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Secondary schools preventing pupils from finding out about vocational courses

UK schools are preventing pupils from inding out about alternatives to A Levels, such as vocational beauty therapy courses, to avoid losing sixth form funding, leading think tank IPPR (Institute for Public Policy Research) has revealed.

Less than two ifths of secondary schools have been complying with the legal requirement to allow colleges to advertise vocational qualiications to pupils from the age of 12, with IPPR describing the situation as “very poor”.

Other schools have been accused of only giving access to underperforming pupils who are not “deemed it” for sixth form, with several colleges complaining of “selective compliance”.

In January 2018, the Baker Clause came into force, which stipulates that schools much ensure that a “range of education and training providers” have access to pupils from year eight to year 13, so they can be informed about the technical and apprenticeship opportunities available to them – in a bid to have these avenues recognised as equally important as traditional academic routes.

All schools are now required to explain in writing how colleges can inform pupils of their options to improve compliance with the Baker Clause.

This article appears in PB February 2019

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PB February 2019
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