School career advice failing, says Wilshaw
Speaking at the House of Lords Social Mobility Select Committee, Wilshaw suggested too many head teachers are focussed on keeping school budgets strong rather than providing the best opportunities for pupils.
He said that head teachers should ensure one-to-one tuition is available, that local business leaders engage with pupils, and that local further education colleges were represented at careers evenings. However, he warned this was often not the case.
Wilshaw said: “Too often this is what inspectors see all the time – they go into secondary schools and because head teachers are so concerned about filling their sixth forms to ensure that their budgets are strong, they will give the wrong advice to youngsters and be selfish in their careers advice.
“Most successful heads want everything to be good in their school and really understand that good careers education is not a bolt-on, it's an integral part of raising achievement.”
Wilshaw also took the opportunity to reiterate the government's failings in promoting apprenticeships, recalling last month’s Ofsted report, in which it was claimed the low take-up of apprenticeships was a ‘little short of disaster’.
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