How we help you meet your Gatsby Benchmarks
The Gatsby Benchmarks, the national framework of 8 guidelines, designed to help schools and colleges deliver more effective careers provision to young people. Here is how we can help schools and colleges achieve them.
Benchmark 1 - A stable careers programme
Every school and college should have an embedded programme of careers education and guidance that is known and understood by pupils, parents, teachers, and employers.
Every school and college should have an embedded programme of careers education and guidance that is known and understood by pupils, parents, teachers, and employers.
Push is an award-winning outreach organisation with 30 years of experience, delivering high-quality, informative and fun sessions to pupils and parents in schools and colleges.
Everything we deliver is designed to meet the DfE’s and Ofsted’s statutory guidance on impartial careers education.
Everything we deliver is designed to meet the DfE’s and Ofsted’s statutory guidance on impartial careers education.
Benchmark 2 - Learning from career and Labour market information.
Every pupil, and their parents/guardians, should have access to good quality information about future study options and labour market opportunities. They will need the support of an informed advisor to make best use of available information.
Every pupil, and their parents/guardians, should have access to good quality information about future study options and labour market opportunities. They will need the support of an informed advisor to make best use of available information.
Push run an engaging and informed framework on pathways, which explore all choices at 16 and 18 (from an impartial perspective), enabling students to start thinking about career paths to inform their own decisions on study options.
Our sessions actively excite students about their futures and provide them with the opportunity for self-reflection, and give them knowledge and confidence, to make informed decisions about their next steps.
Our sessions actively excite students about their futures and provide them with the opportunity for self-reflection, and give them knowledge and confidence, to make informed decisions about their next steps.
Benchmark 3 - Addressing the needs of each pupil
Pupils have different career guidance needs at different stages. Opportunities for advice and support need to be tailored to the needs of each pupil. A school’s careers programme should embed equality and diversity considerations throughout.
Pupils have different career guidance needs at different stages. Opportunities for advice and support need to be tailored to the needs of each pupil. A school’s careers programme should embed equality and diversity considerations throughout.
Push has developed a sustained and progressive framework, designed to drip-feed the right information and advice to students with specific interventions across their journey from Year 9 to Year 13. In our sessions, we actively seek to challenge stereotypical thinking and raise aspirations. We have spent 30 years tailoring what we do to inspire every single student, and take into account the diverse backgrounds and needs of all learners.
Benchmark 4 - Linking curriculum learning to careers
All teachers should link curriculum learning with careers. For example, STEM subject teachers should continuously highlight the relevance of STEM subjects for a wide range of career paths.
All teachers should link curriculum learning with careers. For example, STEM subject teachers should continuously highlight the relevance of STEM subjects for a wide range of career paths.
Benchmark 5 - Encounters with employers and employees
Every year, from the age of 11, pupils should participate in at least one meaningful encounter* with an employer.
* A ‘meaningful’ encounter is one in which the student has an opportunity to learn about what work is like or what it takes to be successful in the workplace.
Every year, from the age of 11, pupils should participate in at least one meaningful encounter* with an employer.
* A ‘meaningful’ encounter is one in which the student has an opportunity to learn about what work is like or what it takes to be successful in the workplace.
Benchmark 6 - Experiences of workplaces
Every pupil should have first-hand experiences of the workplace through work visits, work shadowing and/or work experience to help with their exploration of career opportunities, and expand their networks.
Every pupil should have first-hand experiences of the workplace through work visits, work shadowing and/or work experience to help with their exploration of career opportunities, and expand their networks.
Benchmark 7 - Encounters with further and higher education
All pupils should understand the full range of learning opportunities that are available to them. This includes both academic, technical and vocational routes and learning in schools, colleges, universities, and in the workplace.
All pupils should understand the full range of learning opportunities that are available to them. This includes both academic, technical and vocational routes and learning in schools, colleges, universities, and in the workplace.
Push began life in 1992 as the 'Polytechnic and University Student Handbook', hence the acronym (or lack thereof now). This was one of the first completely impartial printed (and online) UK university guides. In the last 20 years we've evolved into running interactive sessions, workshops and even comedy gigs - which champion proactive informed choices on further and higher education, and all the alternatives.
We get students excited about the bigger picture of life, and who their future self could be - using professional comedians, speakers, actors, and creators to deliver the most engaging live session possible, sprinkled with interaction and the power of students' own voices. We also help you meet the Gatsby Benchmarks by developing students' effective learning and employability skills. A Push session on pathways (the benefits of degree-level study, alternative options) or employability is the perfect introduction to any HE or careers activity for your students.
We get students excited about the bigger picture of life, and who their future self could be - using professional comedians, speakers, actors, and creators to deliver the most engaging live session possible, sprinkled with interaction and the power of students' own voices. We also help you meet the Gatsby Benchmarks by developing students' effective learning and employability skills. A Push session on pathways (the benefits of degree-level study, alternative options) or employability is the perfect introduction to any HE or careers activity for your students.
Benchmark 8 - Personal Guidance
Every pupil should have opportunities for guidance interviews with a careers adviser, who could be internal, 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 pupils but should also be timed to meet their individual needs.
Every pupil should have opportunities for guidance interviews with a careers adviser, who could be internal, 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 pupils but should also be timed to meet their individual needs.
Our sessions encourage students to explore and envision their futures, make informed decisions, and get excited about the possibilities ahead. A Push talk is the perfect activity for a year group, especially when scheduled just before a follow-up appointment with an informed one-to-one personal guidance adviser. Put in another way, when it comes to CEIAG, we deliver the CEIA… to make the G more effective.
Want to explore the Gatsby benchmarks in more detail? Here's the Gatsby site.
Ofsted's Thematic Review of Careers Guidance
The thematic review aims to:
Questions asked:
- assess the quality of careers guidance in schools and further education and skills providers
- inform relevant stakeholders, including policymakers and providers, about the quality of careers education, information, advice and guidance
- identify strengths and weaknesses in careers provision in schools and further education and skills providers, and make recommendations to improve practice
- help to identify potential developments in the inspection training and guidance, and help share good practice and thinking across the inspectorate
Questions asked:
- To what extent do schools and further education and skills providers engage with stakeholders (such as employers, careers networks and other providers)?
- To what extent do schools and further education and skills providers ensure that careers education contributes to local, regional and national opportunities and skills needs?
- How does the curriculum help learners make informed choices about their future education, employment and training?
Push helps you meet Ofsted's career guidance needs by offering high quality impartial careers education that helps your students make informed decisions about which choices best suit their needs, skills, and aspirations. Our interactive, fun, informative and interactive sessions provide pupils with unbiased information about all potential next steps; we make sure our sessions are engaging, up to date and locally relevant.