Education Act 1997

[F1 42A Provision of careers guidance in schools in England U.K.

(1) The responsible authorities for a school in England within subsection (2) must secure that all registered pupils at the school are provided with independent careers guidance during the relevant phase of their education.

(2) A school is within this subsection if it provides secondary education and is one of the following—

(a) a community, foundation or voluntary school;

(b) a community or foundation special school (other than one established in a hospital);

(c) a pupil referral unit.

(3) The responsible authorities for a school within subsection (2) are—

(a) in the case of a school within subsection (2)(a) or (b), its governing body;

(b) in the case of a pupil referral unit, the local authority that maintain it.

(4) The responsible authorities must secure that careers guidance provided under subsection (1)—

(a) is presented in an impartial manner,

(b) includes information on options available in respect of 16 to 18 education or training, including apprenticeships, and

(c) is guidance that the person giving it considers will promote the best interests of the pupils to whom it is given.

(5) Careers guidance provided to pupils at a school is independent for the purposes of this section if it is provided other than by—

(a) a teacher employed or engaged at the school, or

(b) any other person employed at the school.

(6) For the purposes of this section the relevant phase of a pupil's education is the period—

(a) beginning at the same time as the school year in which the majority of pupils in the pupil's class attain the age of 14, and

(b) ending with the expiry of the school year in which the majority of pupils in the pupil's class attain the age of 16.

(7) In this section—

• “apprenticeship” includes employment and training leading to the issue of an apprenticeship certificate under section 3 or 4 of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009;

• “career” includes undertaking any training, education, employment or occupation;

• “careers guidance” means guidance about careers;

• “class”, in relation to a pupil, means—

  (a)

  the teaching group in which the pupil is regularly taught, or

  (b)

  if the pupil is taught in different groups for different subjects, such one of those groups as is designated by the head teacher of the school or, in the case of a pupil at a pupil referral unit, by the teacher in charge of the unit;

• “16 to 18 education or training” means education or training suitable to the requirements of persons who have ceased to be of compulsory school age but have not attained the age of 18;

• “training” includes a voluntary or other placement apt to enable the development of any skill or competency (whether or not taking place at a time when the person concerned is still a registered pupil at a school in England).]

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 42A inserted (1.2.2012 for specified purposes) by Education Act 2011 (c. 21), ss. 29(2), 82(3); S.I. 2012/84, art. 3