What schools must do to meet careers guidance requirements and how Push can help
The Department for Education recently released their statuary careers guidance for 2023 setting out the legal requirements for schools and colleges. A range of opportunities for external providers to come into schools and colleges must be provided to inform pupils about their available choices.
If you’re keen to dig in to the 60 pages of detail, you can read the whole guide at the link below. However, you, might prefer to start with our quick guide to what schools need to do to meet their legal requirements and how Push and other useful resources can help you meet these duties.
Careers guidance and access for education and training providers (publishing.service.gov.uk)
If you’re keen to dig in to the 60 pages of detail, you can read the whole guide at the link below. However, you, might prefer to start with our quick guide to what schools need to do to meet their legal requirements and how Push and other useful resources can help you meet these duties.
Careers guidance and access for education and training providers (publishing.service.gov.uk)
Roles and responsibilities of schools and colleges
Throughout this guide we have used the terms ‘must’ when the school is legally required to do something.
We use the term ‘should’ when the guidance should be followed unless there is a good reason not to.
Throughout this guide we have used the terms ‘must’ when the school is legally required to do something.
We use the term ‘should’ when the guidance should be followed unless there is a good reason not to.
Schools must ensure students are provided with independent careers guidance from Year 7-13
Independent is defined as guidance external to the school or college.
The independent guidance must include information on the range of education and training options available to students and must not show bias to any particular pathway.
Push is an independent, award-winning provider that supports students to make well informed decisions about their futures and can help you meet your legal requirements of at least six encounters (see below).
Other external sources can include employer visits, mentoring or university visits.
The independent guidance must include information on the range of education and training options available to students and must not show bias to any particular pathway.
Push is an independent, award-winning provider that supports students to make well informed decisions about their futures and can help you meet your legal requirements of at least six encounters (see below).
Other external sources can include employer visits, mentoring or university visits.
Schools must provide a minimum of six encounters with external providers for all their students
- Two encounters for students during the ‘first key stage’ Year 8 or 9.
- Two encounters for students during the ‘second key stage’ Year 10 or 11.
- Two encounters for students during the ‘third key stage’ Year 12 or 13.
It is mandatory for all students to attend all key encounters.
These encounters are intended to inform students of all the available pathways available to them without bias to give students the confidence to decide which pathway is best for them.
At Push we are renowned for our unique style – embedding expert content into a engaging and energetic form of delivery. Our speakers’ humour and storytelling is backed up with 30 years of research and deep expertise into higher education and careers.
Push's sessions covering different pathways are unbiased and informative. We have a choice of sessions that can be tailored to your students from Year 7 to 13. They help students gain an understanding of what they want for their future and the options available to help them get there.
These sessions work best as a laddered framework that we build on incrementally with the same cohort each year, but they are all designed as standalone interventions. Here is an typical ladder of our sessions that will help you meet your statutory careers guidance:
Year 8 – Making a life not just a living (introduction to employability as a path to a rewarding life)
Year 9 – Do what you love, love what you do (connecting career ambitions with employability and skills)
Year 10 – Simply skilled (understanding your skillset and what employers want) and/or Unchain your brain (study skills)
Year 11 – Options at 16 (pathways)
Year 12 –Options at 18 (pathways) and/or Choosing a uni (finding the right uni for you and securing a place)
Year 13 – Getting into uni (the admissions process), Selling yourself (getting a job or university place) and/or The Dosh Dilemma (student finance)
The guidelines state that these encounters should be face-to-face, but schools can consider an online blended approach. Almost all Push sessions can be delivered in specially adapted webinar format, designed to make the most of online delivery. This can be a cost-effective way to access our content, if you have any questions about webinars let us know.
The six provider encounters prescribed by the legislation are a minimum standard. Many schools will choose to offer more opportunities for providers to talk directly to pupils and their parents.
Schools must publish a policy statement detailing the arrangements for external provider access
The policy should detail how all students will have access to independent guidance on the range of post school opportunities open to them.
School should aim to meet all the Gatsby Benchmarks
The Gatsby Benchmarks should be used to develop the school’s careers programme and should be regularly reviewed.
Push can help you meet five out of the eight benchmarks. If you have any questions about how then get in touch.
Compass+ | CEC Resource Directory (careersandenterprise.co.uk)
Compass+ is a tool designed to help school evaluate their careers programme against the benchmarks and identify areas of improvement and track students’ data.
Push can help you meet five out of the eight benchmarks. If you have any questions about how then get in touch.
Compass+ | CEC Resource Directory (careersandenterprise.co.uk)
Compass+ is a tool designed to help school evaluate their careers programme against the benchmarks and identify areas of improvement and track students’ data.
Every school should appoint a named Careers Leader
The Careers Leader is responsible for overseeing their school’s career advice and guidance, and ensuring the school meets the Gatsby Benchmarks through an embedded careers programme.
This person should have relevant skills and support from the senior leadership team. They need protected time to carry out the role effectively.
This person should have relevant skills and support from the senior leadership team. They need protected time to carry out the role effectively.
Schools must publish their Careers Leader’s contact details on the school website
This includes their name, email address and telephone number.
Every school must publish how they measure the impact of their careers programme
Schools must publish a statement on how they measure and assess the impact of their careers programme on students.
The Careers and Enterprise Company has created an example survey for students to help you assess the effectiveness of your programme.
Programme Evaluation Students FINAL.docx (live.com)
The Careers and Enterprise Company has created an example survey for students to help you assess the effectiveness of your programme.
Programme Evaluation Students FINAL.docx (live.com)
Every school must publish a summary of their careers programme
This must be accessible for students, parents, teachers and employers.
It must include details on the delivery of independent career guidance and the steps you are taking to achieve each of the eight Gatsby Benchmarks. There should be clear aims and objectives for each year group.
It must include details on the delivery of independent career guidance and the steps you are taking to achieve each of the eight Gatsby Benchmarks. There should be clear aims and objectives for each year group.
Schools should track student destinations
Schools should track students’ destinations for 3 years post KS4. You can work with your local authority to collect and share data.
Compass+ | CEC Resource Directory (careersandenterprise.co.uk)
Compass+ is a tool designed to help school evaluate their careers programme against the Benchmarks and identify areas of improvement and track student data.
Compass+ | CEC Resource Directory (careersandenterprise.co.uk)
Compass+ is a tool designed to help school evaluate their careers programme against the Benchmarks and identify areas of improvement and track student data.
Interested in getting PUSH in to help you deliver your careers programme? All you need to do is ask.