ADD2868 Approval for funding for the MYPATH Careers Platform for Primary Schools in London

1.1.    Under Mayoral Decision (MD)3309, approval was granted for delivery of the London Careers Hubs programme for the 2025-26 academic year. As part of this programme, the Greater London Authority (GLA) has been exploring the role that careers education can play in primary schools, including a series of six exploratory Primary Careers Pilots designed to improve understanding of existing provision, identify barriers and opportunities, and inform future strategic activity. 

1.2.    The exploratory Primary Careers Pilots comprised six areas of activity:

•    primary school Careers Weeks
•    employer engagement with primary feeder schools
•    Year Six careers pathway education
•    access to the MYPATH careers education platform
•    Education Development Trust Inspiring Careers Primary Award
•    a Formula E primary STEM careers event.
The pilots were established to increase understanding of effective primary careers education practice across London and to inform future GLA activity in this area.

1.3.    Access to the MYPATH careers education platform formed one of the six exploratory pilots. MYPATH provides curriculum-linked careers education resources, lesson plans, videos and activities designed to support teachers to embed careers learning within primary education.

1.4.    During the first year of delivery, 26 primary schools registered to use the platform. While uptake was lower than anticipated, this was largely due to limited promotion and implementation support rather than the quality or relevance of the platform itself. Promotion was primarily undertaken through the Mayor's Schools Bulletin and Central London Careers Hub channels, with limited wider communications activity. Feedback and usage data from participating schools demonstrated strong engagement where implementation took place, with several schools becoming highly active users and successfully embedding the platform into their careers provision.

1.5.    To build on learning from the exploratory pilots, MYPATH has offered a pan-London licence for the 2026-27 academic year at a cost of £24,999. The proposed model extends access to all London primary schools and introduces a more proactive engagement approach, including workshops, direct engagement with multi-academy trusts, wider promotion through Greater London Authority and Careers Hub communication channels, and the establishment of a Primary Careers Community of Practice to support implementation and sharing of effective practice.

1.6.    The proposed activity aims to secure active engagement from at least 63 primary schools. This represents the break-even point compared with schools purchasing individual licences directly from MYPATH, which currently cost approximately £400 per school per year. Delivery will be supported through the wider primary careers programme and will contribute to the GLA's understanding of how primary careers education can improve awareness of future education and career pathways, challenge limiting beliefs at an earlier age and support young Londoners to develop informed aspirations for the future. Evidence from the Careers and Enterprise Company's primary careers work and wider research suggests that introducing careers-related learning at an earlier age can help challenge limiting beliefs, broaden aspirations and strengthen engagement with education, particularly for young people who may be at greater risk of becoming NEET.

1.7.    This decision therefore seeks approval for expenditure of up to £24,999 for a pan-London MYPATH licence for the 2026-27 academic year and associated implementation activity.  The expenditure will be funded from underspend identified within the London Careers Hubs programme budget approved under MD3309. 

1.8.    MD3309 also approved a delegation of authority to the Assistant Directors – Skills & Employment to make further decisions related to the 2025-26 Careers Hub programme, including finalising grant allocations to Careers Hubs. This included the ability to award funding and issue contract or grant variations to existing delivery providers.

1.9.    This activity forms part of the London Youth Guarantee project within the Supporting and Inspiring Young Londoners (SIYL) programme as approved under cover of MD3380. The London Youth Guarantee aims to ensure that young Londoners can access high-quality support, opportunities and pathways to help them progress into education, employment and training. Through improving access to careers-related learning at primary age, this project supports the development of aspirations, awareness of future pathways and informed decision-making from an earlier stage, contributing to the programme's objective of helping young Londoners make successful transitions throughout their education and into employment.
 

2.1.    The objective of this project is to expand access to high-quality primary careers education across London through a pan-London licence to the MYPATH platform, while building on the learning from the GLA's exploratory Primary Careers Pilots. The project will test a structured engagement and implementation model to understand how digital careers education resources can be effectively embedded within primary schools and support future development of the GLA's primary careers offer. This activity also aligns with the increasing interest in primary careers education demonstrated through the Careers and Enterprise Company's national primary careers activity and emerging evidence base.

2.2.    The project will provide London primary schools with access to curriculum-linked careers education resources, lesson plans, videos and activities designed to support careers-related learning across different year groups and subjects. The platform will help schools integrate careers education into existing teaching and learning activity and increase pupils' awareness of future education and career pathways. 

2.3.    The first year of delivery demonstrated that where schools actively engaged with the platform, it added significant value to careers provision. However, uptake was lower than anticipated due to limited promotion and implementation support. The proposed delivery model has therefore been designed to address these barriers through proactive engagement, school support and the sharing of effective practice.

