The Work Ready agenda is central to life at Hoe Valley School, and through it we aim to meet or exceed the Gatsby Charitable Foundation’s Benchmarks of Good Careers Guidance. We see these benchmarks as a starting point for our Work Ready programme, but can confirm that: 

• Our careers programme is stable, but agile enough to respond to changes in labour market conditions.
• Students are regularly exposed to the latest Labour Market Information in curriculum lessons, in stand-alone careers sessions and in assemblies.
• Led by an experienced teacher, the Work Ready programme is personalised to the needs of each student.
• The Work Ready skills are embedded in every subject, and curriculum learning includes a focus on the workplace application of each subject.
• Local employers and employees are regularly invited into the school to talk to students, and even to conduct mock interviews.
• We aim to offer all students meaningful experiences of the workplace, through regular visits to employers.
• Further and higher education providers are regularly invited into the school to meet students, and we encourage all students to visit further and higher education providers..
• As they prepare to move into post-16 education, all students receive at least one hour-long careers guidance session with an independent advisor from Innervate Careers.

The careers plan is reviewed every year ready for the start of the new academic year and will evolve over time as the jobs market changes.

The Gatsby Benchmarks are:

1. A stable careers programme
2. Learning from career and labour market information
3. Addressing the needs of each pupil
4. Linking curriculum learning to careers
5. Encounters with employers and employees
6. Experiences of workplaces
7. Encounters with further and higher education
8. Personal guidance