GATSBY BENCHMARKS

Our careers programme follows the eight Gatsby Benchmarks:

  • A stable careers programme
  • Learning from career and labour market information
  • Addressing the needs of each student
  • Linking curriculum learning to careers
  • Encounters with employers and employees
  • Experiences of workplaces
  • Encounters with further and higher education
  • Personal guidance.

A mixture of classroom and school-based sessions, external speakers, events and employer interactions ensure that students receive a well-rounded careers education.

We believe a successful careers programme should be measurable and that every activity should have a positive impact on students. Below is a more in-depth look at the Gatsby Benchmarks and we strive to meet them.

Read more about Gatsby

How we meet the Gatsby benchmarks

Benchmark Description Current Chigwell School Practice
1. A stable careers programme Every school and college should have an embedded programme of career education and guidance that is known and understood by pupils, parents, teachers and employers. PHSE lessons; events/talks publicised to students; Options evenings; Careers & HE Convention; Careers testing; Careers Guidance Interviews.
2. Learning from career and labour market information Every pupil, and their parents, should have access to good-quality information about future study options and labour market opportunities. They will need the support of an informed adviser to make best use of available information. UCAS support; ‘Meet the Future’ & other talks; Careers Twitter feed; Careers & HE Convention; opportunities emailed to students; GCSE & A Level Options evenings; UCAS evening; use of Unifrog; Trip to UCAS Fair; ongoing advice given ad hoc throughout the year; assemblies by HE & apprenticeship providers
3. Addressing the needs of each student Pupils 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 careers programme should embed equality and diversity considerations throughout. We monitor students’ interactions with careers provisions through registers taken in class and at talks; leavers ‘destinations sheet’; Unifrog Shortlists; Uni Open Day sign-out sheets; emails from students/parents when students attend WEXP/shadowing etc; Oxbridge programme; UCAS Advisor Track; Careers testing.
4. Linking curriculum learning to careers All teachers should link curriculum learning with careers. For example, STEM subject teachers should highlight the relevance of STEM subjects for a wide range of future career paths. External talks; teachers own expertise and knowledge passed on to relevant students; Careers & HE Convention.
5. Encounters with employers and employees Every pupil should have multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment and the skills that are valued in the workplace. This can be through a range of enrichment activities including visiting speakers, mentoring and enterprise schemes. ‘Meet the Future’; Careers & HE Convention; Barclays Life Skill sessions; any relevant opportunities for WEXP/shadowing offered to students; Activities week – ELHAP/volunteering/care homes/Chigwell Riding Trust.
6. Experiences of workplaces Every pupil should have first-hand experiences* of the workplace through work visits, work shadowing and/or work experience to help their exploration of career opportunities, and expand their networks. Activities week – ELHAP/volunteering/care homes/Chigwell Riding Trust; WEXP, volunteering/shadowing.
7. Encounters with further and higher education All pupils should understand the full range of learning opportunities that are available to them. This includes both academic and vocational routes and learning in schools, colleges, universities and in the workplace. UCAS eve; GCSE & A level options talk & taster day; Careers & HE Convention; talks from unis/HE providers; visit to UCAS Fair; Mock Medical Interview eve; Unifrog; uni open day visits; Oxbridge programme; Apprenticeship assembly.
8. Personal guidance Every pupil should have opportunities for guidance interviews with a careers adviser, who could be internal (a member of school staff) or external, provided they are trained to an appropriate level. These should be available whenever significant study or career choices are being made. They should be expected for all pupils but should be timed to meet their individual needs. PSHE sessions; talks with Head of Sixth Form for UCAS/overseas applications; GCSE options eve; A Level options eve & taster day; Careers testing; Careers guidance interviews.