Provider access policy statement
A policy statement setting out how providers of technical education and apprenticeships can get access to pupils in years 8 to 13. Schools with pupils in those year groups must publish it.
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 8 to 13
- Does not apply to
- No school types are excluded
When is it due?
- Renewal
- No fixed date
The official sources set no renewal date. Keep it accurate whenever it changes.
What's needed
Publish the provider access policy statement setting out how training providers request access to pupils, on the careers page, following DfE provider access legislation guidance.
What it must contain
6 parts- Sets out when education and training providers get access to pupilsMust
- Explains the procedure for requesting accessMust
- Gives its grounds for granting or refusing access requestsMust
- Gives details of the premises or facilities available to a person given accessMust
- Says when access can be givenMust
- Says how it will meet the requirement to hold six provider encountersMust
What the official sources say
Set out in 4 official sources:
What maintained schools must or should publish online
Secondary schools must publish a policy statement to comply with section 42B of the Education Act 1997 , known as the ‘provider access legislation’. This statement must set out the circumstances in which they will give providers of technical education and apprenticeships access to year 8 to 13 pupils, as applicable.
Must§ Careers programme information > What secondary schools must publish
What academies, free schools and colleges must or should publish online
Secondary academies and 16 to 19 academies must publish a policy statement to comply with section 42B of the Education Act 1997 , known as the ‘provider access legislation’. This statement must set out the circumstances in which they will give providers of technical education and apprenticeships access to year 8 to 13 pupils, as applicable.
Must§ Careers programme information > What secondary academies and 16 to 19 academies must publish
Careers guidance and access for education and training providers (statutory guidance)
Schools should also incorporate the policy statement on provider access that they are required to publish under section 42B of the Education Act 1997.
Should§ 'Publishing information about the careers programme' section
Schools must prepare and publish a policy statement setting out the circumstances in which education and training providers will be given access to pupils. The policy statement must include: – any procedural requirements about requests for access – grounds for granting or refusing requests – details of premises or facilities available to a person who is given access – the times access can be given – how they will meet the legal requirement to put on 6 provider encounters
Must§ 'Provider access policy statement' section
Show 1 more from this source
The careers leader should review the policy statement annually and agree it with the governing body.
Should§ 'Provider access policy statement' section
Education Act 1997 s42B (access to schools for education and training providers)
7 The proprietor must publish the policy statement and any revised statement.
Must§ s42B(7)
3 The proprietor of a school in England within subsection (2) must prepare a policy statement setting out the circumstances in which education and training providers will be given access to registered pupils for the purpose of informing them about approved technical education qualifications or apprenticeships.
Must§ s42B(3)
Questions schools ask
Does every school have to publish the provider access policy statement?
Academies and maintained schools must publish it. It only applies to schools with pupils in years 8 to 13.
When does the provider access policy statement need to be published?
Renewal: No fixed date. The official sources set no renewal date. Keep it accurate whenever it changes.
What must the provider access policy statement include?
Sets out when education and training providers get access to pupils; Explains the procedure for requesting access; Gives its grounds for granting or refusing access requests; Gives details of the premises or facilities available to a person given access; Says when access can be given; Says how it will meet the requirement to hold six provider encounters.
Where does the requirement for the provider access policy statement come from?
It is set out in What maintained schools must or should publish online, What academies, free schools and colleges must or should publish online, Careers guidance and access for education and training providers (statutory guidance) and Education Act 1997 s42B (access to schools for education and training providers).
Changes to the official sources
Dated change notes published by the Department for Education on the sources above.
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.
25 April 2023 · What maintained schools must or should publish online
Updated 'Collecting and publishing governing board diversity data' to clarify that information should be widely accessible to members of the school community and the public.
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.
15 July 2021 · Careers guidance and access for education and training providers (statutory guidance)
Updated 'careers guidance and access for education and training providers'.
4 earlier changes are listed on the source pages.
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