Compass for Life
Compass for Life (formerly Compass+)
Compass for Life is the free online self-assessment tool provided by the Gatsby Foundation and the Department for Education to help schools and colleges assess their careers programme against the 8 Gatsby Benchmarks. Schools complete termly or annual assessments, log activities, and generate reports showing their progress towards full Benchmark compliance.
Key facts
- Compass for Life is free for all state-funded schools and colleges in England
- It replaced the original Compass tool in 2022, adding more detailed activity tracking
- Schools are expected to submit regular Compass assessments as part of their statutory duties
- Ofsted inspectors may request Compass data during careers-related inspection activity
- Compass for Life integrates with the Careers & Enterprise Company's network support
Frequently asked questions
What is Compass for Life?
Compass for Life is the free self-assessment tool provided by the Gatsby Foundation and DfE for UK secondary schools and colleges. Schools use it to assess their careers programme against all 8 Gatsby Benchmarks, log activities, and produce progress reports. It replaced the original Compass+ tool in 2022.
Is Compass for Life mandatory for schools?
While Compass for Life is not technically mandatory, schools are expected to assess their Gatsby Benchmark compliance regularly as part of their statutory duties. Many Careers Enterprise Advisers (CEAs) and Ofsted inspectors will ask to see Compass data as evidence of careers programme quality. Most schools treat it as a requirement in practice.
How does Chapter Schools relate to Compass for Life?
Chapter Schools sits alongside Compass for Life — it provides the live tracking, student-level evidence, and automated Gatsby mapping that Compass requires as its data input. Chapter's export features allow Careers Leaders to populate their Compass assessments in minutes rather than hours, with all activity automatically mapped to the relevant benchmarks.
Related terms
Track your Gatsby Benchmarks automatically
Chapter Schools maps every activity to all 8 Gatsby Benchmarks in real time and generates Ofsted-ready evidence — no spreadsheets required.
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