First school in England to complete the new criteria

St Cuthbert’s Catholic High School in St Helens is the first school in England to complete the new criteria for the Quality in Careers Standard fully incorporating the Gatsby Benchmarks.

These benchmarks include the curriculum being linked with careers, students having encounters with employers and employees, personal guidance and learning from career and labour market information.

At the end of June, the Department for Education received the results of 2,880 self-evaluation responses from schools and colleges.

The results showed that on average, schools and colleges were hitting only two of the eight Gatsby Benchmarks.

Ms Nikki Hannah, CEIAG lead, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded the Quality in Careers Standard. The knowledge about future careers is embedded in all that we do, with local employers being an integral part of that learning.”

Headteacher Mrs Catherine Twist, said: “Young people should have the excellent careers guidance they deserve and need. This is about changing the lives of the young people we work with, giving them the chance of a rewarding and fulfilling life”.