What good looks like
Young people have different career guidance needs at different stages. Opportunities for advice and support need to be tailored to the needs of each pupil. A school’s or college’s careers programme should embed equality and diversity considerations throughout.
- A school’s or college’s careers programme should actively seek to challenge stereotypical thinking and raise aspirations.
- Schools and colleges should keep systematic records of the individual advice given to each student, and subsequent agreed decisions. All students should have access to these records to support their career development.
- The records of advice given should be integrated with those given at the previous stage of the student’s education (including their secondary school) where these are made available. Records should begin to be kept from the first point of contact or from the point of transition.
- Schools should collect and maintain accurate data for each pupil on their education, training or employment destinations for at least three years after they leave school. This data should be used to review a school or college’s careers provision and inform development and continuous improvement.
- Colleges should collect and maintain accurate data for each student on their education, training or employment destinations. This data should be used to review a school or college’s careers provision and inform development and continuous improvement.
Why this matters
- 26% of young people who received free school meals (FSM) in year 11 are not in education or employment (NEET) aged 18-24, compared to 13% of non-FSM students
- High achieving students from disadvantaged backgrounds are less likely to apply to higher education, attend a high-status university, or access high status professional jobs than similarly qualified peers from more affluent backgrounds
- FSM students make up only 16.7% of students in KS5 (16-18 years) academic pathways in comparison to 28% on vocational pathways
- 1,400 more students per year in post-16 EET during 2018/19 connected to schools’ reported Gatsby Benchmark provision.
The benefits of Gatsby benchmark achievement for Post 16 destinations report click here.
Webinar series:
- Exploring approaches to the collection and maintenance of destination data and student records >Webinar (Jan/Feb 2022)
- Making effective use of destinations data >Webinar (Jan/Feb 2022)
- Inclusion and developing careers provision to meet the needs of all students > Webinar (March 2022)
Careers Leaders:
Getting started with BM3
- Refer to the CDI Framework and Skills Builder to ensure that your progressive careers programme scaffolds student knowledge and understanding linked to allow students to challenge stereotypical thinking and raise aspirations.
- Explore how Compass+ can support you with collection and visualisation of Destination Data.
- Consider how you can engage students and track actual and intended destinations. The DfE will soon be releasing updated Destinations Data Good Practice Guide.
- Refer to resource and support from Benchmark 1 relating to strategic planning and evaluation to inform best practice on making effective use of Destination Data.
Training
All Careers Leaders require Outstanding training
For further support with Benchmark 1 register for our fully funded Careers Leader training.
Download our Training Catalogue which includes all the information you need and a helpful comparison guide on the 11 high-quality Training Providers we work with. Here you will be able to choose the right course to suit you and your development, so that you can embed a successful careers programme in your school/college.
Once you have chosen the right course and Training Provider for you, you are all set to register!
Careers in Context: Can Do Approaches
Young people will have had very different experiences during the pandemic and may require different or enhanced support
Opportunity:
- Prioritise working with colleagues from senior leadership team and other key staff to ensure that the careers programme is responsive and effective in supporting and tracking positive destination outcomes for all students.
How:
- Establish systems and processes to track, record and respond to intended and actual destinations ensuring that vulnerable students and those at risk of not making positive transitions are identified and supported.
- Support existing and newly identified vulnerable groups by providing tailored opportunities for advice and support, particularly for newly identified vulnerable groups may include those disproportionately or unexpectedly impacted by Covid-19.
- You can support the most vulnerable students by: Aligning your careers programme to whole school or college initiatives on student engagement and NEET prevention.
- Work with colleagues to understand key groups of students who are most at risk of NEET or not making a positive transition to ensure that your progressive careers programme explicitly meets the needs of these students.
- Analysing destination data and knowledge of local labour market to inform and shape your careers programme.
- Compass+ can support you with tracking and recording student level intended and actual destinations. You can also create custom groups so you can target relevant careers interventions for students with highest need.
- Refer to resource and support from Benchmark 1 relating to strategic planning and evaluation to inform best practice on making effective use of Destination Data.
Education Leaders and Governors:
Education Leaders and Governors: For further information on each Benchmark, to support you in your role, please see the Education Leader, Secondary and College Governor Guides.
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Gatsby Benchmark toolkit – schools
Access case studies of best practice in schools, as well as tips and practical suggestions for successfully implementing the eight Gatsby Benchmarks.
Gatsby Benchmark toolkit – colleges
Identify what ‘good’ looks like across all eight Gatsby Benchmarks, see useful case studies, and follow practical suggestions for putting the benchmarks into practice.
Fledglink free career app
Use this powerful app to equip students with everything they need to create their CV and start sharing it with some of the UK’s most exciting employers.
Exploring Careers in Surveying
These resources have been developed by RICS - Nationwide. They provide opportunities for students to learn about the myriad roles within the surveying sector. They encourage students to think about the day-to-day of a surveyor and the requisite skills. They also encourage students to think about their own current skills and how they might develop these to pursue a role in surveying. Pathways to becoming a surveyor are shared.
Engaging parents in careers guidance: Innovations in practice
Parents and carers play an important part in the careers and education choices of young people. The Gatsby Foundation and The Careers and Enterprise Company have worked with Careers Leaders to explore ideas and good practice for working with parents in these challenging times.
NEW added 10th July 3 guides to support induction, transition and beyond.
Destination data procedure – Shuttleworth College
Use this example to plan out how to collect data, follow the correct procedures, and analyse and report on the destination data itself.
Cornerstone Employer Group Case Studies – West of England
Case study from the Cornerstone Employer Group at the West of England Careers Hub – gives an overview of their recent work on Strategic Action Groups.
Cornerstone Employer Group Case Studies – Black Country
Case study from the Cornerstone Employer Group at the Black Country Careers Hub – gives an overview of their recent work on Removing Barriers for SEND students, with DPD.
Cornerstone Employer Group Case Studies - Dorset
Case study from the Cornerstone Employer Group at the Dorset Careers Hub – gives an overview of their recent work on Vocational pathways, including T levels, with J.P. Morgan.
Cornerstone Employer Group Case Studies - Birmingham
Case study from the Cornerstone Employer Group at the Birmingham Careers Hub – gives an overview of their recent work on Removing Barriers: supporting SEND students, with HS2, Wilmott Dixon, Jacobs and others.
Black Country Careers Hub SEND resources
The Black Country Careers Hub have developed a number of resources to support those working with young people with SEND in the different settings. Many of these resources are featured in the My Skills My Future programme.
AET - Let’s Talk Futures
This resource was created by AET to equip parents to have informed career conversations with their child by providing ongoing access to resources, guidance and key sources of information that will support them.