Gatsby Benchmark 8

Personal Guidance

Every pupil should have opportunities for guidance meetings with a careers adviser, who could be internal (a member of school staff) or external, provided they are trained to an appropriate level.

What Benchmark 8 means in practice

Every pupil must have access to personal, one-to-one careers guidance from an adviser trained to an appropriate level - skilled in guidance techniques, with up-to-date knowledge of the full range of pathways and labour market opportunities. The updated benchmark sets an explicit floor: at least one personal guidance meeting by the age of 16, and a further meeting by the age of 18. Note the change of term from 'guidance interviews' to 'guidance meetings'.

What evidence is required

  • At least one guidance meeting per pupil by age 16, and a further meeting by age 18
  • Individual guidance session records with student details
  • Adviser qualifications and accreditation records
  • Meetings scheduled at the points where significant study or career choices are being made
  • Information on how to access guidance published for pupils, parents and carers
  • Action plans or follow-up records from guidance sessions

Activities that satisfy Benchmark 8

  • 1:1 guidance meetings with a qualified careers adviser (internal or external)
  • Group guidance sessions for specific cohorts
  • Follow-up action plans shared with students and parents
  • Tracking of guidance referrals and outcomes

How Chapter tracks it

Benchmark 8 evidence, without the data entry

Run 1:1s in Chapter's Sessions workspace - Prep, Record, Action plan - with trackable student action points and a live Benchmark 8 evidence ring. Adviser qualifications (Level 6+) are verified against the CDI register, so guidance counts as meaningful.

In Chapter Schools

  • Guidance SessionsEvidences it

    Where the 1:1 is booked, prepared, recorded and graded against the meaningful criteria.

  • Adviser qualification checksEvidences it

    Verifies each adviser is trained to Level 6+, which gates whether their sessions can grade as meaningful at all.

  • Session requests

    Lets pupils and staff ask for guidance, so meetings land at the decision points rather than on a fixed rota.

  • Guidance follow-up actions

    Turns 'we agreed you'd redo your CV' into a dated, assigned action with a status, so the follow-up after a guidance meeting is evidenced rather than remembered.

  • Chapter Family

    Tells parents and carers how to access personal guidance - an explicit BM8 criterion in the updated benchmarks.

In the Chapter game

Personal guidance is a human 1:1, so nothing in the game scores it. The game's profile and aspiration data is what makes those meetings sharper.

See the platform view for Benchmark 8

Frequently asked questions

What qualifications does a careers adviser need for Gatsby Benchmark 8?
The updated Benchmark 8 asks that the adviser is 'trained to an appropriate level' - skilled in guidance techniques and holding up-to-date knowledge of the full range of pathways and labour market opportunities - rather than naming a specific level. In practice the recognised standard remains Level 6 or above: the QCG (Qualification in Career Guidance), the Level 6 Diploma in Career Guidance and Development, or CDI-accredited equivalents. An unqualified teacher providing 'careers chats' does not satisfy Benchmark 8.
How often should students receive personal guidance for Benchmark 8?
The updated Benchmark 8 sets a minimum: at least one personal guidance meeting with a careers adviser by the age of 16, and a further meeting by the age of 18. Meetings should also be timed to pupils' needs - whenever significant study or career choices are being made, so typically Year 9 (GCSE options), Year 11 (post-16 choices) and Year 13 (post-18). More frequent access is better, and colleges and ITPs owe at least one meeting per learner.
Can schools use an external careers adviser for Gatsby Benchmark 8?
Yes. Schools can use an internal member of school staff or an external careers adviser from a local service or private provider. What matters is that the person delivering guidance is trained to an appropriate level and that every pupil has access to their services - and that information about how to access that support reaches pupils, parents and carers, including via the school website.

Related Gatsby Benchmarks

Stable Careers ProgrammeIndividual NeedsFE and HE Encounters

Stop reconstructing Benchmark 8 after the fact

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