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How does our Careers Programme Meet the Gatsby Benchmarks?

Benchmark one –A stable Careers Programme

We have a stable careers programme backed by senior leadership. This is advertised to students, parents, and teachers through the school website, and this is regularly updated once every three months. Updates are also shared with parents, partners, employers and staff.

Benchmark 2 – Learning from Careers and Labour Market Information (LMI).

All students have the support of an informed careers advisor to make the most of careers and labour market information. For example, online jobs databases such as The National Careers Service, Prospects, and i-could provide up to date LMI. These are made available on the careers pages of the school website. Links and relevant handouts are discussed and students directed how to make best use of them in careers meetings. Relevant links and handouts are given out and discussed at parent’s evenings.

There are up-to-date careers displays around school and resources in the school library.

Careers links are encouraged in relation to school trips across year groups.

A STEM careers fair is planned for students to attend from year 9 local education providers are also present. There is access to RMGS YouTube careers videos featuring alumni.

Benchmark 3 – Addressing the needs of each student

The schools careers programme actively seeks to challenge stereotypes, and this is reflected in the schools careers policy, PSHE lessons and school improvement plan. Careers meetings are none judgemental and seek to challenge stereotypes.

Careers advisor contributes to reviews for students with EHCP plans working with SEN team and ensuring students have careers meetings prior to review.

Key dates such as national apprenticeship week, and national careers week form part of the school calendar, and resources sent out to students. Students and parents can seek individual advice and guidance at transition parents evenings.

Following careers meetings for all students, an electronic record of a student’s individualised careers action plan kept securely, and emailed to the student. With a written copy made available for them to take home. Student destinations are tracked and records kept.  

Benchmark 4 – Linking Curriculum Careers to learning

There is much emphasis on STEM careers and how they relate to future careers. The school have held a science fair and this year a careers fair that featured STEM ambassadors and employers including from these areas.

Gatsby Benchmark 5 - Encounters with employers and employees

Each student has multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment and the skills that are valued in the workplace.  There are various school events throughout the curriculum that allow students to encounter employers and employees, such as the STEM day when year 7 work with representatives of BAE systems.   There is a school careers fair for Year 9, a Post 18 day information day for the Sixth Form and compulsory volunteering with other agencies taking place during year 12 enrichment studies. 

Gatsby Benchmark 6: Experience of workplaces.

Students are offered support on where to find work experience contacts, and how to write a cover letter, through PSHE lessons, and in careers meetings, should they want to arrange their own work experience over their summer or Easter break in Year 11, or find part-time work. 

By age 18, sixth formers would have taken part in ongoing volunteering and/or at least one period of work experience that is encouraged as part of their enrichment studies.

Gatsby Benchmark 7 – Encounter’s with further and higher Education

Students are taught about the full range of learning opportunities available to them in PSHE and careers meetings, and enrichment. The careers fair is an example of an opportunity where they will have accessed a full range of learning providers by age 16. They are encouraged to attend open days of places of learning they might be considering applying to at age 16, or making back up applications to. This is part of the PSHE programme as well as encouraged in careers meetings.

By age 18, students that are considering university will have had the opportunity to go to annual the UCAS  Exhibition, and are encouraged to attend the university open days for those that they are considering, or subject specific open days that are widely advertised.

During the Post 18 day for Year 12, a representative from Degree apprenticeships speaks to the whole year group.  Additionally, a representative from the University of Kent speaks to the Year 12s about University pathways. 

The school subscribe to Unifrog which guides students towards opportunities to explore a wealth of further and higher education opportunities.

Gatbsy Benchmark 8 – Careers Guidance

Every student has the offer of at least one guidance interview by age 16, and a further interview by age 18. Guidance interviews are widely advertised and delivered by a fully qualified level 6 adviser. They are particularly encouraged when students are making decisions coming up to transition periods, Year 9 options, Year 11, and during Sixth Form.