Careers Plan and Gatsby Benchmarks

Sacred Heart High School (SHHS) Careers provides education, information and guidance. Careers education enables our students to develop the knowledge and skills required to make successful choices, manage change and move into the world of work.  Guidance helps students use their knowledge and skills to make decisions that are right for them. 

The SHHS Careers Plan is based on the CDI Framework for Careers, Employability & Enterprise Education (2020) and the DfE "Careers Guidance and Inspiration in Schools" (January 2023). The SHHS Careers Plan operates within a framework of eight benchmarks of good career guidance, developed by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation as follows:  

1. A Stable Careers Programme: Every school and college should 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: Every Student and their parents should have access to good quality information about future study options and labour market opportunities. They will need the support of an informed adviser to make the best use of available information
3. Addressing the Needs of every Student: Students have different career guidance needs at different stages. Opportunities for advice and support need to be tailored to the needs of each Student. A school’s careers programme should embed equality and diversity considerations throughout.
4. Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers: All teachers should link curriculum learning with careers. STEM subject teachers should highlight the relevance of STEM subjects for a wide range of careers paths.
5. Encounters with Employers and Employees: Every Student should have opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment and the skills that are valued in the workplace. This can be through a range of enrichment activities including visiting speakers, mentoring and enterprise schemes.
6. Experiences of the Workplace: Every Student should have 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.
7. Encounters with Further and Higher Education: All Students should 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 should have opportunities for guidance interviews with a careers adviser, who could be internal (a member of school staff) or external, provided they are trained to an appropriate level. These should be available whenever significant study or career choices are being made. They should be expected for all Students but should be timed to meet their individual needs.