Careers programme information: what to publish on your school website
If your school has pupils in years 7 to 13, this is a summary of your careers programme, with your careers leader's contact details and how pupils and parents can find out more.
Check this on my websiteWho it applies to
- Published on
- The school's own website
- School type
- Academies and maintained schools
- School stage
- Secondary, all-through and middle
- Only applies to
- Schools with pupils in years 7 to 13 (year 8 upwards for provider access)
- Does not apply to
- No school types are excluded
When it's due
Every September
Update it for each new academic year.
What's needed
Publish a summary of your careers programme on the careers page on your website, with the careers leader's name and contact details, how to access it, how you assess its impact and the next review date.
What it must contain
6 parts- Names the careers leaderMust: Required by law, statutory guidance or the academy's funding agreement.
- Gives contact details for the careers leaderMust: Required by law, statutory guidance or the academy's funding agreement.
- Gives a summary of the careers programmeMust: Required by law, statutory guidance or the academy's funding agreement.
- Explains how pupils, parents, teachers and employers can access careers programme informationMust: Required by law, statutory guidance or the academy's funding agreement.
- Explains how it measures and assesses the programmeMust: Required by law, statutory guidance or the academy's funding agreement.
- Gives the date by which it will review its published careers programme informationMust: Required by law, statutory guidance or the academy's funding agreement.
What the official sources say
Set out in 3 official sources:
What maintained schools must publish online
Secondary schools must publish information about how they deliver careers guidance to pupils in years 7 to 13. For the current academic year, this must include: – the name and contact details of the school’s careers lead – a summary of its careers programme, including details of how pupils, parents, carers, teachers and employers can access information about it – how the school measures and assesses the programme’s impact on pupils – the date by which it will review this information
Must: Required by law, statutory guidance or the academy's funding agreement.§ Careers programme information > What secondary schools must publish
What academies must publish online
Secondary academies, 16 to 19 academies and FE colleges should publish information about how they deliver careers guidance to years 7 to 13, as appropriate to their setting and required by their funding or accountability agreement. For the current academic year, this should include: – the name and contact details of their careers lead – a summary of the careers programme, including details of how young people, parents, carers, teachers and employers can access information about it – how the academy or college measures and assesses the programme’s impact on young people – the date by which it will review this information
Should: Recommended in official guidance, such as the DfE's. Not a legal requirement in itself.§ Careers programme information > What secondary academies, 16 to 19 academies and FE colleges should publish
Careers guidance and access for education and training providers (statutory guidance)
Further information on legal requirements that apply to governors (for example, publishing information about the careers programme and the name of the careers leader on the website) is available for: – academy trusts – maintained schools
Must: Required by law, statutory guidance or the academy's funding agreement.§ 'Further guidance' section
Maintained schools must and academies and colleges should publish information about their careers programme online, including: – the name and contact details of the careers leader – a summary of the careers programme – details of how students, parents, teachers and employers can access information about the careers programme – how the institution measures and assesses the programme’s impact on learners – the date by which the institution will review information
Must: Required by law, statutory guidance or the academy's funding agreement.§ 'Publishing information about the careers programme' section, Benchmark 1
Questions schools ask
Do schools have to publish careers programme information?
Maintained schools must. For academies, it's recommended in official guidance, but isn't a legal requirement in itself. It only applies to schools with pupils in years 7 to 13 (year 8 upwards for provider access).
What careers information do we need to publish?
Names the careers leader; contact details for the careers leader; a summary of the careers programme; Explains how pupils, parents, teachers and employers can access careers programme information; Explains how it measures and assesses the programme; date by which it will review its published careers programme information.
When do we need to update our careers information?
Every September. Update it for each new academic year.
Where does the requirement for the careers programme information come from?
It is set out in What maintained schools must publish online, What academies must publish online and Careers guidance and access for education and training providers (statutory guidance).
Recent changes to the official guidance
Updates to the official sources that affect this requirement, newest first.
23 June 2026 · Careers guidance and access for education and training providers (statutory guidance)
Updated 'Careers guidance and access for education and training providers' to reflect recent education and skills policy developments. These include the government’s approach to work experience, qualifications reform and Ofsted inspection changes. We have also included updated evidence and new tools and resources for schools, colleges and independent training providers.
8 May 2025 · Careers guidance and access for education and training providers (statutory guidance)
'Careers guidance and access for education and training providers' has been updated to reflect changes in legislation. The format has also changed.
5 January 2023 · Careers guidance and access for education and training providers (statutory guidance)
'Careers guidance and access for education and training providers' has been updated to reflect changes to the provider access legislation. Updates have also been made following a consultation on proposed changes to the ‘access for education and training providers’ section.
31 August 2022 · Careers guidance and access for education and training providers (statutory guidance)
'Careers guidance and access for education and training providers' has been updated to reflect the changes to the careers legal duty that come into force on 1 September 2022.
We last checked these sources on 21 September 2026.
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Official sources last checked 21 September 2026 · register version 1.0.4