Leading NEET prevention with the Gatsby Benchmarks
The Gatsby Benchmarks team is working with leaders in England’s secondary and special schools, and colleges, to highlight how making careers guidance a strategic priority is helping them tackle attendance, engagement and other indicators of NEET risk
In a new short film, these leaders share what happens when careers guidance isn’t confined to one team member or timetable slot, but is embedded throughout settings as a central plank of their NEET prevention strategy. You’ll also hear from young people, originally identified as at high risk of becoming NEET, whose trajectories this approach has transformed.
“The link between sticking with education and achieving the future they want”
One leader involved is Tessa Claridge who is Principal of River Dart Academy in Devon. Tessa is also responsible for careers education and guidance across the Wave Multi Academy Trust, a group of 11 Alternative Provision, Medical Provision and Special Academies.
“One of the key issues that I face as a leader is making sure our often very vulnerable young people don’t fall out of education and become NEET. The young people that come to us have been excluded from school for many different reasons, including SEND needs that haven't been identified in mainstream education.
“When we're looking at improving attendance, behaviour and attainment – key elements of NEET prevention – careers guidance built around the Gatsby Benchmarks is that beacon of hope. It makes the link between sticking with education and young people achieving the future they want. I can't stress enough the difference we see careers guidance making – the options it opens up and the way it changes lives.
“We have a whole-trust approach to careers and we’ve made a leadership commitment to this, creating a sense of ownership from the top to the bottom.”
The Gatsby Benchmarks: building futures, reducing NEET
Evidence strongly shows that students in schools and colleges meeting more of the benchmarks are less likely to be NEET. In institutions that serve the most disadvantaged young people, this NEET reduction rises to up to 20%.
The Gatsby Benchmarks were updated in late 2024. The updates emphasise the importance of ensuring inclusion and impact for every learner, highlighting the need to tailor careers programmes to individual needs and put additional or different support in place where needed by young people with special educational needs and disabilities.
The updated framework is now at the core of revised government guidance, for implementation this academic year. This calls for headteachers, principals and governing boards to embed the benchmarks at the heart of their institution’s vision and strategic plans and to back and support their careers leader.
This is reflected in the new Ofsted inspection frameworks which place more emphasis on quality careers guidance.
Turning commitment into action
With NEET rates remaining stubbornly high, support to help leaders ensure that each and every young person, whatever their background or starting point, is benefitting from vision, planning and practice that prioritises the Gatsby Benchmarks is available at gatsbybechmarks.org.uk/leaders
To find out more about the campaign and to view the video, visit www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7432008928277983232
