Key paragraphs summary of the statutory guidance for schools and colleges

Vision, System and Support

The statutory guidance describes the vision for careers guidance ‘to improve careers advice in schools and colleges and to guarantee 2 weeks’ worth of work experience for every young person.’ (Page 5). 

The Gatsby Benchmarks continue to be central to the statutory guidance: ‘‘with the right level of support, the benchmarks represent a demanding by achievable standard that the DfE expects all schools and colleges to meet.’ (page 10)

The Careers & Enterprise Company

The CEC’s role is outlined on page 9. The guidance states how the CEC will oversee the national careers system in England delivering improvements in careers provision, in line with the Gatsby Benchmarks. The report references the role of Careers Hubs, Enterprise Coordinators, CEC funded Career Leader training, cornerstone employers and enterprise advisers, as well as the following resources: Compass, Compass Plus, Future Skills Questionnaire (aimed at leaners) and Career Impact System. (Page 10)

The National Careers Service 

The NCS is an interim arrangement until ‘the government’s ambition for a new jobs and careers service will enable everyone to access good, meaningful work and support them to progress in work, including through an enhanced focus on skills and careers.’ (page 11).  The role of the National Careers Service is described as ‘supplements support available to learners through their school or college, particularly outside of term time’ (page 11).

Accountability & Quality

The guidance refers to the new inspection system from Autumn 2025 with a renewed Education Inspection Framework, changes to inspection methodology and a new Ofsted report card. It then refers more to the current Education Inspection Framework for reference ‘in the meantime’ (page12).

Quality assurance and continuous improvement 

The DfE ‘strongly recommends’ the use of the Career Impact System. Page 13 shares how the reviews involve ‘sharing practice and progress against the Gatsby Benchmarks, identify what works well and areas for improvement and explores how careers can enable wider improvement’. 

Quality standards

‘DfE strongly recommends that all schools and colleges work towards the national Quality in Careers Standard to support the development of their careers programme’ (page 14). It describes the role of the Quality in Careers Standard as ‘external assessment allows independent judgement of the quality of careers provision, including its impact upon learners’ career-related learning. Schools and colleges can gain formal accreditation of their careers programme through the Quality in Careers Standard –the national quality award for all aspects of careers education and guidance’. (Page 14) 

‘We require colleges to hold the Matrix Standard if they are in receipt of funding from the DfE adult skills budget’. (page 14). 

The role of the Governing Body 

‘The governing body is expected/should provide clear advice and guidance to the school or college leader on which they can base a strategic careers plan which meets the legal or contractual requirements of the school or college.’ The plan should be developed in line with the Gatsby Benchmarks, be informed by the statutory guidance, show how the careers programme will be implemented and measured’. (page 14).

 ‘Every school and college should have a member of their governing body who takes a strategic interest in careers education and guidance and encourages employer engagement.’ (Page 15) 

‘The governing body must make sure that independent careers guidance is provided to: 

· all learners throughout their secondary education (for all 11 to 18 year olds) 

· learners aged up to 25 with an EHCP

Careers guidance should: 

· be impartial, showing no bias or favouritism towards a particular institution, education or work option 

· include information on the range of education or training options, including apprenticeships and technical education routes 

· consider the best interests of the students to whom it is given’. (page 15) 

Provider Access Legislation 

‘In schools, the governing body must make sure that learners in years 8 to 13 receive at least 6 encounters with a provider of technical education or apprenticeships. As a minimum, schools must offer: 

• 2 encounters that are mandatory for all pupils to attend that take place any time during year 8 or between 1 September and 28 February during year 9
• 2 encounters that are mandatory for all pupils to attend that take place any time during year 10 or between 1 September and 28 February during year 11 
• 2 encounters that are mandatory for the school to put on, but optional for pupils to attend, to take place any time during year 12 or between 1 September and 28 February during year 13’. (Page 15) 

Careers Leaders

‘Every institution should appoint an appropriately trained Careers Leader to develop and direct the careers programme, in line with the Gatsby Benchmarks. The Careers Leader should have the skills, commitment and support from their senior leadership team. They should be given protected time and sufficient budget to carry out the role effectively.’ (page 18). ‘DfE strongly recommends that schools, colleges, and ITPs engage with DfE’s funded, flexible career training offer’… (page 19)

School and colleges website requirements 

‘Maintained schools must and academies and colleges should publish information about their careers programme online including: 

· The name and contact details of the Careers Leader 

· A summary of the careers programme

 · Details on how students, parents, teachers and employers may access information about the careers programme 

· How the institution measures and assesses the careers programme’s impact on learners. 

