The careers department, too often that neglected airless cubicle occupied by uninspiring books and a sidelined teacher, could make a big difference to the value your child gets out of his or her years of education (and perhaps a good deal of your money too).

No school can now command places for its students at the best universities*, so what they teach their pupils ought to be aimed as much to the lives which will follow university as to those dreaded examinations – and the careers department ought to be a strong part of that focus.

*You can use our website to see which universities and courses their students go on to.