Careers guidance policy: model and examples

Understand what information you must publish about your careers provision, and download and adapt our model policy to help you stay compliant. Plus, see example policies from secondary and special schools.

Updated
on 7 July 2025
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Contents
  1. What you need to do
  2. Download and publish our model policy to meet your requirements
  3. Secondary school examples
  4. Special school examples

What you need to do

The DfE's statutory careers guidance applies to:

  • All maintained schools, including maintained special schools and pupil referral units (PRUs)
  • Academies and free schools

The requirements do not apply to non-maintained special schools and independent schools.

Provide encounters with education or training providers

You must provide a minimum of 6 encounters with technical education or training providers to all pupils in years 8 to 13.

This was introduced by the Skills and Post-16 Education Act 2022 on 1 January 2023.

Find more detail on these requirements in our other article.

Publish your careers programme on your website

Under these requirements, maintained secondary schools must and academies should publish details of their careers programme on their websites.

The name, email address and telephone number of your school's careers leader A summary of your careers programme, including details of how pupils, parents/carers, teachers and employers can access information about your careers programme How your