· The date by which the institution will review information.’ (page 21) 

Meeting the Gatsby Benchmarks

Gatsby Benchmark 1: A stable careers programme

Explicit backing of School Leadership Team is expanded to include governors and headteacher, and an appropriately trained Careers Leader (pages 17 and 18). 

New measure: ‘The careers programme should be tailored to the needs of pupils, sequenced appropriately, underpinned by learning outcomes and linked to the whole-school development plan. It should also set out how parents and carers will be engaged throughout’ (page 17). 

Careers advisers are now referenced as a source to evaluate the effectiveness of the career programme alongside learners, parents, teachers and employers Page 18. 

The guidance states how ‘Career learning can also be provided as a subject in its own right, alongside embedding careers into subject disciplines.’ (page 33). The role of the CDI framework is described on page 34 to ‘set out the learning outcomes to gain career management skills that help you manage your career throughout life’.

Gatsby Benchmark 2: Learning from career and labour market information

During each key stage all pupils should access and use information about careers, pathways and the labour market to inform their own decisions on study options or next steps’ (p.29) DfE also reference the role of the new ‘Skills for Careers website: www.skillsforcareers.education.gov.uk

Gatsby benchmark 3: Addressing the needs of each young person 

Systematic records – this was previously for individual advice given to each pupil, but now covers “the participation of pupils in all aspects of their career programme.”  (p.24) 

New measure – there is a criterion for the information to be shared when pupils change school during the secondary phase (p24). 

Further guidance is provided for colleges and ITPs to integrate records with those given at previous stages of the learner’s education (including their secondary school) (page 24). 

The guidance on tracking for three years after leaving has gone and is replaced with recording aspirations, intended and immediate destinations. Schools are expected to ‘use sustained and longer-term data as part of their evaluation process and use alumni to support their careers programme. 

DfE also ‘recommends that schools work with local authorities on Risk of NEET Indicators (RONI) to improve NEET prevention and support effective post-16 transition.’ (page 27).  

Pages 27-30 of the guidance provides further instructions of targeted support, care and monitoring for learners with SEND or who are vulnerable or disadvantaged. This includes advice targeted at SEND schools, as well as free schools and alternative education providers. ‘Where learners have an EHCP their annual reviews must include a focus on preparation for adulthood’ (page 30).

Schools and colleges have a have a statutory duty to provide information to local authority services so that they can carry out relevant duties and track and maintain contact with these young people’ (page 31). This information might include: 

This information might include:

• student’s name, address and date of birth
• students’ contact details such as phone numbers
• information to help identify those at risk of becoming NEET post-16
• students’ post-16 and post-18 plans
• offers of places students receive in post-16 or higher education

If a local authority asks a school or college for information about young people living in the local area, to fulfil their statutory duty, the school or college is under a corresponding statutory duty to give it to the local authority.

Gatsby benchmark 4: Linking curriculum learning to careers

Subject curriculum linking to careers now expected in every year and in every subject while also highlighting the knowledge and skills pupils develop and not just careers routes. (page 31)

‘Careers should form part of the school’s ongoing staff development programme for teachers and all staff who support pupils’. (p.31)

Gatsby Benchmark 6: Experiences of workplaces

Under the ‘Implementing 2 weeks’ worth of work experience’ heading the guidance states the following: ‘Our vision is that 2 weeks’ worth of work experience will be based on the following set of principles, building on the benchmark 6 definition of meaningful. Two weeks’ worth of work experience should be broken down into: 

· one weeks’ worth of work experience activities in years 7 to 9 

· one weeks’ worth of work experience placement(s) in year 10 and 11’ (page 39) 

Under the ‘Work experience placement(s) in years 10 and 11’ heading the guidance states how it ‘expects that the work experience placement(s) in years 10 to 11 be in-person, but acknowledge that in exceptional circumstances meaningful hybrid or virtual approaches may be impactful in removing barriers to access. In those circumstances, we would expect best endeavours to use remote engagement alongside, but not instead of, in-person activity.’ (page 40)

Gatsby benchmark 8: Personal guidance

Personal careers guidance interviews are now referred to as “meetings”. ‘Information about personal guidance support and how to access it should be communicated to pupils and parents and carers, including through the school website.’ (P.48) ‘Every learner should have at least one personal guidance meeting with a careers adviser by the age of 16, and a further meeting by the age of 18. Meetings should be scheduled in the careers programme to meet the needs of learners.’ (page 48) The DfE clarify the role of the Careers Development Institute’s UK register of Career Development Professionals to support institutions to find suitable advisers. It also makes explicitly clear that ‘The careers leader qualifications do not qualify an individual to offer personal guidance unless they also hold a separate careers guidance qualification.’ (page 49).