Careers Guidance and Inspiration in Schools: Statutory Guidance for
Governing Bodies, School Leaders and School Staff
The Department for Education has launched the revised version of Careers
Guidance and Inspiration in Schools: Statutory Guidance for Governing Bodies,
School Leaders and School Staff (DfE, 26th March 2015). This new version of the
statutory guidance replaces the April 2014 edition. The guidance has been rewritten
and strengthened in a number of important ways to reflect the change in direction of
policy since last year.
The Key Differences to the Statutory Guidance:
The new guidance emphasises the value of improved careers services, which
include high quality, independent and impartial careers guidance and the provision of
face-to–face advice and guidance from a range of sources, particularly from qualified
career professionals, as principles of good practice to help prepare young people for
employment and employability.
The guidance also stresses the need for schools and colleges to have a strategy for
careers guidance. These are key points previously tabled in the statutory guidance
from April 2014 (Para 17, p.7. in the 2014 guidance) and are now highlighted for
schools and colleges senior leadership.
Careers and Enterprise Company
An additional section of the guidance explains the role of the new Careers and
Enterprise Company. It claims that the new company will ‘transform careers and
enterprise provision for young people and inspire them about the opportunities
offered by the world of work’. This is described as a brokerage service between
employers and schools and colleges.
Paragraph 40, p.11: Helping pupils to access information on the full range of
education and training options and engage with other local learning providers
There is a strong emphasis that schools with post-16 pupils should pay attention to
the new study programmes and that pupils are made aware of the progression
routes they can pursue after the study programme they are following.
Paragraph 42: p.12: Post 16 Opportunities Database
‘Schools should also encourage pupils to use websites which display information
about opportunities (“portals”)’. From October 2015, the Government plans to make
information on the full range of post-16 opportunities available via a national
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database. Further information, is available via the link below to the Operational
Guide, published on 24th March 2015.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/post-16-courses-database-operationalguide
Paragraphs 61 -64, p.15. : Ensuring adequate support for pupils with special
educational needs
This section strengthens the guidance to schools on ensuring appropriate support for
students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. It says that ‘...Young
people with special needs and disabilities are capable of sustainable paid
employment, with the right preparation and support’….‘Independent and impartial
advice for young people with SEN and disabilities should include all of the education,
training and employment opportunities on offer, and signpost them to study
programmes that will support their transition into paid employment. This includes
supported internships for young people with Education Health Care Plans (EHCP),
traineeships and apprenticeship; and qualifications that will enable young people to
study higher education, where appropriate’.
The new guidance recommends schools make use of the local offer of SEN
provision published by local authorities, ‘who have an important role to play, in
particular through the provision of SEN support and EHCP.’ Reference is made to
the 0-25 Special Educational Needs Code of Practice.
Paragraph 67, p.16: Evaluation and monitoring of advice and guidance
This is the most noteworthy change in the new guidance. One of the most important
additions is a far stronger section on the concern for quality.
In developing careers provision for students, there are currently three aspects of
quality assurance that schools should take into consideration:
The quality of the school careers programme. The Government makes the
recommendation that all schools should work towards a Quality Award for Careers
Education, Information, Advice and Guidance as an effective means of carrying out a
self-review and evaluation of the school’s programme. The national validation, the
Quality in Careers Standard1, will assist schools to determine an appropriate quality
award to pursue. There are currently twelve quality awards that are recognised as
meeting the Quality in Careers Standard.
The quality of independent careers providers. The recognised national quality
standard for information, advice and guidance (IAG) services is the matrix Standard.
To achieve the Standard, organisations will need to demonstrate that they provide a
high quality and impartial service. Schools can access an online register of
organisations accredited to the matrix Standard.
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Career Connect hold the national validation, the Quality in Careers Standard
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The quality of careers professionals working with the school. The Career
Development Institute has developed a set of professional standards for Careers
Advisers, a register of Advisers holding postgraduate qualifications and guidelines on
how Advisers can develop their own skills and gain higher qualifications.
The main qualifications for Careers professionals are the Qualification in Career
Guidance (QCG), which replaced the earlier Diploma in Careers Guidance, and the
level 6 Diploma in Career Guidance and Development2.
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Career Connect’s Quality and Workforce Development Team offer both of these qualifications.
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