Research and analysis

Terms of reference: Ofsted’s thematic review of careers guidance

Updated 1 March 2024

Applies to England

Introduction

The government has asked Ofsted to carry out a thematic review of the careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) for young people in schools and further education (FE) and skills providers, and to make recommendations to improve practice. This review will happen over 3 phases:

• Phase 1 – review of careers guidance in schools and FE and skills providers^{[footnote 1]}

• Phase 2 – review of careers guidance in specialist settings, such as special schools and alternative provision

• Phase 3 – review of careers guidance for learners from lower socio-economic backgrounds, in FE providers and schools 

The review will:​

• evaluate the quality of careers guidance

• inform relevant stakeholders, including government policymakers and providers, about the quality of careers guidance

• identify strengths and weaknesses in careers provision in schools and FE and skills providers, and make recommendations to improve practice​

• help to identify potential developments in the inspection training and guidance, and help to share good practice and thinking across Ofsted

We will report publicly on the findings of the reviews.

• Phase 1 findings were published in September 2023

• Phase 2 findings were published in February 2024

• Phase 3 – due in spring 2025

Phases 1 and 2 aimed to answer the following questions:

How well do leaders

• fulfil their statutory duties to provide independent careers guidance?

• ensure that careers education is of high quality?

To what extent do schools and FE and skills providers

• engage with stakeholders (such as employers, careers networks and other providers)?

• ensure that careers education contributes to local, regional and national opportunities and skills needs?

How does the curriculum help learners to make informed choices about their future education, employment and training?

Phase 3

The third phase of the review will focus on learners from lower socio-economic backgrounds in FE colleges. The aim is to establish the suitability and effectiveness of the careers guidance offered and how well the guidance prepares learners from lower socio-economic backgrounds for post-18 education or training, employment or further study. This phase will additionally examine how school leaders ensure careers provision is effective in providing learners from a lower economic background with the correct support to progress to further education or training. This stage of the review will answer the following questions:

Collaboration

• How are FE leaders ensuring collaborative working between secondary schools and FE colleges to ensure that learners are receiving the most up-to-date careers guidance and tailored CEIAG to make effective choices to support transitions?

• How are leaders encouraging cooperative working between provider and employers to ensure that learners receive tailored and co-ordinated careers guidance?

Management of careers guidance

• How do FE leaders ensure that the careers guidance provided is suited to learners’ needs?

Supporting transition from FE to sustained employment, training and education (post-18)

• How do leaders ensure that learners, in particular those from a lower socio-economic background are provided with effective careers guidance that supports transition to sustained employment, FE (including further and higher education) and training?

• How do leaders review their careers strategy to ensure it is effective for all learners?

• What are the perspectives of parents on the effectiveness of the careers guidance their child has received in enabling their transition to sustained employment, FE or training?

Effectiveness of careers guidance

• What barriers prevent careers guidance from being delivered effectively for this group?

Our approach

To answer these questions, we will:

• review and analyse inspection evidence. We will use the evidence to identify themes found during inspection, which will help us to shape interview questions for the research visits 

• visit a sample of FE providers in the summer term 2024. We will carry out interviews with learners and with staff responsible for providing careers guidance. We will also visit a sample of schools to supplement our findings

• carry out interviews with local authorities and employers to understand how they work with schools and FE providers to support pupils and learners and provide them with tailored careers guidance

• engage with parents to capture their views on the effectiveness of the careers guidance offered to their child

1. Note on terminology: careers guidance is sometimes formally referred to as careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG), indicating the range of potential activities for pupils and learners. In line with the Department for Education’s statutory guidance on careers (hereafter ‘statutory guidance’), we will use the phrase ‘careers guidance’ in this report to mean the full range of activities carried out under the Gatsby benchmarks. ↩