Building world class career

education and guidance in

independent schools
Tristram Hooley, presentation to
the HMC Annual Conference, St Andrews 8th October 2015

OECD definition
Career guidance refers to services and activities intended to
assist individuals, of any age and at any point throughout
their lives, to make educational, training and occupational
choices and to manage their careers
The activities may take place on an individual or group
basis, and may be face-to-face or at a distance (including
help lines and web-based services).
(OECD, 2004)

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What Im going to cover

Policy overview/ Drivers in the State sector
What does it look like?
What is effective practice?
Practice in independent schools
Impacts and research

www.derby.ac.uk/icegs
www.derby.ac.uk

What Im going to cover

Policy overview/ Drivers in the State sector
What does it look like?
What is effective practice?
Practice in independent schools
Impacts and research

www.derby.ac.uk/icegs
www.derby.ac.uk

Recent history

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The statutory guidance. (State) schools

must

ensure that all registered pupils at the school are provided with
independent careers guidance from year 8 to year 13
be impartial and include information on a range of options
combine in-house arrangements with advice and guidance from
independent and external sources.
ensure that pupils understand that they are required to continue in
education or training (not just in school) until 18.
provide relevant information about all pupils to local authorities
notify local authorities when a 16 or 17 year old leaves
co-operate with LAs around Education, Health and Care plan and
SEN provision.

www.derby.ac.uk/icegs
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What Im going to cover

Policy overview/ Drivers in the State sector
What does it look like?
What is effective practice?
Practice in independent schools
Impacts and research

www.derby.ac.uk/icegs
www.derby.ac.uk

Types of careers support typically

provided by schools in the UK

information provision
career assessments and tests
career counselling
careers advice delivered by a non-careers professional
curricular interventions
further study/work-related learning
other extra-curricular interventions
frameworks for reflection

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Three ways of thinking about this

Activity based approach
Service based approach
Curriculum/learning based approach

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What Im going to cover

Policy overview/ Drivers in the State sector
What does it look like?
What is effective practice?
Practice in independent schools
Impacts and research

www.derby.ac.uk/icegs
www.derby.ac.uk

Good career guidance (Gatsby)

A stable careers programme

Learning from career and labour market information
Addressing the needs of each pupil
Linking curriculum learning to careers
Encounters with employers and employees
Experienced of workplaces
Encounters with further and higher education
Personal guidance

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The Kent model of career education

and guidance

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The role of teachers

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Tripartite approach to quality

Quality in Careers Standard
matrix Standard
CDI professional register

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What Im going to cover

Policy overview/ Drivers in the State sector
What does it look like?
What is effective practice?
Practice in independent schools
Impacts and research

www.derby.ac.uk/icegs
www.derby.ac.uk

Independent schools careers practice

Not much research on this.
For the Gatsby research we visited:

Berkhamsted School, Hertfordshire;

Downe House School, Newbury, Berkshire;
Dulwich College, London;
King Edward VI High, Edgbaston, Birmingham;
Magdalen College School, Oxford.

We have also talked to the key external providers of

careers services that target independent school.

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Independent schools findings

Frequently resource careers work well e.g. organising careers fairs,

trips and visiting speakers.
Commonly have a careers leader (Head of Careers). This may be a
teacher or a guidance professional.
Use of an external provider e.g. Inspiring Futures or COA to deliver
advice and guidance and career assessments.
Strong focus on university (UCAS).
Often extra-curricular or co-curricular rather than embedded.
Make use of parents and alumni for connections to the labour
market.

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Boarding schools
Careers and university preparation activities can be held
after supper.
Vocationally focused clubs e.g. Medical Society (often
student run).
But also some challenges due to often being situated
away from employment centres.

www.derby.ac.uk/icegs
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What Im going to cover

Policy overview/ Drivers in the State sector
What does it look like?
What is effective practice?
Practice in independent schools
Impacts and research

www.derby.ac.uk/icegs
www.derby.ac.uk

Impacts on individuals
Attainment
Attendance/Retention
Transition
Life and career success

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Policy impacts
Labour market
Education system
Social impacts

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Economic impacts
Career guidance

Individual outcomes

Primary economic outcomes

A wide range of career guidance

interventions

Human capital
Social capital
Supported transitions

Increased labour market participation

Decreased unemployment
Enhanced skills and knowledge base
Flexible and mobile labour market

Secondary economic
outcomes
Improved health
Decreased crime
Increased tax revenue
Decreased benefit costs

Macro-economic benefits
Deficit reduction
Productivity
Living standards
Economic growth

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Further research
The evidence base could be enhanced through the
funding of research:
exploring the effective integration of employer engagement with other
elements of career guidance
exploring the integration of new technologies into career guidance
looking at the sequencing and deployment of interventions
further use of administrative datasets
RCTs
Longitudinal work

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Worth reading

Andrews, D. (2011) Careers Education in Schools Stafford: Highflyers Publishing

Bassot, B., Barnes, A., & Chant, A. (2013). A Practical Guide to Career Learning and
Development. Abingdon: Routledge.
Gatsby Charitable Foundation (2014). Good Career Guidance. London: Gatsby.
Hutchinson, J. (2012). Career-related learning and science education. School Science Review,
346: 91-98.
Hutchinson, J. (2013). School Organisation and STEM Career-related Learning. York: National
STEM Centre.
Hutchinson, J., & Dickinson, B. (2014). Employers and schools. Local Economy, 29(3): 236-245.
Mann, A. (2012). Work experience: Impact and delivery - Insights from the evidence. London:
Education and Employers Taskforce.
Mann and Dawkins, 2014b Employer engagement in education: literature review. London:
Education and Employers Taskforce.
Mann, A. and Percy, C. (2013). Employer engagement in British secondary education: wage
earning outcomes experienced by young adults. Journal of Education and Work. CD
Watts, A.G. (2013). False dawns, bleak sunset: the Coalition Government's policies on career
guidance. British Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 4(1).

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My work on this subject

Hooley, T. (2014). The Evidence Base on Lifelong Guidance. Jyvskyl, Finland:

European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network (ELGPN).
Hooley, T., Devins, D., Watts, A. G., Hutchinson, J., Marriott, J. and Walton, F. (2012).
Tackling Unemployment, Supporting Business and Developing Careers. London:
UKCES.
Hooley, T., Matheson, J. & Watts, A.G. (2014).
Advancing Ambitions: The role of career guidance in supporting social mobility.
London: Sutton Trust.
Hooley, T., Marriott, J. and Sampson, J.P. (2011).
Fostering College and Career Readiness: How Career Development Activities in Schoo
ls Impact on Graduation Rates and Students' Life Success
. Derby: International Centre for Guidance Studies, University of Derby.
Hooley, T., Marriott, J., Watts, A.G. and Coiffait, L. (2012).
Careers 2020: Options for Future Careers Work in English Schools. London: Pearson.
Hooley, T., Watts, A.G., Andrews, D. (2015).
Teachers and Careers: The Role Of School Teachers in Delivering Career and Employab
ility
Learning. Derby: International Centre for Guidance Studies, University of Derby.
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Tristram Hooley
Professor of Career Education
International Centre for Guidance Studies
University of Derby
http://www.derby.ac.uk/icegs
t.hooley@derby.ac.uk
@pigironjoe
Blog at
http://adventuresincareerdevelopment.wordpress.com

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In summary
Career learning should be at the heart of schooling.
The evidence base suggests school-wide approaches
that are linked to the curriculum are the most effective.
The evidence also highlights the importance of involving
employers and other key stakeholders.
How a school organises, manages and resources careers
work is likely to be critical for its effectiveness.
Many independent schools invest substantially in this
area.

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