School curriculum and IAG provision

Overview

The DfE published a paper in March 2015 on Careers guidance and inspiration in schools that sets out the statutory requirements of the school governing body, these include:

• Ensuring that all registered pupils at the school are provided with independent careers guidance from year 8 to year 13.

• Ensuring that the independent careers guidance is presented in an impartial manner, includes information on the range of education or training options, including apprenticeships and other vocational pathways, and will promote the best interests of the pupils.

What must the governing body do?

The governing body should provide clear advice to the head teacher on which he/she can base a strategy for advice and guidance, which is appropriately resourced and meets the school’s legal requirements.

Why your views matter

The November meeting of the Board of the Camden Partnership for Educational Excellence agreed to create a time-limited Task and Finish group focused on improving the pathways of young people in Camden.

Members of the task and finish group include two Camden secondary heads, the Principal for Westminster Kingsway College, and representatives from the Camden business community. The group is chaired by Cllr Gould, Cabinet member for young people and economic growth.

During the first meeting the group agreed to focus on the following broad themes:

• Careers information, advice and guidance:

• Curriculum offer across Camden
• Employability

The group discussed the importance of sharing the changes Camden institutions were making to their curriculum offer and the implications of those changes, particularly those to be made in the short term, to support a collaborative approach.  Building on the groups’ discussion, Cllr Gould, Chair, felt that it would be helpful to gather information from headteachers, school governors, young people and parents on a number of key issues in scope of the task and finish group. 

Data from various intelligence gathering activities, including the headteachers survey, has support further group discussions on the challenges and opportunities facing schools/college in the context of the three broad themes.

This governor survey will be used to further assess the strengths, and proposals for consideration to improve the pathways of young people in Camden schools and college