Gatsby Benchmarks

The Gatsby Benchmarks were developed on behalf of the Gatsby Foundation by Sir John Holman. They define what world class careers provision in education looks like and provide a clear framework for organising the careers provision at your school or college. There are 8 Gatsby Benchmarks:

1 - A stable careers programme

  • Implement a stable and structured careers programme with support from senior leadership
  • Have a dedicated careers leader within the school
  • Publish careers programmes on the school website
  • Evaluate careers programmes with feedback from pupils, parents, teachers and employers

What we do

  • Dedicated careers page on our website showing our Alumni and our work with professional partners
  • Regular careers events for all year groups throughout the year for example:
    • School Careers Fair – Years 10–13
    • Year 8 Speed Networking
    • Year 9 Cross Curricular – sustainable hotel project
    • Year 10 Trident work experience
  • GCSE and A Level options evening.

2 - Learning from Career & Labour Market Information (LMI)

  • Ensure that by the age of 14, students have accessed career and labour market information to inform their options
  • Encourage parents to access this information to support their children

What we do

  • Year 7 – PSHE programme which introduces the terminology LMI and STEM
  • Year 8 Speed Networking – conversations with a variety of employers about career choices and employment opportunities
  • PSHE lessons in Year 9 to assist students with making their GCSE option choices
  • One to one meetings for Year 9 with the senior leadership group to gain a better insight into career ideas to ensure GCSE options are appropriate
  • Year 9 Options evening
  • Parents are informed via the careers newsletter of the events taking place. They receive feedback on the Year 9 interviews and have the Options evening to discuss with teachers their son’s option choices.
  • One to one meetings for Year 11 students with the senior leadership group to gain a better understanding of career ideas to ensure A Level options are appropriate
  • Post 16 evening – invited guest of Skills Jersey to provide independent and impartial advice.

3 - Addressing the needs of each student

  • Challenge stereotypes and seek to raise the aspirations of students
  • Keep records of the advice given to each student and provide students with access to their records to support their career development
  • Collect accurate data on the education, training or employment destinations of students

What we do

  • Years 7–9 receive a PSHE programme with student booklets for a record which students can refer to. Stereotypes challenged in all parts of the PSHE programme
  • Year 8 – Skills Jersey workshop on Higher Education – raises aspirations of students
  • Year 9 - one to one meetings recorded and summary information sent out to parents
  • Year 9 – record skills on Unifrog that they have acquired when undertaking the cross-curricular sustainable hotel project
  • All students leaving school have their destinations recorded on SIMS and for Sixth form students by Head of Sixth Form
  • Year 11 complete careers questionnaire which is used to inform the one to one meetings
  • Year 11 – records kept of one to one meetings on Unifrog.

4 - Linking curriculum learning to careers

  • Highlight the relevance of how curriculum subjects link to careers
  • Teach students the importance of STEM subjects for gaining entry to a wide range of careers
  • Teachers are confident at talking about careers related to their subject matter
  • Gain knowledge of the world of work
  • The use of industry to inspire students in a wide range of subjects
  • Core competencies developed in every subject e.g communication, problem solving, resilience

What we do

  • Delivered as a subject through PSHE for Years 7–9
  • Year 8 – have a joint STEM project with JCG
  • Year 8 – speed networking event with local employers
  • Subject teachers relate their subject to potential careers
  • Posters in classrooms to show where subject can lead to
  • Year 9 sustainable hotel project across all subjects culminating in a presentation
  • Year 9 – PSHE options lessons
  • Year 10 – Trident work experience
  • Many assemblies to all year groups on different careers
  • Many subjects invite guests in to talk about the relevance of the subject to their employment
  • Sixth Form visits to places of employment such as apprenticeships, finance and law
  • Lunch & learn opportunities for students in Years 10–13
  • Year 12 – CV and mock interview work, Young Enterprise, Future Leaders programme, Life in Finance work experience.

5 - Encounters with employers and employees

  • Give students at least one meaningful encounter with an employer every year
  • Develop links with local employers

What we do

  • Year 7 – assemblies throughout the year on different careers
  • Year 8 – Careers Speed networking, university workshop
  • Year 9 – Jersey Skills show – includes apprenticeships, cyber security workshop, cross-curricular week (Sustainable Hotel project – with guest speakers)
  • Year 10 – Trident work experience, Victoria College careers fair, lunch & learns, university talks
  • Year 11 – Assemblies throughout the year, lunch & learns, Victoria College careers fair, Higher Education fair, university talks
  • Year 12 – guest visitors in careers lessons from industry, Victoria College careers fair, lunch & learns, self-directed visits to UK universities, IOD Future leaders programme, Young Enterprise programme, visit to Magistrates court, Youth Assembly, Wednesday lecture, guests into subject lessons, alumni mentoring, HE fair
  • Year 13 – Victoria College careers fair, employment interviews, lunch & learns, bursary talks from local companies.

6 - Experience of workplaces

  • Every student 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
  • By the age of 16 every student should have had at least one experience of a workplace
  • By the age of 18, students should have had an additional workplace experience

What we do

  • Year 10 – Trident work placement, Duke of Edinburgh (optional), CCF (optional)
  • Year 11 – talk by Jersey Advisory and Conciliation Service – to provide information on employment law
  • Before the end of Year 13 students will have had a chance to do paid work placements, organised work experience through Life in Finance scheme or through Head of Careers, Youth Assembly, IOD Future Leaders programme, Insight into Medicine / Nursing, lunch & learns.

7 - Encounters with further and higher education

  • By the age of 16, students should have encountered the full range of learning opportunities available to them, both academic and vocational
  • By the age of 18 those considering university should have visited a university to meet staff and students

What we do

  • Year 7 - Higher Education talks from representatives of the Higher Education Fair – March
  • Year 8 – Higher Education talks from representatives of the Higher Education Fair – March, Skills Jersey workshop in National Careers week on HE
  • Year 9 - Higher Education talks from representatives of the Higher Education Fair – March, Apprenticeship and vocational careers represented at the Jersey Skills Show
  • Year 10 - Higher Education talks from representatives of the Higher Education Fair – March, Assembly from Trackers (apprenticeship scheme in Jersey)
  • Year 11 - Higher Education talks from representatives of the Higher Education Fair – March, option to visit the Higher Education fair, Post 16 evening Skills Jersey available to talk about alternative options other than A Levels
  • Year 12 – HE Fair visit, Careers lessons, Oxbridge / Russell group mentors (OV’s), Year 13 students talk to Year 12 about the application process for UCAS, Higher Education evening for parents, Skills Jersey (Impartial) visit careers lessons to talk about Options Post 18
  • Year 13 – students will have visited their chosen universities before making final decisions on university courses, one to one meetings with school Head of UCAS.

8 - Personal guidance

  • By the age of 16, every student should have at least one guidance interview
  • By the age of 18, students should have the option of a further guidance interview

What do we do?

  • Year 9 – have a one to one meeting with a member of the senior leadership group or the Head of Careers
  • Year 11 - have two one to one meetings with a member of the senior leadership group or the Head of Careers
  • Year 12 – have unlimited one to one meetings with their tutors, Head of Careers, Head of UCAS and Head of Sixth Form
  • Year 13 – open door policy with Head of UCAS, Head of Careers and Head of Sixth Form about employment and university applications.
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