AEIAG0039
Written evidence submitted by Ofsted
Careers education in Maintained Schools and Academies
The education inspection framework (EIF) sets out the principles for how Ofsted inspects maintained schools, academies, non-association independent schools, further education and skills provision and registered early years settings in England. It considers provision for all learners, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Provision for careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) is considered as part of this framework.
For schools inspected under section 5 of the Education Act (full inspections), inspection evidence about CEIAG contributes to the judgements made about the quality of education, personal development and leadership and management. In turn, this impacts on the judgement about the school’s overall effectiveness. A school is very unlikely to be judged to be good, and could not be judged to be outstanding, if provision for CEIAG was weak and the school was not meeting the requirements of the Baker Clause. For a school with a sixth form, the quality of CEIAG also contributes to the separate judgement made about sixth-form provision.
CEIAG is considered mainly within the judgement for personal development. Inspectors evaluate the extent to which, at each stage of education, the provider prepares learners for future success in their next steps. The school inspection handbook (paragraph 265) makes clear the expectation for all secondary schools to provide effective CEIAG in line with statutory guidance, ‘to encourage pupils to make good choices and understand what they need to do to succeed in the careers to which they aspire’.
The school inspection handbook was updated in September 2021 to emphasise the importance of schools understanding and meeting the requirements of the Baker Clause. Explicit reference is made to the legal requirement for maintained school and academies to publish and follow a policy that enables pupils in Years 8 to 13 to receive information and speak to education and training providers about the full range of education and training options, including technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.
A small-scale review of 57 inspection evidence bases in October 2021 showed that CEIAG was explored in all relevant settings inspected since the updated guidance came into effect. For most secondary school inspections in this sample, the evidence made explicit reference to how the Baker Clause requirements were being fulfilled. Further training is currently being developed for inspectors, based on best practice seen in this review. This complements specific training about CEIAG that all new inspectors undertake as part of their induction.
While inspectors are generally evaluating CEIAG well on inspection, Ofsted recognised that this was not always reflected appropriately in inspection reports. Consequently, report-writing guidance has been updated with an explicit requirement for lead inspectors of secondary school inspections to make an evaluative comment on CEIAG and to note whether the school meets the requirements of the Baker Clause.
In making a judgement about personal development, inspectors consider the quality of CEIAG and how well it benefits pupils in choosing and deciding on their next steps. The grade descriptors for a good judgement make specific reference to:
How well pupils are prepared for their future destinations is also reflected in the judgement made for quality of education. Inspectors evaluate the extent to which learners are ready for the next stage of education, employment and training; gaining qualifications that allow them to go on to destinations that meet their interests, aspirations and the intention of their course of study. Under the judgement for leadership and management, inspectors evaluate how well leaders engage effectively with learners and others in their community, including employers and local services. They also consider how effectively governors fulfil their legal duties, which incorporates those linked to the Baker Clause.
When inspecting a school’s sixth-form provision, inspectors consider the effectiveness of high-quality impartial careers guidance in enabling all students to make progress and move on to a higher level of qualification, employment or further training when they are ready to do so. The good criteria for judging sixth-form provision make specific reference to the sixth form preparing students for future success in education, employment or training, through providing:
Sixth-form provision is highly likely to be judged to be inadequate if schools do not ensure that these three aspects are achieved.
CEIAG is a deliberate focus during routine inspections of good and outstanding schools carried out under section 8 of the Education Act (formally called short inspections). These inspections do not gather evidence across the whole of the education inspection framework. Instead, they look at specific elements that enable inspectors to determine whether a school continues to be good or outstanding. The section 8 inspection handbook was updated in June 2021 to include a specific reference to CEIAG as part of considering pupils’ wider development. During these inspections, inspectors are required to review and assess secondary schools’ approach to CEIAG in the same way as a S5 inspection. If a school is not meeting its CIEAG requirements, inspectors will state this in the inspection report. The school would be likely to receive a full section 5 inspection within one to two years.
Careers education in Independent Schools
Provision for CEIAG is incorporated into the independent school standards. It is therefore evaluated as part of all standard inspections of independent schools commissioned by the Department for Education. Paragraph 2(2)(e) of the independent school standards states that schools are required to provide pupils receiving secondary education with access to accurate, up-to-date careers guidance that:
During standard independent school inspections, inspectors evaluate the quality of CEIAG as part of the personal development judgement, and when considering sixth-form provision where relevant. CEIAG is directly referenced in the good grade criteria for personal development and sixth-form provision in independent schools.
