This is a quick document for you to consider what you can do to support learners to respond and resonate with exercising their political voices in a safe and constructive manner. We have devised this in response to the planned school and university strikes to mark the one-year anniversary of the Palestine/Israel conflict.

Do consider if you have some children with additional vulnerabilities for example: children with family living in the conflict zones, as these children who may need some additional targeted support and guidance.

Contents:

1. Vulnerable children- Targeted support
2. Setting Wide interventions - RSHE/PSHE and policy/practice
3. Further guidance

Vulnerable children– targeted support.

If you have identified children and young people who have resonated with the protest/strike and have been personally affected, it may be worth offering them 1-1 support.

• Remind children who they can speak to in the school.
• Consider building up a vulnerable children's resilience by providing them with the emotional language they need to express their views and feelings.
• Have safe spaces/platforms where they can talk about worries for friends, families or peer groups. (for example Whisper® - Anonymous Reporting Tool for your School Community | SWGfL).

Setting wide interventions:

RSHE/PSHE:

• Talk about concerns explicitly and provide young people a safe outlet to express their concerns in the classrooms.
• Consider reflecting on topics more widely about building up resilience to:
• Peer pressure, caring friendships, respectful relationships, online relationships.
• Exploitation, being safe, including keeping Safe online.
• Preventing radicalisation – Educate Against Hate - Prevent Radicalisation & Extremism

Work with staff to explore safe ways young people can express their political beliefs on the curriculum (projects/assignments). Welcome to your UK Parliament - Parliament UK Education is a great resource for primary, secondary and post 16. Resources Archive - Parliament UK Education

Processes and policy

Please do consider reminding staff colleagues to share and record concerns particularly if they are worried about political exploitation and extremism as a safeguarding consideration.

• Consider revising and reviewing your Prevent self-assessment/risk assessments to reflect local contexts.
• Consideration for reviewing attendance and communicating with parents/carers if there are concerns that a child absconds from school or does not attend school on the day of the strike.
• Develop the staff awareness of use of online platforms that young people are using to communicate.

Further guidance:

The safeguarding in education team web pages has details of additional resources to support children and staff who are affected by the ongoing conflict. Safeguarding support for children affected by ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine (bristolsafeguardingineducation.org)

If you need further advice and guidance feel free to speak to your School Safeguarding Advisor - https://www.bristolsafeguardingineducation.org/local-safeguarding-services/safeguarding-in-education-team/