Careers support should start in primary school say MPs

There should be more support for primary schools to deliver careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG), according to a committee of MPs. Following an inquiry into the quality of CEIAG delivered in schools and colleges, the cross-party House of Commons education committee has now made a series of recommendations in a new report.

While there is no statutory duty on primary schools to provide careers education (as the duty on schools and colleges applies only to pupils in years 7–13), the committee note that several written evidence submissions to their inquiry highlighted that children form ideas about future careers at a young age. These submissions stated that careers education can play a key role in challenging gender stereotypes and raising children’s aspirations, particularly for disadvantaged pupils. The MPs report that they also heard some strong examples of schools practicing this effectively, highlighting programmes such as Primary Futures - which connects schools with volunteers who speak to children about the world of work - as playing a useful role in supporting schools to develop their provision.

There have been increased efforts from the Department for Education (DfE) in recent years to support CEIAG provision in primary schools, the committee notes. However there are gaps in the overall statutory framework, notably there being no equivalent for primary schools of the Gatsby benchmarks which apply to secondary schools. The report calls for the DfE to work with the Gatsby Foundation to develop a tailored set of benchmarks for careers education in primary schools. It is also recommended that primary schools should be provided with guidance and resources through the Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC), which currently provides support to secondary schools.

Where the DfE have introduced initiatives for primary CEIAG, the report highlights that they have so far been in the form of relatively small-scale pilot programmes to test approaches. For example, in January 2023 the DfE announced a new careers programme for primary schools, providing £2.6 million to bring together schools in local areas and train teachers to develop and deliver careers programmes to pupils in years one to three. The programme will be coordinated by the CEC and delivered by Teach First, and will be rolled out across 55 disadvantaged areas to 2,200 primary schools. The Committee recommends the DfE should evaluate the success of this programme after its first year, and if it has been shown to have a positive impact, scale it up to cover all areas of England.

The report doesn’t just focus on primary CEIAG provision, but also looks more widely at the landscape within all schools and colleges. Among other recommendations made by the MPs are that the DfE should refresh their overall careers strategy, that reporting against the Gatsby benchmarks should be compulsory for schools, and that a ‘national platform’ for work experience placements should be created. They also say that the National Careers Service website has little recognition among young people, and the DfE should either ensure this website has content appropriate and accessible to under-18s or create an alternative website for this group.

Commenting on their report, Robin Walker MP, chair of the committee said: ‘We heard how careers education at primary school can counter negative stereotypes around gender, race, and economic background that become embedded in pupils’ minds. It can raise the aspirations of children with SEND by highlighting the multitude of jobs they can aspire to do. Learning about different jobs also helps inform children’s subject choices as they progress through the school system.’ He added: ‘After a period of slow progress and patchy provision, this report outlines a number of steps DfE and Ofsted could undertake over the next couple of years, building on work they are already doing, to put careers education back on the map and in the minds of school leaders, staff and employers around the country.’

Also responding to the MPs findings, Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, said: ‘NAHT agrees that careers education, linked to raising aspirations, should begin at primary school by helping pupils to understand how working hard at school can bring fantastic opportunities in later life and giving primary age pupils an insight into different careers. Primary Futures, run in partnership with NAHT, has been doing this work for many years. It works with schools to broaden horizons, challenge stereotyping – for example, by gender, ethnicity and social background – and bring learning to life from an early age.’ He added: ‘It is a highly effective program that if rolled out more widely would attract a very positive response from the profession.’

Full report: https://tinyurl.com/y4esmdjn