Plans to force schools to allow colleges, training providers and university technical colleges (UTCs) access to their students have moved a step closer to becoming law, following an intervention in the House of Lords.

Lord Baker (pictured), the former education secretary and founder of UTCs, tabled an amendment to the Technical and Further Education Bill in Parliament last night.

This amendment by Lord Baker and fellow former education secretary Baroness Morris would compel school proprietors to allow “a range of education and training providers to access registered pupils… for the purpose of informing them about approved technical education qualifications or apprenticeships”.

The amendment, which Lord Baker said would prevent “hostile” schools from stopping students from accessing other institutions, was agreed last night. If the Bill is passed by the House of Lords, the amendment will then be considered by MPs before potentially becoming law later this year.

Speaking to the House of Lords, Lord Baker said that the amendment would stop “hostile” schools from preventing colleges and training providers from providing careers advice and guidance to their students. He acknowledged that UTCs would benefit from the amendment, following difficulties in recruiting students aged 14.

“Many schools resist anybody who comes in and tries to persuade a pupil to go on another course. It is a loss of money-about £5,000 a head-and they are very hostile,” Lord Baker told the Lords.

He later added: “You can see an instinctive and permanent hostility to anything that will attract students to a different course-which in many cases may be more appropriate for them.”

Last year Lord Baker told TES that it was a “struggle” to keep UTCs open due to the difficulty in attracting students at 14.

‘Young people deserve access to careers education’

In 2015, then education secretary Nicky Morgan announced proposals for legislation designed to end the “second-class perception of technical and professional education”. At the time, the Department for Education said this would result in schools being legally required to collaborate with colleges and training providers to ensure that young people were aware of all available options.

Last month, a DfE spokesman said that the department was still “exploring options” on how to ensure young people were made “aware of all the routes to higher skills and into the workplace”, but refused to confirm whether new legislation would still be introduced.

Then, earlier this month, TES revealed that the government had decided to force councils to tell parents about university technical colleges and studio schools in their area.

David Hughes, chief executive of the Association of Colleges, said Lord Baker’s intervention was “significant for colleges”.

“It will make certain that colleges, and other training providers, can go into schools to speak to young people about technical and professional education and apprenticeships,” he added.

“The AoC has long-called for access through its Careers Guidance: Guaranteed campaign. Careers advice and guidance has been failing young people for too long, with many being encouraged to stay in the school sixth form without realising that there are other options available with colleges and other training providers. It is vital that all young people are aware of the exciting range of options that are available to them at the age of 16, whether academic, vocational or technical.

“We also believe that young people deserve access to careers education, embedded into the curriculum, from a much earlier age and this should be considered as part of the government’s careers strategy. Young people being better informed will motivate them to make progress in learning and find the best route into work at whatever age.”

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