Careers Overview

The Eight Gatsby Benchmarks for Good Careers Guidance

1. A stable careers programme
Our school will have an embedded programme of career education and guidance that is known and understood by students, parents, teachers, governors and employers.

2. Learning from career and labour market information (LMI)
Every student, and their parents, will have access to good quality information about future study options and labour market opportunities that is relevant to our local area, supported by an informed adviser to make best use of available information.

3. Addressing the needs of each pupil
Students have different career guidance needs at different stages. Opportunities for advice and support need to be tailored to the needs of each student. Our school’s careers programme should embed equality and diversity considerations throughout.

4. Linking curriculum learning to careers
All teachers will link curriculum learning with careers where possible. STEM subject teachers will highlight the relevance of STEM subjects for a wide range of future career paths where lesson opportunities present themselves.

5. Encounters with employers and employees
Every student will have multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment and the skills that are valued in the workplace, in particular within curriculum lessons, at least one per year.

6. Experiences of workplaces
Every student will 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.

7. Encounters with further and higher education
All students will 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

8. Personal guidance
Every student will have opportunities for guidance interviews with a career adviser, who is trained at Level 6 or higher, whenever significant study or career choices are being made. These interviews will be expected for all students but should be timed to meet their individual needs.

STWA September 2025

Monitoring Review and Evaluation Meeting the Gatsby Benchmark criteria

Careers Education is monitored and evaluated termly and then annually via the department. Careers Guidance is monitored and evaluated constantly through discussion with key staff and students and appropriate observation of activities by the Careers Leader and Line Manager. Student evaluation forms are completed after events and parental feedback is collected through Parent Voice meetings. 

 The Careers Lead completes  Gatsby Benchmark termly reviews using the Compass tool, careers tracker, to ensure the Academy is meeting the Gatsby Benchmark criteria. The business and Enterprise Coordinator and Careers Consultant support this and complete their own annual review.

 The importance of careers education is reflected in the Academy Development Plan (ADP) and is used to ensure that the Careers department is fully supporting the whole academy's aims. Regular feedback to SLT and governors takes place.  

• Careers Manager and Careers Advisor: Mrs E Pickering 

• Line Manager: Associate principals Mrs L Stuart and Mr C Martin

• Careers Link Governor:  Mrs S Page

Review and Measurement of Impact

We review the success of our careers programme by looking at the destinations of our exiting Year 11 students with a target of 0% NEET (students not in education, employment or training).

The policy is developed and reviewed annually by the Curriculum Leader Careers and her line manager (Associate Principal) based on current good practice guidelines by DfES/Ofsted, CEIAG framework and Gatsby Benchmarks.

At STWA we engage with the CIS (careers impact system). This is an internal leadership review based on the Careers Impact Maturity Model, which provides a shared language of how careers can be positioned as a driver for school improvement. Undertaking an internal leadership review supports the quality assurance of the careers provision at Sir Thomas Wharton Academy and encourages continuous improvement aligned to the whole institution's priorities. Within your annual evaluation process, undertaking a Careers Impact internal leadership review will:

• Engage Leaders through informed and impactful SLT and governor engagement in and vision for sustainable and strategic careers leadership
• Align priorities through intentional distributed leadership of careers as a driver for whole institution improvement
• Embed best practice through Improved understanding of best practice in careers leadership and of meaningful and sustained achievement of the Gatsby Benchmarks 
• Celebrate success through recognitions of strengths in and impact of careers leadership and provision

• Sustain quality and impact through internal quality assurance and impact evaluation of careers leadership and provision.

The table below shows how Sir Thomas Wharton Academy measures and assesses the impact of the careers programme on students through each Gatsby Benchmark.