Student Entitlement

The Gatsby Benchmarks of Good Career Guidance are the bedrock of the CEIAG entitlement at St Mary’s.

St Mary's endeavours to provide:

• A high quality and stable Careers programme- The CEIAG programme is an integral part of St Mary's and is understood by pupils, parents/carers, teachers, and employers.
• Opportunities to learn from Career and Labour Market Information- Every pupil, and their parents/carers, have access to good-quality information about future study options and labour market opportunities through, for instance, Unifrog.
• An impartial approach that addresses the needs of each pupil- Pupils have different career guidance needs at different stages. Opportunities for advice and support are tailored to the needs of each pupil. St Mary's Careers programme embeds equality and diversity considerations throughout.
• Clear links between curriculum learning and Careers- All teachers link curriculum learning with Careers. For example, STEM subject teachers highlight the relevance of STEM subjects for a wide range of future career paths. 
• Encounters with employers and employees- Every pupil has multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment, and the skills that are valued in the workplace. This is through a range of enrichment activities including visiting speakers and mentoring.
• Experiences of workplaces- Every pupil gains first-hand experience of the workplace through work visits, work shadowing and/or work experience to help their exploration of career opportunities, and expand their networks.
• Encounters with further and higher education- All pupils are taught about 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.
• Personal advice and guidance about learning and work options- Every pupil can request a guidance interview with an appropriately qualified Careers Adviser.

We feel that having an entitlement statement based upon the Gatsby Benchmarks increases stakeholder awareness of the elements of an effective Careers approach and increases the accountability of the school. As such, the Benchmarks have been adjusted into student friendy language and are displayed in each form room.

Once every term, an evaluation of St Mary's progress against the Gatsby Benchmarks is completed and submitted to the Careers and Enterprise Company, the national body for Careers Education in England. 

Table 1. Evaluation completed 27/03/2024