What are the Gatsby Benchmarks?
The Gatsby Benchmarks were developed on behalf of the Gatsby Foundation by Sir John Holman. They define what world class careers provision in education looks like and provide a clear framework for organising the careers provision at your school or college.
From November 2025, the evaluation questions a school uses to judge its performance against the benchmark have changed. The questions are now much more in-depth and encompass all subjects for Benchmark 4, a fuller evaluation of the Baker Clause and Provider Access Legislation for Benchmark 7, and an expansion of work experience for Benchmark 6. The goal is to further embed careers education into the heart of secondary education. Schools have a period of 12 months to evaluate their careers education in order to progress towards these new evaluations. The immediate consequence of this is that evaluation scores may drop a little as schools adjust their careers program to meet the more in-depth standard.
The benchmarks are enshrined in statutory guidance and as a Careers Leader, it is your responsibility to oversee the implementation of the benchmarks in your education setting.
Find out more
For further information on the Gatsby Benchmarks and statutory guidance, please visit the following sites: