Governance Today Summer 2021

From September 2020, the Heart of the South West (HotSW) Careers Hub has been expanded to support every state-funded secondary school, college and further education (FE) institution across Devon, Somerset, Plymouth and Torbay - becoming one of the largest hubs in the country. Working together with employers, training providers, universities and career professionals to deliver the Gatsby Benchmarks and ensure that careers outcomes are improved for all young people, including those in special schools and pupil referral units. National research shows that schools and colleges who are a part of a Careers Hub run twice as many regular encounters with employers and offer more work experience opportunities to students.Governing boards have a key role in ensuring schools not only meet their legal requirements, but are also equipping their pupils with the tools and knowledge to make informed choices about their future. Boards can do this by offering strategic support to school leaders and by holding the senior leaders to account for the quality of provision of careers education, information, advice and guidance. The governing board should ensure that the school complies with its statutory responsibilities. The HotSW Careers Hub would like to ensure that secondary school governors and trustees: • Have a good understanding of the Careers Strategy • Are fully aware of the school’s statutory duties • Understand Ofsted requirements • Are aware of the range of support available from the Careers Hub and The Careers & Enterprise Company • Appreciate the role of the board in supporting the delivery of the Careers Strategy • Feel supported in challenging school leaders. The HotSW Careers Hub are planning a workshop to explain the above in more detail see page 22 for more information about this virtual event, to be held on Thursday 15 July, 5.00-6.00pm Jo Skeel, Senior Enterprise Co-ordinator, Heart of the South West Jo.Skeel@devon.gov.uk In December 2017, the government published its Careers Strategy which “aims to meet the skills that the country needs on the whole by connecting the worlds of education and employment.” In January 2018, the Department for Education (DfE) expanded on this aim in its statutory guidance for secondary schools. There is an expectation for schools to take a strategic approach to the development of their careers provision and they should be using the Gatsby benchmark framework. This framework and the benchmarks were first established by Sir John Holman in the Good Careers Guidance report (2014) and are based on extensive, robust national and international evidence. Secondary schools were expected by government to begin using the Gatsby Benchmarks to improve careers provision from January 2018 and originally the task was to meet them by the end of 2020. With the impact of COVID-19, this target is ongoing but the Heart of the South West Careers Hub has seen some excellent practise throughout Devon. The DfE guidance outlines that whilst the benchmarks are “not a statutory framework… by adopting them schools can be confident that they are fulfilling their legal duties”. To support secondary schools and colleges with achieving the Eight Gatsby Benchmarks Careers Hubs, aligned to each Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) area were formed. The Heart of the South West Careers Hub is one of 32 Careers Hubs in England, established in collaboration with The Careers and Enterprise Company to help transform careers education for young people around the country. CAREERS STRATEGY: A GUIDE FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL GOVERNORS Questions for governors and trustees to ask: • Is a robust school action plan in place to address any areas of weakness around the Gatsby Benchmarks? Does careers education and guidance feature in the School Development Plan? • How do we know the careers support the school offers is effective? What evidence is there for this? • How does the school collaborate with other schools and organisations in the provision of careers education and guidance? Is this effective? What evidence is there of this? • Does the school have adequate safeguarding and health and safety arrangements in place if/ when pupils take part in work experience, or other activities off the school site? • Does the school have a named Careers Leader who is appropriately trained? Does this individual have sufficient time and resources to undertake their role effectively? • Does the Careers Leader have full backing of the headteacher and governing Board? How is this demonstrated? • What evidence is there that all pupils have the opportunity to engage with further and higher education, apprenticeships and other routes to employment? Schools and colleges who are a part of a Careers Hub run twice as many regular encounters with employers and offer more work experience opportunities to students “ 20 Governance Today