Careers education and guidance for pupils
As a result of the changes at Key Stage 4, young people will be making choices from a broader range of options. They will be making these choices earlier, at 14, and focusing on outcomes at age 19, rather than 16. They will need access to additional support and guidance to help them do this.
Delivery of careers education in schools
Schools have a key role to play in providing young people with timely advice and support, particularly through the statutory duty to provide a programme of careers education to young people in Years 7-11. Young people need to develop career-management skills early so they are better prepared to take their first set of key decisions (their Key Stage 4 options) during Year 9.
Support for careers education
Schools deliver careers education in a number of ways. Whilst some schools deliver it as a separate stand-alone subject, it is most usually delivered as part of the PSHE curriculum. The recent changes to the secondary curriculum see careers education grouped with work-related learning and financial capability within a new curriculum strand within PSHE: 'Economic well-being'. Careers education is designed to give young people the skills they need to manage their own careers, and be able to:
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investigate learning and career opportunities
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make informed judgements about learning and career options
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understand how these choices will help them to achieve their aspirations
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enable them to successfully manage key transition points.
To improve the quality and consistency of career education programmes, the Department has issued a National Framework for Careers Education, with recommended learning outcomes for each stage. It covers the 11-19 age range, and includes support for post-16 learning providers in continuing to develop young people's career-management skills throughout post-16 provision.
To further support those delivering information, advice and guidance (IAG), the Department launched the IAG Support Programme, which will support IAG practitioners through the dissemination of good-practice materials, lesson plans, case studies and newsletters. Practitioners can download materials from the Cegnet website.
Connexions
Alongside the support from school-based staff, individually tailored and impartial advice and guidance is available from the Connexions service. Connexions is available to all 13— to 19-year-olds, with a particular focus on giving extra help and support to those with barriers that represent a risk to participation and achievement in learning.
The following publications are available to order:
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'Which Way Now?' (Year 9)
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'It's Your Choice' (Years 10 and 11)
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'Accompanying Guide for Parents and Carers 2008-09'.
These publications will support and complement 14-19 reforms by providing both an authoritative national overview during a period of change, and comprehensive impartial information to support and assist young people in their decision making. They will be of particular importance to parents and carers as they learn about the wider choices available to their children. Order these publications at www.teachernet.gov.uk/publications (the reference number for 'Which Way Now?' is 926-0, for 'It's Your Choice', 927-9 and for the accompanying guide, 928-7.)
Connexions services also offer advice and support to schools, colleges and work-based-training organisations on the design of curriculum programmes. In addition, they provide INSET support to staff based in schools, colleges and work-based training organisations on careers education and guidance issues.
The Connexions service has recently been through a process of transition. Following the publication of Every Child Matters: Next steps, children's trusts were set up in each LA area. From 1 April 2008 the funding that went directly to 47 Connexions Partnerships now goes directly to all 150 LAs via the new Area Based Grant, with LAs now responsible for delivery. New IAG Quality Standards define DCSF expectations of the IAG services LAs commission and deliver. The Standards are also for use by schools and other providers of IAG such as Connexions services, learning providers, voluntary and community-service organisations, and others.
Supporting individual progression
The processes schools use, and the staff involved in supporting personal planning and progression will vary depending on the needs of the students in each school and at each key stage.
Students in Key Stage 3 need help to:
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assess their achievements, interests and aptitudes
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learn how to develop plans
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formalise those plans into a written document
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put the plans into practice as they progress into Key Stage 4
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ongoing support through the 14-19 phase as they make decisions at each transition point.
Last updated: 03 September 2008
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