Claire Nix and Anthony Barnes
claire.m.nix@gmail.com
anthony.barnes@ntlworld.com
A Cloudy Horizon: Careers Services in England
Careers 2020 Phase Two (Pearson, September 2013)
Annual career plans
Driving forces
Restraining forces
Policy context
 No real discussion of whether ‘independent and impartial’ is what is really
required
 No convincing defence of the decision to remove the statutory requirement for
careers and work-related education
 The campaign for face-to-face careers guidance inhibits new thinking about
non-standardised and online forms of guidance
 The wider policy on school autonomy, low prescription and a laissez-faire
approach to the education market is inhibiting the development of new
'structures' to support careers guidance
 Professional careers advisers have reduced status – they are only one part of the
broader network of local stakeholders who are involved in and can support
careers advice;
 Uncritical belief that all employers are able to inspire, motivate and engage
young people (without regard for the quality of the information and advice
they give)
 False expectation that Ofsted inspections will be the big game changer in terms
of school performance on CEIAG
 Claim that budgets are sufficient and spending more money isn’t the answer
Customer and stakeholder views - CIPD
Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development
 It is clear there are issues around the lack of
consistency of good advice and guidance about career
choice for pupils, in particular about alternatives to
university education such as apprenticeships. This
needs to improve if we want more young people to
have access to the labour market. (The Business Case
For Employer Investment in Young People).
Confederation of British Industry
 CBI – John Cridland
 “We know careers advice is on life support in many
areas, as schools struggle with the new statutory duty.
It’s right that schools should have the freedom to run
their own affairs – but the Government may have
adopted too laissez faire an approach with serious
consequences for our young people. Businesses need
to roll up their sleeves and get stuck in but there needs
to be much more impetus from Whitehall. Careers
must be a priority not a bolt-on afterthought or
optional extra.”
Parents
 Only 40% thought that the school had helped their
child make informed decisions about their post-16
options
 They thought that one-to-one interviews and work
experience were the most useful careers guidance
activities.
 The Pearson report “A Cloudy Horizon” recommended
greater parental engagement with careers work.
Young people
In the Ofsted survey young people said they wanted:
 More purposeful work experience and opportunities to
find out about careers from employers
 Better links between subject and careers
 Better guidance on using websites
They liked:
 Individual interviews with a professional adviser
 A system for recording their ideas and research
 A programme of visits – not just one-off visits
 A well-stocked careers library
 Careers guidance as part of the curriculum.
The Quality in Careers Standard
 Investor in Careers
 Career Mark
 Recognition of Quality Award (RoQA)
 The Quality Award in CEIAG
 C & K Quality Careers Standard
 Inspiring IAG
 Career Connect Quality Award for
CEIAG
 Investing in Quality
 NE Lincs Gold Standard for CEIAG
 The Quality CEIAG Award
 The Sheffield Standard in CEIAG
 The Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent
CEIAG Quality Mark
10
1.7
1.8
Monitoring,
reviewing, evaluating
and developing
provision
Measuring the impact
of provision
(including evidence of
learning outcomes
and progression)
How the Award assesses a learning provider’s arrangements for:

a planned approach to evaluation – including using evidence from
monitoring, review and evaluation to inform planning, develop
provision and bring about positive changes to its CEIAG programme.

regularly reviewing its CEIAG programme and collecting feedback from
young people, their families and carers, the delivery team (including
external service providers) and external partners such as further and
higher education, work-based learning providers and employers.
How the Award assesses a learning provider’s arrangements for:

setting targets and objectives, and measuring the impact of CEIAG on
young people’s progression and destinations

evaluating outcomes for young people (including successful
transitions) and using the results to inform the planning and
development of its CEIAG programme.
Ofsted Going in the Right
Direction? (September 2013)
 Provision was effective in only one in five schools (n=60).
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Very few had the skills and expertise required
Only about a quarter using their destinations data
Few schools had bought in adequate services from external
sources
Half were using own staff (untrained and not up-to-date)
to inform students about careers
Schools not engaging employers or promoting vocational
training and apprenticeships well enough (two-thirds had
cut down KS4 work experience)
Aspirations for many vulnerable students were too low
The promotion of post-16 options available from other
providers was particularly weak in many 11 to 18 schools
Ofsted
(Section 5 school Inspections from September 2013)
Inspectors must evaluate how well leaders and managers ensure that the curriculum
“provides timely independent information, advice and guidance to assist pupils on
their next steps in training, education or employment.” (Para 135, p.46).
