Gatsby Benchmark 7

What good looks like 

All students should understand the full range of learning opportunities that are available to them. This includes both technical and academic routes and learning in schools, colleges, universities and in the workplace.

 

  • By the age of 16, every student should have had a meaningful encounter* with providers of the full range of educational opportunities, including sixth forms, colleges, universities and apprenticeship providers. This should include the opportunity to meet both staff and students.
  • By the age of 18, all students who are considering applying for university should have had at least two visits to universities to meet staff and students.
  • By the age of 18, or before the end of their programme of study, every student should have had a meaningful encounter with a range of providers of learning and training that may form the next stage of their career. This should include, as appropriate, further education colleges, higher education and apprenticeship and training providers. This should include the opportunity to meet both staff and students.

 

*A ‘meaningful encounter’ is one in which the student has an opportunity to explore what it is like to learn in that environment. This includes academic and vocational routes and learning in schools, colleges, universities and the workplace.  

 

Provider access legislation​

The provider access legislation is new guidance that comes into force from January 2023, which builds on Benchmark 7 and adds new specific requirements for schools. It is a key mechanism to further help learners understand and take-up, not just apprenticeships, but wider technical education options such as T-Levels and Higher Technical Qualifications. ​

 

The updated provider access legislation (PAL) specifies schools must provide at least six encounters for all their students:  ​

  • Two encounters for pupils during the ‘first key phase’ (year 8 or 9) that are mandatory for all pupils to attend ​

  • Two encounters for pupils during the ‘second key phase’ (year 10 or 11) that are mandatory for all pupils to attend ​

  • Two encounters for pupils during the ‘third key phase’ (year 12 or 13) that are mandatory for the school to put on but optional for pupils to attend ​

You will find more information on the legislation and support with promoting all pathways here.

 

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 Bit report
  • 1,400 more students were in sustained EET during 2018/19 connected to the level of guidance provision that schools in the sample reported, compared to a scenario in which all schools had reported zero benchmark provision. 

Careers Leaders:

Getting started with BM7

Refresh your knowledge and understanding of all pathways at key transition points:

Consider how you can share this information about pathways at key transition points with students, staff and parents/carers

  • Coming soon: Staff Careers CPD Resource
  • Help curriculum staff to understand pathways from their subject but sharing the My Learning, My Future Resources with curriculum colleagues

Refer to the Making it Meaningful checklist when planning any Benchmark 7 activity.

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!

 

Register today

Careers in Context: Can Do Approaches 

Encounters with further education, higher education and training providers should have planned intent, delivery and impact of activities and sit within a progressive careers programme that supports positive student outcomes.

To include an activity under Benchmark 7, it must meet the following minimum requirements:

  • Learning outcomes defined, based on the age and needs of students
  • The encounter involves two-way interaction between students, appropriate provider staff and young people participating in this pathway
  • There is evidence that the student actively participated
  • There is evidence that the student has reflected on the experience and that it has shaped their thinking about future pathways

 

Opportunity:

  • Online encounters can offer students and parents/carers the opportunity to engage with Further Education, Higher Education and training providers that they may not have considered visiting face to face.
  • Students can start to learn about all pathways available to them at key transition points through employer encounters, experience of work and careers in the curriculum from Year 7. A multi-benchmark approach to employer encounters and experiences of work help students to develop their knowledge and understanding in context.
  • Refer to Encounters with further and higher education for practical ideas from schools and colleges for achieving Gatsby Benchmark 7.

 “If you think from a learner’s perspective, they often don’t know the connection between what they’re studying and the employment sector. There is a big jump from doing a course and being able to turn that into a pathway to a job. So bringing employers helps make the transition feel more real and accessible.”

Careers Leader, college

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 BM2, 5, 7
Key stages

Fulfilling Futures

Developed in collaboration by Complete Careers LLP and Greenwood Academies Trust.

This resource is to help learners to prepare for the challenge ahead from education to employment in a competitive job market.  This is primarily an information resource with links to activities, videos, and further reading.  It has skills and activities logs, a checklist, and an action plan at the end of the resource to record progress.  It is designed for independent use either in school or at home.

PDF
Gatsby BM7, 8
Key stages

Exploring University

Developed by Inspiring Worcestershire.

In this document you will be able to understand which are the leading universities locally, the degrees which are most popular, as well as the degrees which have the highest success rates in terms of securing future employment.

The guide also provides details of the leading universities which specialise in degrees relating to certain sectors.

PDF
Gatsby BM2, 5, 6, 7, 8
Key stages

Immerse Education

Immerse Education offers two week programmes in academic subject development with tutors from the University of Oxford and Cambridge. These take place as a residential programme in July and August, with accommodation provided at the universities, and a full programme of support academic and social activities.

There are also options to take part virtually, with an Online Academic Insights programme that runs for two weeks in December, April and throughout July and August. Although this is a fee-paying programme, we have bursaries available, and offer scholarships based on an essay competition open to all students aged 13-18.

Gatsby BM7
SEND
Key stages

Examples of good practice on access to schools for education and training providers

Through the Skills and Post-16 Education Act 2022, the Department for Education (DfE) strengthened the provider access legislation to specify that schools must provide at least six encounters for all their pupils, during school years 8-13. 

To support schools and providers, the DfE has compiled a collection of good practice examples and case studies of how the statutory duty applies in practice to enable schools and providers to understand the new legal requirements.

PDF
Gatsby BM5, 6, 7

Upskill Me

Upskill Me is a multipurpose tool enabling students to build a digital record of their achievements (both academic and extracurricular), learn about and develop in-demand soft skills, and find live opportunities to help them become better prepared for the world after school. Each students’ portfolio can be downloaded or shared into a job or UCAS application via a sharable link.

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