The Gatsby Benchmarks
The Government expects all schools to use the Gatsby Benchmarks to improve their careers provision. On this page we outline how schools can use Advancing Access on their journey to reaching the benchmarks.
Whilst Advancing Access is skewed towards enabling pupils to progress to more competitive universities, our sessions on Post 16 options cover a range of different potential pathways such as vocational and technical routes and Degree Apprenticeships. This will help staff to meet the statutory duty to provide information on a wide range of different education and training options.
The Government has made clear that "good careers guidance widens pupils' horizons, challenges stereotypes and raises aspirations". Advancing Access sessions and materials will educate teachers and advisers about the benefits of attending the most selective universities to enable them to support their pupils' high aspirations.
Please use the dropdowns below for an exemplification of how Advancing Access CPD resources and CPD sessions can support your school to achieve particular benchmarks. The numbers in square brackets refer to particular paragraphs of the Government's statutory careers guidance:
> To achieve this benchmark, a school or college's programme of careers guidance must be well understood by teachers as well as pupils and parents [14]. Teacher CPD on the subject of careers therefore becomes crucial, and can be supported by Advancing Access
> Careers programmes must have "explicit backing of the senior management team". Senior staff can signal their support for their school's careers programme by arranging and encouraging appropriate CPD for staff, including Advancing Access
> Careers programmes must be regularly evaluated, using feedback from teachers [24]. If you book an Advancing Access CPD session, we can evaluate the session - in some cases evaluating the knowledge of participants before and after the session. We can share (anonymised) evaluations with you to help you to understand the impact of the session on your staff.
> Schools must provide details of their careers programmes on their websites. This should "include links to helpful career resources, websites and events" [27]. By including a link to Advancing Access, schools can make clear that they take the development of their staff seriously
> Our session on Post-16 choices shows teachers and advisers how they can use labour market information to engage pupils [30]
> The session signposts teachers to services such as the National Careers Service [29], LMI for all, iCould and Apps such as TheWayUp! and Think uni
> Teachers can support social mobility by encouraging pupils to engage with this information, challenging assumptions that certain jobs are 'not for people like me' [33]
> Advancing Access helps staff to support students from a wide range of different backgrounds to consider the widest range of possible careers [34]. For example, our session on contextual admissions policies raises awareness among teachers of some of the adjustments selective universities are making in order to diversify their intakes
> Advancing Access has a resource forthcoming which will support schools to make the best possible use of their destinations data [37]
> Advancing Access resources and sessions raise awareness of the importance of the English Baccalaureate core academic subjects at GCSE [57]. The Government's ambition is to see 90% of pupils studying these subjects by 2025
This benchmark is currently not supported by Advancing Access.
This benchmark is currently not supported by Advancing Access.
> Advancing Access sessions and materials make clear the link between educational choices and longer term career prospects. If teachers' knowledge of this link is strengthened, this enables them to make this fact clear to their pupils [68]
> The Advancing Access resources on Post 16 choices makes it clear that pupils do not have to stay in school at age 16 and can consider a wide range of different pathways [68]
> Advancing Access sesssions and resources signpost teachers to high quality resources and apps which they can share with pupils. This includes the National Careers Service, Discover Uni, TheWayUp! and Think Uni [70]
> Advancing Access can sign post teachers to the outreach opportunities on offer at its partner universities. This is done through the Leading Univerversities page, however teacher can also contact Advancing Access who can put them in touch with relevant staff at universities across the country [73]
Advancing Access does not support this benchmark.