Careers education in Further Education and Skills Settings
Section 41 of the Technical and Further Education Act 2017 requires that Ofsted ‘comment[s]’ on careers guidance provided to students in further education colleges, sixth-form colleges and designated institutions. The Act defines students for this purpose as those aged 16 to 18 and those up to the age of 25 who have an education, health and care (EHC) plan. While the statutory duty applies only to the inspection of the above institutions, Ofsted has gone beyond this statutory expectation and inspectors inspect and comment in a similar fashion on careers advice on short and full inspections of all further education and skills providers.
In further education and skills (FE&S) inspections, as an important part of the ‘personal development of learners’ key judgement, inspectors evaluate whether the provider is providing an effective careers programme that offers advice, experience and contact with employers to encourage learners to aspire, make good choices and understand what they need to do in order to reach and succeed in their chosen career. Inspectors also evaluate whether providers are supporting readiness for the next phase of education, training or employment.
A provider delivering good personal development for learners can be expected to prepare them for future success in education, employment or training by providing: unbiased information to all about potential next steps; high-quality, up-to-date and locally relevant careers guidance; and opportunities for encounters with the world of work.
As mentioned above, it would be impossible for a FE&S provider to be graded outstanding without at least good careers advice. This was borne out when we reviewed a sample of further education inspections and found no negative comments about CEIAG where providers had been judged outstanding.
Careers education in wider inspection work
Ofsted considers provision for CIEAG as part of its wider remit of inspection. For example, when carrying out area SEND inspections, inspectors take account of how effectively the local area prepares children and young people for successful adulthood, in line with the requirements of the special educational needs code of practice. This includes children and young people’s preparedness for higher education or employment, as well as for independent living, participation in society and being as healthy as possible in adult life. In doing this, inspectors take account of whether destinations match children and young people’s aspirations and achievements, and how well they and their families are supported by appropriate advice and advocacy from expert agencies.
The framework for inspection of local authority children’s services (ILACS) provides a deliberate focus on specific groups of children – those in need of help and protection, and children in care and care leavers. With regard to CEIAG, inspectors evaluate the work of the virtual school and local authority care-leaving team in supporting children in care and care leavers in securing suitably ambitious post-16 education, employment or training, in their role as corporate parents. They consider how successfully the virtual school helps children in care to access timely and high-quality impartial advice about their future opportunities, post-16 and beyond. The ILACS framework also considers how effectively other groups of pupils, such as those electively home educated or not placed full-time in school, are kept in view by the local authority, in line with statutory obligations.
Impact of COVID on careers advice
Ofsted’s education recovery commentary, published in December 2021, exemplifies the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on CEAIG in schools. This drew on findings from 98 routine school inspections in October and November 2021. Many secondary school leaders said that key stage 4 pupils had missed out on careers education and work experience opportunities. Schools reported trying to catch up, but with varying levels of success. In some schools, careers education and work experience opportunities had not yet restarted. In others, they remained virtual or were reduced compared with before the pandemic. More-recent analysis, due to be published soon, describes how some schools are beginning to resume face-to-face work experience, with others keen to prioritise this and working to rebuild links with external partners. In special schools, leaders describe being keen to re-establish curriculum activities outside the classroom to prepare pupils for adulthood, such as work experience and travelling on public transport.
Similar challenges were reported in FE&S settings, where COVID-19 restrictions reduced opportunities for work placements. As restrictions have eased, work placements are being reinstated. However, there are still difficulties in finding enough placements in some sectors, including apprenticeship opportunities. Some learners in the second year of a 2-year programme have not had access to placements. Health and social care, hospitality and food manufacturing are the sectors more affected.
Due to a lack of FES work experience opportunities, some providers have focused on developing learners’ employment skills in other ways. These include alternative placements that, although not career-specific, give learners the opportunity to develop their employment skills more generally. Other approaches have included job clubs to discuss shifts in the job market and to help learners consider changing their career planning to reflect current opportunities. Trips to different industries have given learners an insight into working environments and skills. Virtual work experience programmes and soft-skill workshops have also been trialled.
March 2022
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