The Prevent Duty in 2024: A Practical Guide for School Staff and DSLs on Radicalisation
Updated Prevent Duty Guidance 2023 requires schools to take a more robust approach — what has changed, how to identify warning signs, and how the CHANNEL process works.
The CHANNEL Referral Pathway
What Has Changed: Prevent Duty Guidance 2023
The revised Prevent Duty Guidance, which came into force in England and Wales on 31 December 2023, strengthens the legal obligations on specified authorities — including all schools and colleges — to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism.
Key changes from the previous 2015 guidance include:
- Clearer definitions of what constitutes vulnerability to radicalisation, moving away from solely ideological indicators to include psychological and social risk factors
- Strengthened online dimension — schools must now consider radicalisation through online platforms, gaming environments and encrypted messaging as seriously as face-to-face influence
- Explicit reference to far-right extremism — the guidance now gives equal weight to right-wing, Islamist, and other forms of extremism, reflecting the changing threat landscape
- Governor accountability — governing bodies must ensure their school has a nominated Prevent lead and that all staff receive appropriate training
The Scale of Radicalisation Referrals in Education
Home Office statistics for 2022/23 (the most recent full year of data) recorded 6,828 referrals to the Prevent programme across all sectors in England and Wales. Of these:
- Education (schools and higher education) accounted for 34% of all referrals — the single largest sector
- The most common primary concern was right-wing extremism (26% of referrals), closely followed by Islamist extremism (22%) and mixed/unclear ideology (28%)
- Children aged 15–17 were the most frequently referred age group; however, referrals of under-15s have increased year-on-year since 2018
- Of referrals to the CHANNEL programme, 27% were assessed as requiring a formal support plan
Warning Signs: What to Look For
No single indicator is conclusive. Radicalisation is a process, not an event. Warning signs must be considered in combination and in context:
Ideological / Online
- Expressing extremist views — any ideology
- Accessing, sharing or producing extremist content
- Glorifying political violence or terrorism
- Dehumanising language about specific groups
Behavioural / Social
- Sudden withdrawal from friends and family
- New secretive peer group or online contacts
- Increasing intolerance of alternative views
- Unexplained travel, especially abroad
What NOT to Do
- Do not challenge extremist views directly with the young person — this can entrench positions and break trust
- Do not make a referral without speaking to your DSL first, unless there is an immediate safeguarding risk
- Do not assume ideology based on ethnicity, religion or cultural dress — radicalisation risk is not ethnically or religiously determined
- Do not promise confidentiality if a young person discloses views or plans that suggest a risk of violence
CHANNEL / ACT Early referral
Report concerns via your DSL, who can make a referral to the CHANNEL programme through the local police Prevent team. For urgent concerns: 999. The Home Office's ACT Early website (actearly.uk) provides public guidance and a referral portal.
Sources: HM Government, Prevent Duty Guidance for England and Wales 2023 (December 2023); Home Office, Individuals Referred to and Supported Through the Prevent Programme, England and Wales 2022/23 (2023); DfE, Keeping Children Safe in Education 2024. Last reviewed: April 2026.