Policy background
At present, there is a statutory duty on schools to secure independent careers guidance from the year in which the majority of the pupils attain the age of 13, until the end of the school year in which the majority of the pupils attain the age of 18 – this equates to school years 8 to 13. The careers guidance must include information on 16-18 education or training options, including apprenticeships, for pupils who are of compulsory school age. The duty includes a requirement to have regard to careers statutory guidance . This statutory duty currently falls on maintained schools, special schools and pupil referral units, but not academies. However, many academies have a contractual duty to secure independent careers guidance through their funding agreements.
	The Act addresses this anomaly and from commencement will place the same statutory duty under Section 42A of the Education Act 1997 on all types of state-funded secondary schools. The Act extends the careers duty to academy schools and alternative provision academies, meaning that pupils in all types of state-funded school will receive careers guidance that is subject to the same legal standards.
	The Act extends the careers duty to pupils throughout their secondary education, which fulfils a commitment in the government’s ‘Skills for Jobs: Lifelong Learning for Opportunity and Growth ’ white paper, published in January 2021, to bring the careers duty in line with the government’s recommended careers framework for schools (Gatsby Benchmarks of Good Career Guidance) which applies from year 7 to year 13. 1
	The careers statutory guidance is structured around what schools should do to meet the Gatsby Benchmarks. The Careers & Enterprise Company supports schools and colleges to meet the Gatsby Benchmarks through its Careers Hubs, the Enterprise Adviser Network of senior business volunteers and through Careers Leader training.
	The Act seeks to level the playing field by ensuring that all pupils receive independent careers guidance throughout their secondary education, regardless of their age or the type of state-funded school they attend.