Gatsby Benchmark 8

Personal guidance: Every pupil should have opportunities for guidance meetings with a Careers Adviser, who could be internal (a member of school staff) or external, provided they are trained to an appropriate level. These meetings should be available for all pupils whenever significant study or career choices are being made. They should be expected for all pupils but should be scheduled to meet their individual needs. The careers leader should work closely with the Careers Adviser, SEND coordinator and other key staff to ensure personal guidance is effective and embedded in the careers programme.

Personal guidance helps students to consolidate and reflect upon their vocational identity, career decision making and self-efficacy. It is a focal point for making sense of the vital ingredients in the careers programme, knitting together the learning from each of the Benchmarks, including encounters with employers and higher education, experiences of workplaces and career learning in subjects.

Schools should clearly share how students and parents can access this support, including through the school website.

For further detail on BM8 see pages 27 – 29 of the Gatsby Benchmark Toolkit for Schools, Special Schools and AP’s and pages 25 – 27 of the Gatsby Benchmark Toolkit for Colleges and ITPs.

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