New duty for schools

From September 2012, the Education Act 2011 placed schools under a duty to secure access to independent and impartial careers guidance for their pupils in years 9-11.

The Careers Guidance in Schools Regulations 2013 will extend the age range to which the duty applies. From September 2013, the duty will be extended to include all registered pupils in year 8 (12-13 year olds) and years 12 and 13 (16-18 year olds). This change will allow young people to access information and advice at more key transition points.

This supports young people subject to the new requirement to participate in education or training until the end of the academic year in which they turn 17 from 2013, and to their 18th birthday from 2015 as part of Raising the Participation Age (RPA). For more information about RPA visit http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/youngpeople/participation/rpa

Whilst complying with the requirement to secure careers guidance from an external source, schools will be free to make arrangements for careers guidance that fit the needs and circumstances of their pupils, and will be expected to work, as appropriate, in partnership with external and expert providers and employers.

Local Authorities retain their duty under section 68 of the Education and Skills Act 2008 to encourage, enable and assist the participation of young people in education or training.

It will be up to schools to decide how best to deliver their statutory duty. In fulfilling their duty, they should secure access to independent face-to-face careers guidance where it is the most suitable support for young people to make successful transitions, particularly children from disadvantaged backgrounds or those who have special educational needs, learning difficulties or disabilities.

Independent is defined as external to the school. Schools can retain any in-house arrangements but should supplement them with external sources of careers guidance – which could include an external careers provider, employer visits, mentoring, website and telephone helpline access. Taken together, these external sources should include information on the full range of education and training options, including Apprenticeships.

Ofsted

• Careers guidance will be captured within the new arrangements for Ofsted inspection. Inspectors will consider the extent to which young people have a well-informed understanding of the options and challenges facing them as they move through school and on to the next stage of their education, training and employment.
• Linked to that, part of the leadership and management assessment will include the extent to which the school offers a broad and balanced curriculum which meets the needs of young people. Inspection evidence from discussion with young people, parental questionnaires, from schools’ own evaluation of their provision and from data in secondary schools on the destinations of school leavers, will inform inspectors’ considerations.

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