The subsidiary guidance for inspectors states that:
 Inspectors will want to discuss with pupils their knowledge of courses and
qualifications and the various progression routes available to them in order to
understand the quality of advice provide by the school
 The extent to which timely information, advice and guidance provide pupils with a
good understanding of the full range of options available to assist them to make
informed decisions about their next steps in education, training or employment; the
availability and quality of advice and guidance on learning and a pathways; and
whether staff have the necessary qualifications, experience and skills to provide
information, advice and guidance. (Para 91, p.22)
Handbook http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/school-inspection-handbook
Subsidiary guidance http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/subsidiary-guidance-supportinginspection-of-maintained-schools-and-academies
Ofsted: additional references
Subsidiary Guidance supporting the inspection of maintained schools and academies
 P. 41 Para 13 Inspectors should take into account retention rates when evaluating achievement
and when considering the quality of the curriculum and IAG.
 P.26 Para 107 Inspectors will want to discuss with pupils their knowledge of courses and
qualifications and progression routes.
School Inspection Handbook
 P. 113 Para 27 Evidence of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development .. gain a
well-informed understanding of the options and challenges facing them as they move
through the school and onto the next stage of their education and training.
Grade Descriptors
 Overall Effectiveness – Outstanding schools – pupils are well equipped for the next stage
of their education, training or employments… and hold highest aspirations for pupils.
 Achievement of Pupils – exceptionally well prepared for the next stage in education,
training or employment.
 p.46 how well leaders and managers ensure the curriculum ‘provides timely and independent
IAG to assist pupils on their next step in training, education or employment.
 p.47 how well strategies and procedures, including provision of appropriate guidance help
pupils to prepared for life in modern democratic Britain.
Improving school performance
Accountability
Narrow
Wide
Annual Career Plan
Low cost
CEIAG Quality Award
Ofsted inspection
High cost
Cost
Destination measures
Annual Career Plans
Annual Careers Plans - Finland
 The Ministry of Education and Culture stipulates that the
curriculum should include 76 hours of careers education
activities in grades 7-9. Guidelines exist to help schools
develop careers and work-related education across the
whole curriculum.
 A parliamentary committee has recommended a studentcounsellor ratio of 250:1. The entitlement to individual
guidance and group counselling in grades 1-6 is embedded
in the work of the classroom teachers.
 Online tools are being piloted to collect evaluation data
from students, parents and staff that will provide a national
reference point.
Annual Careers Plans: Rationale
and purpose
 Improves budgeting process
 Provides a focus for monitoring, review and evaluation
 Can be linked to the agreement with the external
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careers guidance provider
Can be tied to the school improvement plan
Can be used to feedback to governors
Improves transparency for customers and stakeholders
Can be integrated with other processes, e.g. decdiing
on how to use Pupil Premium
Suggested structure of an Annual
Careers Plan (5 Ps)
 Priorities
 Review of previous year
 Present priorities
 Programme
 Calendar of main activities and events in the year
 Provision
 Careers guidance and planning
 Careers education
 Careers and work-related learning
 Careers information
 Partnerships
 CG provider, EB links, other learning providers
 Performance
 Quality and evaluation plans
Annual Career Plans: Suggested
themes from NFER think-piece
How the school is:
 working with local partners to coordinate provision and inform young people and
parents;
 engaging with employers;
 taking into account the views of young people and their parents;
 supporting teachers to embed careers information into lessons and subjects;
 providing careers education and guidance from Year 7. Young people should be
supported to learn about their strengths, weaknesses, how to develop realistic careers
aspirations and decision-making skills as well as being provided with information about
career pathways;
 actively encouraging young people to consider all options at 14 and 16 so that they select
the best options for their interest, motivation, learning style, ability and aspirations;
 allocating resources to the provision of careers guidance;
 providing all young people with face-to-face, impartial and independent careers
guidance;
 working towards quality awards nationally validated by the Quality in Careers Standards;
 utilising advisers trained and qualified in delivering careers education and guidance;
 using online technology where possible for the collection, interactive analysis and
reporting of careers data to reduce ‘bureaucracy’ and enable schools to carry out analysis
instantly.
