Overview

This bill aims to improve careers guidance in English schools by extending the existing legal duty to provide it to all secondary school pupils, including those in academies and alternative provision academies. It also clarifies the responsibilities of school leaders in delivering this guidance and revokes outdated regulations.

Description

The Education (Careers Guidance in Schools) Bill amends the Education Act 1997. Key changes include:

• Extending the duty: The existing duty to provide careers guidance, previously limited to specific educational phases, is extended to cover the entire secondary school period.
• Inclusion of Academies: The duty is explicitly extended to include academies and alternative provision academies.
• Clarifying Responsibilities: The bill clarifies the responsibility for providing careers guidance in academies, assigning it to the proprietor.
• Age Limit: The duty will not apply to pupils above compulsory school age.
• Revocation of Regulations: The Careers Guidance in Schools Regulations 2013 are revoked, likely due to being superseded by this bill.
• Consequential Amendments: The bill makes consequential amendments to related sections within the 1997 Act, updating definitions and removing obsolete clauses.

Government Spending

The bill doesn't directly specify any changes to government spending. The implementation costs might be absorbed within existing education budgets, or may require supplementary funding, depending on how the new responsibilities are fulfilled. No figures are provided in the bill itself.

Groups Affected

The bill will primarily affect:

• Secondary school students in England: They will benefit from potentially improved and more comprehensive careers guidance.
• Secondary school staff in England: They will have a clearer legal framework for delivering careers guidance and may experience increased workload.
• Academies and alternative provision academies in England: They are now explicitly included under the duty to provide careers guidance.
• School leaders and proprietors in England: They will have increased responsibilities for ensuring adequate careers guidance is provided.

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