Section 26 of the Counter Terrorism & Security Act places a duty on certain bodies, of which Writtle University College (WUC) is one, to have "due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism".
The Government has defined extremism in the Prevent duty guidance document as "vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs".
British values are of paramount importance to us at WUC. We see British values as underpinning what it is to be a citizen in a modern and diverse Great Britain. As well as actively promoting these values to our students, we are also embedding these into student work across all Further Education curriculum areas.
In 2014, the Department of Education published guidance on promoting British values in schools to ensure young people leave school and college prepared for life in modern Britain and these values were first set out in the ‘Prevent’ strategy in 2011.
Writtle University College Celebrating British Values
With these values in mind, at WUC we aim to:
- Help students to become valuable and rounded members of society who treat others with respect and tolerance, regardless of background
- Promote the basic British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance for those of different beliefs and faiths to students
- Ensure young people understand the importance of respect and leave Writtle University College fully prepared for life in modern Britain
- Celebrate difference and promote diversity
- Encourage an understanding of the difficulties other cultures face where such values are not respected
We are also taking action to:
- Embed different materials about British Values into different curriculum areas
- Ensure that all our students have a voice that is listened to and valued and demonstrate how democracy works through promoting our Student Council and encouraging students to feedback to us through student surveys and student reps
- Use opportunities such as general elections and debates to promote British values and help students to argue and defend different points of view
- Develop and encourage extra-curricular activities amongst students which promote fundamental British values such as active faith societies
- Actively consult with our student representatives to gather student views and feedback on issues that affect the student body
- Encourage students to become responsible learners and to actively participate in their own learning and development