2.4.    The project will be supported through a programme of implementation activity, including the delivery of in-person and online MYPATH workshops, targeted engagement with multi-academy trusts, promotion through GLA and Careers Hub networks, and the establishment of a Primary Careers Community of Practice. This approach will provide schools with dedicated opportunities to understand, embed and maximise the use of the platform within their existing curriculum and continuing professional development structures. 

2.5.    The project will also support the wider objectives of the Primary Careers Pilots by generating further evidence on effective primary careers education practice. This includes understanding how careers-related learning can be introduced at an earlier stage, how schools can build sustainable careers provision, and what role the GLA can play in supporting primary careers education across London. 

2.6.    Expected outcomes from the project include:

•    increased access to careers education resources for primary schools across London
•    a minimum of 63 schools actively using the MYPATH platform during the 2026-27 academic year
•    increased teacher confidence in delivering careers-related learning
•    stronger integration of careers education within the primary curriculum
•    improved sharing of practice through a Primary Careers Community of Practice
•    enhanced evidence and learning to inform future GLA primary careers activity.

2.7.    The project is expected to contribute to improved awareness amongst primary-aged pupils of future education and career opportunities, support aspiration-building from an earlier age, and help challenge limiting beliefs about careers and pathways before key transition points in secondary education. Evidence from the Careers and Enterprise Company's primary careers work suggests that career-related assumptions and stereotypes can begin to form from around age seven, highlighting the importance of early intervention. The learning generated through this activity will inform future decisions on the development and scale of primary careers education support within London.

Award process

2.8.    The total value of the proposed contract is £24,999. In accordance with the GLA's Contracts and Funding Code, at least one quotation should be sought for contracts of this value, and one quotation was requested. MYPATH was used as part of Pilot Four of the GLA's exploratory Primary Careers Pilots and has already been tested within London primary schools, although the GLA did not have a contract with MYPATH (this was done through the Central London Careers Hub). 

2.9.    Procuring a contract with this provider will ensure continuity of delivery and enable the GLA to evaluate the effectiveness of a revised engagement model using the same platform that formed part of the original pilot. Procuring an alternative platform would require a new implementation approach, limit comparability with previous findings and reduce the value of learning generated through the exploratory phase.

2.10.    The contract is being approved through an Assistant Director Decision in accordance with delegated authority and will support the next phase of the GLA's exploratory work on primary careers education, building on activity delivered through the wider London Careers Hubs programme funded under MD 3309. 
 

3.1.    Under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, as a public authority, the Mayor must comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) when exercising his functions. The PSED is a duty to have due regard to the need to:

•    eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation, and any other conduct that is prohibited by or under the Equality Act 2010
•    advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations, between persons who share a relevant ‘protected characteristic’ as defined in the Equality Act 2010 and those who do not.

3.2.    The protected characteristics under section 149 of the Equality Act are: age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, marital or civil partnership status (for the purposes of the first limb of the duty in relation to employment), race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. Compliance with the duty may involve ensuring people with a protected characteristic are provided with all the opportunities that those without the characteristic would have.

3.3.    This involves having due regard in particular to the need to remove or minimise any disadvantage suffered by those who share a relevant protected characteristic that is connected to that characteristic; taking steps to meet the different needs of such people; and encouraging them to participate in public life or in any other activity where their participation is disproportionately low.

3.4.    The proposed project is expected to have a positive impact on equality of opportunity by providing a pan-London primary careers education offer that is available to all primary schools across London. This will increase access to careers-related learning for a wide range of pupils, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds and groups that are under-represented in particular sectors and occupations. The universal nature of the offer will help ensure that schools across all boroughs have access to high-quality careers education resources and support. 

3.5.    Research and evidence reviewed through the GLA's exploratory Primary Careers Pilots highlights that perceptions about jobs, skills and future opportunities are formed at an early age. Careers-related learning during primary education can help challenge limiting beliefs and stereotypes before they become embedded, particularly for children affected by socio-economic disadvantage, special educational needs and disabilities, and other barriers to opportunity. 

3.6.    The project is also expected to support greater equality of opportunity for pupils who may be at greater risk of becoming NEET later in life. Earlier exposure to careers education, employer encounters and information about education and career pathways can help young people develop aspirations, confidence and a sense of purpose in learning, supporting engagement and resilience throughout their educational journey. 

3.7.    The project has the potential to contribute positively to outcomes relating to protected characteristics, particularly age, disability, race and sex. By introducing careers learning at primary age, the programme can help challenge gender stereotypes associated with sectors such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics, construction and digital industries, while broadening pupils' understanding of the full range of careers and education pathways available to them. The project will also support schools to use inclusive resources and approaches that reflect the diversity of London's communities. 