Careers guidance: If not an annual career
plan then what? (NFER, September 2013)
http://www.nfer.ac.uk/nfer/publications/99938/99938_home.cfm?publicationID=1019&title=Careers%20guidance:%20If%20not
%20an%20annual%20careers%20plan%20-%20then%20what?
Suggested process
Careers lead team mandated by SLT to:
 complete annual health check
 identify priorities after taking into account views of
the school, customers, stakeholders and external
providers
 draw up programme
 negotiate provision and partnership arrangements
 monitor implementation/performance
Health check: Suggested approach
from the Netherlands
http://www.lob-vo.nl/landelijke-resultaten
Suggested themes for health check
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Meeting statutory duties (e.g. careers guidance duty, equality duty)
Credibility of careers guidance provision with students
Credibility of careers guidance provision with parents/carers
Access to careers guidance for all students
Sufficiency and timing of careers guidance inputs
Access to careers and labour market information
Access to careers and work-related education for all students
Sufficiency and timing of careers and work-related education inputs
Access to careers and labour market information
Complementarity of internal and external careers guidance inputs
Staff learning and development
Quality assurance
Performance on progression and destinations
Mapping of themes to structure of Plan
Priorities
Programme
Provision
Partnerships
Performance
Meeting statutory duties (e.g. careers guidance duty,
equality duty)
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Credibility of careers guidance provision with
students
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Credibility of careers guidance provision with
parents/carers
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Access to careers guidance for all students
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Sufficiency and timing of careers guidance inputs
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Access to careers and work-related education for all
students
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Sufficiency and timing of careers and work-related
education inputs
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Access to careers and labour market information
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Complementarity of internal and external careers
guidance inputs
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Staff learning and development
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Quality assurance
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Performance on progression and destinations
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Health check self-assessment
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Meeting statutory
duties
We use our own staff to
provide formal careers
guidance and signpost
students to online
services (e.g. NCS
website and youth
helpline).
We use our own staff to
provide formal careers
guidance and signpost
students to online
services (e.g. NCS
website and youth
helpline). We use
external careers
advisers occasionally.
We use external careers
advisers (either not L6
or working towards)
alongside our own staff
to provide formal
careers guidance and
signpost students to
online services (e.g.
NCS website and youth
helpline).
We use external,
professionally qualified
careers advisers (L6 or
above) alongside our
own staff to provide
formal careers guidance
and signpost students
to online services (e.g.
NCS website and youth
helpline).
Quality assurance
We act on
compliments, criticisms
or complaints.
We act on
compliments, criticisms
or complaints. We refer
to CEIAG quality
standards when
evaluating our
performance.
We act on
compliments, criticisms
or complaints. We are
working towards a
CEIAG quality award
(QiCS-validated).
We act on
compliments, criticisms
or complaints. We hold
a CEIAG quality award
(QiCS-validated).
Programme: Careers calendar
KS3
All year round
Autumn
Spring
Summer
KS4
Post 16
Provision
 Careers guidance and planning, e.g. When? How much? For
whom? How organised? Provided by?
 Careers education, e.g. Which cohorts? How many hours?
What’s in the scheme of work? Delivered by?
 Careers and work-related learning, e.g. Who participates?
When? Which employers/education providers? What types
of activity?
 Careers information, e.g. How accessed? How much spent?
What staff support? Where (LRC and online)?
Time that schools allocate to careers and
the world of work (CWoW) in Wales
 (n=113)
 Whilst the average time allocated to this programme in Year
7 is 2.5 hours, 30% of schools allocated no time to CWoW,
yet several schools allocated over 20 hours. Similarly in Year
11, 30% said they allocated no time to CWoW, whilst several
schools allocated 30 hours or more.
Partnerships
 External careers guidance provider
 Education-business links provider
 Employers
 Other education and training providers
 Community and voluntary organisations
Where next?
 Schools do it anyway. If you want to do these things
properly, none of this is too much to ask.
 Career Development Institute works with strategic
partners (teaching unions, employers, etc.) to develop
the approach
 National Careers Service supports schools by
developing guidelines, collating national data
 DfE requires schools to put this information on their
websites