Ofsted & Careers Education
How Ofsted Inspects Careers Education
Ofsted inspects careers education as part of the broader Education Inspection Framework (EIF), looking at whether schools provide students with high-quality, impartial careers guidance that meets the statutory requirements. Inspectors assess the school's progress against the Gatsby Benchmarks, the quality of personal guidance, and whether the careers programme is embedded across the curriculum.
Key facts
- Careers provision is assessed under the 'Personal Development' strand of the EIF
- Inspectors look for evidence of progress against the 8 Gatsby Benchmarks
- Schools are expected to have a published careers programme on their website
- Inspectors may review Compass for Life data, guidance records, and student destinations
- Outstanding judgements in Personal Development often reflect strong Gatsby Benchmark compliance
Frequently asked questions
How does Ofsted inspect careers education?
Ofsted assesses careers provision under the Personal Development strand of the Education Inspection Framework (EIF). Inspectors look at whether the school has a stable, published careers programme, whether students receive impartial guidance from qualified advisers, and whether the school is making progress against the 8 Gatsby Benchmarks. Evidence reviewed may include Compass for Life assessments, guidance session records, and student destinations data.
What Ofsted evidence do schools need for careers education?
For Ofsted, schools need: a published careers programme on the school website, Compass for Life or equivalent benchmark assessment records, guidance session logs showing qualified adviser access, employer encounter and work experience records, destinations data, and evidence that the programme is known to students, parents, and staff. Chapter Schools generates all of this evidence automatically.
Related terms
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