The latest Home Office figures, released last month, reveal that 8,778 individuals were referred to the Prevent programme between April 2024 and March 2025, which is the highest number since records began in 2015. This represents a 27 per cent increase compared with the previous year and reflects growing concerns around radicalisation and safeguarding.

Prevent is part of the UK’s counter-terrorism strategy. Its aim is to stop people from being drawn into terrorism or radicalisation by identifying the potential risks early and offering intervention.

The education sector remains the leading source of referrals, accounting for 36 per cent of all referrals. This highlights the vital role that teachers play in ensuring that individuals vulnerable to radicalisation receive early support.

So what else does the data tell us about schools’ work in this area? Here are some of the key takeaways.

School referrals to Prevent: key insights

1. Teenage boys are most likely to be referred

Most referrals are for 11- to 15-year-olds, with 36 per cent of all referrals (where the age is known) being for this age group in 2024-25. This number is actually down on the previous year, when 40 per cent of referrals were for young people aged 11 to 15.

The second largest proportion of referrals in the past year was for those aged 16 to 17 (13 per cent).

There are also clear sex disparities, with males making up 89 per cent of referrals.

2. Referrals for right-wing extremism are up

Concerns about extreme right-wing radicalisation are currently on the rise, especially following the Southport riots in the summer of 2024. These concerns have been exacerbated by the “raise the colours” movement, which has seen towns and villages covered in St George’s flags, as well as protests at hotels housing asylum seekers.

While putting up flags doesn’t mean someone is part of the extreme right wing, there are fears that social media algorithms are pushing extreme rhetoric and disinformation to people’s timelines.

In the past year right-wing radicalisation accounted for 21 per cent of referrals to Prevent, up from 19 per cent in 2023-24. Meanwhile, Islamic extremism referrals fell to 10 per cent, down from 13 per cent.

It is also interesting to note that 56 per cent of the referrals involved individuals with no clear ideological affiliation, though these cases were less likely to progress to formal support.

3. Few referrals are made for ‘incel’-related extremism

Despite growing awareness of the spread of “incel” attitudes, cases relating to this made up just 1 per cent of referrals in the past year. It remains to be seen whether we will see this number rise in next year’s data, following recent debates around issues of misogyny, sparked in part by the Netflix show Adolescence, which was released in March 2025. I predict we may well see more referrals in this area next year as a result of the enhanced awareness and focus.

4. We need to recognise multiple vulnerabilities

The Home Office report highlights the complexity of safeguarding, with around one third of referrals involving an individual with an identified mental health need or recorded neurodiversity. Autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) was the most common, recorded in 14 per cent of referrals.

Overall, the referral data reinforces the critical role that schools play in identifying early signs of radicalisation. It also points to the need for multi-agency collaboration, particularly where there is crossover with mental health and special educational needs and disabilities.

So how can leaders respond to these responsibilities?

What can schools do?

Schools need to ensure that staff training is up to date because the risks and concerns are ever-changing. This includes strengthening referral pathways by making sure that staff know how to make a referral and what the next steps look like.

The fact that boys aged 11 to 15 make up the largest portion of referrals emphasises the important role that personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education can play in prevention and early intervention.

It helps to have a PSHE curriculum that is fluid enough to respond to current events and give students an opportunity to discuss things in a safe space and then tackle any preconceived ideas or disinformation in a gentle and respectful way.

PSHE lessons are also the perfect place to promote diversity, togetherness and inclusion, in an attempt to combat the push we are seeing online from the extreme right wing.

As well as looking at PSHE, schools should look at digital literacy and media literacy within the curriculum. Giving students the tools to spot potentially dangerous material online and giving them the confidence to be able to report it makes them less vulnerable to radicalisation.

Finally, it is important for schools to communicate clearly with parents, when appropriate, to make sure that they understand that Prevent is about safeguarding and support, not criminalisation.

Thomas Michael is a safeguarding lead

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