life. We provide children with the opportunity to not only flourish academically, but equally in their personal development. Our pupils are provided with a range of experiences that develop their understanding of the world and enable them to become well-rounded, resilient, culturally literate young people. We endeavour to support all pupils to acquire skills and knowledge that takes them beyond their everyday experience.

Our pupils are given continued opportunities for their voices to be heard, whether this is through the promotion of philosophical thinking (often seen in DCA, Forensic Reading, PSHE and SMSC), through our school council representatives or through discussion time within lessons. All children are actively encouraged to make their own choices, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment.

Through our SMSC provision we:

- Enable students to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence.

- Enable students to distinguish right from wrong and to respect the civil and criminal law of England.

- Encourage students to accept responsibility for their behaviour, show initiative, and to understand how they can contribute positively to the lives of those living and working in the locality of the school and to society more widely.

- Enable students to acquire a broad general knowledge of and respect for public institutions and services in England.

- Further tolerance and harmony between different cultural traditions by enabling students to acquire an appreciation of and respect their own and other cultures.

- Encourage respect for other people.

- Encourage respect for democracy and support for participation in the democratic processes, including respect on the basis on which the law is made and applied in England.