Experiences of Workplaces
Every pupil should have first-hand experiences of the workplace through work visits, work shadowing and/or work experience to help their career planning.
What Benchmark 6 means in practice
Unlike Benchmark 5 (which covers encounters with employers), Benchmark 6 requires students to physically experience a real workplace — through visits, shadowing, or work experience placements.
What evidence is required
- Work experience placement records with employer details
- Work visit records showing student participation
- Student reflections or reports from placements
- Employer feedback on student performance
Common activities that satisfy Benchmark 6
- Year 10 or Year 12 work experience weeks
- Workplace visit days to local employers
- Job shadowing programmes
- Virtual workplace tours (as supplement, not replacement)
How Chapter Schools tracks Benchmark 6
Chapter tracks work experience placements, workplace visits, and shadowing through the Events and Work Experience modules. Each placement automatically maps to Benchmark 6, and student reflections are stored against their profile.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Gatsby Benchmark 5 and Benchmark 6?
Benchmark 5 covers encounters with employers — speakers, fairs, Q&As. Benchmark 6 requires actual workplace experiences — visiting or working within a real employer's premises. Both are needed, but Benchmark 6 specifically requires first-hand workplace immersion.
Does virtual work experience count for Gatsby Benchmark 6?
Virtual work experience can supplement but typically should not replace physical workplace experience for Benchmark 6. The benchmark specifically references 'first-hand experiences of the workplace'. Ofsted inspectors will look for evidence of genuine workplace exposure.
What year should schools run work experience for Benchmark 6?
Most schools run formal work experience in Year 10 (pre-GCSE) or Year 12 (post-A-level results), but Benchmark 6 expects workplace experiences across multiple year groups where possible — not just a single Year 10 placement.
Related Gatsby Benchmarks
Stop manually tracking Benchmark 6
Chapter Schools automatically maps every activity to all 8 Gatsby Benchmarks. Book a demo to see your school's compliance dashboard.
Book a free demo