3.8.    Through the provision of curriculum-linked resources and professional development opportunities for teachers, the project will support schools to deliver careers-related learning that is accessible and relevant to all pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities. A key objective of the exploratory primary careers programme is to better understand how careers education can support disadvantaged young people and those whose circumstances may place them at risk of poorer education and employment outcomes. 

3.9.    No adverse impacts on people with protected characteristics have been identified. The project is intended to advance equality of opportunity by providing a universally accessible resource while supporting schools to address barriers, challenge stereotypes and raise aspirations amongst primary-aged children across London. 
 

Key risks and issues

4.1.    The key risks and issues are outlined in the table below:

Links to Mayoral strategies and priorities

4.2.    This activity supports the London Careers Hubs programme approved under MD3309 and MD3479, and contributes to the Mayor's ambition to ensure that all Londoners can access opportunities to succeed in education and employment. The project will help young Londoners develop awareness of future careers and education pathways from an earlier age and inform future approaches to careers provision within the capital.

4.3.    The proposal supports delivery of the Supporting Londoners to Benefit from Growth programme by helping to improve awareness of education and employment pathways, particularly for disadvantaged young Londoners and those who may face barriers to opportunity. The project contributes to the programme's objective of supporting more Londoners to access and progress through pathways that lead to good education, employment and future economic opportunity.

4.4.    This activity also contributes to delivery of the Supporting and Inspiring Young Londoners programme, specifically the London Youth Guarantee project approved under MD3380. By expanding access to careers-related learning within primary education, the project will support young Londoners to develop aspirations, understand future pathways and access information that can help inform future educational and career choices.

4.5.    The project also supports the Mayor's commitment to inclusive growth by providing a universal, pan-London offer that can benefit pupils from all backgrounds. It is expected to contribute to reducing inequalities in awareness of careers and education pathways, particularly for disadvantaged pupils and groups that are under-represented in particular sectors and occupations. 

4.6.    The activity will build the evidence base on effective primary careers education and inform future decisions regarding the Greater London Authority's role in supporting primary schools. It complements the wider Primary Careers Pilots programme and the independent evaluation currently being commissioned. 

Consultations, impact assessments and data protection

4.7.    Development of this proposal has been informed by engagement with primary schools, employers, Careers Hub representatives and delivery partners participating in the Primary Careers Pilots. Feedback from schools currently using the MYPATH platform has also informed the design of the proposed implementation model. 

4.8.    An independent evaluation of the Primary Careers Pilots is being commissioned to assess the impact, successes, challenges and learning from the exploratory activity undertaken during the 2025-26 academic year. This project will contribute to and benefit from the findings of that evaluation. 

4.9.    The project is not expected to require the Greater London Authority to process significant volumes of personal data. Any personal data collected as part of platform registration, monitoring, evaluation or engagement activity will be processed in accordance with UK General Data Protection Regulation requirements, the Data Protection Act 2018 and Greater London Authority information governance policies. Any necessary Data Protection Impact Assessment will be completed should project delivery arrangements require one.

4.10.    The proposal relates to educational resources and teacher support activity and does not present any specific health and safety concerns. Any engagement with children and young people will be undertaken through schools and partner organisations operating appropriate safeguarding policies and procedures.

Conflicts of interest

4.11.    There are no conflicts of interest to note from those involved in the drafting or clearance of this decision form.

5.1.    Approval is sought to commit expenditure of up to £24,999 in 2026-27 for a pan-London licence to the MYPATH primary careers education platform and associated implementation support activity. The total value of the expenditure is within the Assistant Director's delegated authority. 

5.2.    The proposed expenditure will be funded from within the London Careers Hubs programme budget approved under Mayoral Decision 3309. It will be funded by external funding from claims to the Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC) for the Careers Hubs. This will enable the continuation and expansion of exploratory primary careers education activity into the 2026-27 academic year without requiring additional programme funding.

5.3.    The proposed cost represents a pan-London licence covering all London primary schools for the 2026-27 academic year. Individual school licences are typically charged at approximately £400 per school per annum. Based on this pricing structure, active engagement from 63 schools would achieve value equivalent to the total licence cost. The proposed delivery model includes workshops, targeted engagement and implementation support designed to maximise uptake and secure value for money. 

5.4.    The expenditure will be incurred during the 2026-27 financial year and will be managed within the approved programme budget. Any additional expenditure beyond the amount approved through this decision will require further approval in accordance with the Greater London Authority's Scheme of Delegation and Financial Regulations.

5.5.    Officers will monitor expenditure, school engagement levels and delivery outcomes throughout the contract period to ensure that the project achieves its intended objectives and delivers value for money. The findings will inform future decisions regarding primary careers education activity and any potential continuation of the offer.

5.6.    No additional financial commitments arise from this decision beyond the maximum approved expenditure of £24,999.
 

6.1.    The next steps relating to this decision are as follows: