Stockport Governor Association

Publication of this guidance is imminent.  Richard Bates, Service Director for Education at SMBC, has sent us the following information:

The main changes for schools are:

1. The Education Act 2011 places schools under a duty to secure access to independent and impartial careers guidance for their pupils from September 2012. While complying with the requirement to secure careers guidance from an external source, schools will be free to make arrangements for careers guidance that fit the needs and circumstances of their students, and will be expected to work, as appropriate, in partnership with external and expert providers.
2. Once the duty on schools has been commenced, there will be no expectation that local authorities will provide a universal careers service.
3. The statutory responsibility under section 68 of the Education and Skills Act 2008 requiring local authorities to encourage, enable and assist the participation of young people in education or training, remains unchanged.
4. The statutory duty to provide careers education will be repealed

Richard is also giving consideration to a  half-day event for Secondary Heads/Senior Managers in early March, to be facilitated by School Improvement – to link with the publication of the Statutory Guidance and at which we can define the Stockport “IAG offer” (i.e. what schools can expect from the LA).  He says “Based on what is known to date, we are working on a “transition framework” – to support  LA/Schools planning between now and Sept.”