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Careers Impact System Essential Guidance (Compass for Special Schools)

Why undertake a Careers Impact internal leadership review

An internal leadership review is based on the Careers Impact Maturity Model, which provides a shared language of how careers can be positioned as a driver for school, special school and college improvement.
Undertaking an internal leadership review supports the quality assurance of your careers provision and encourages continuous improvement aligned to your whole institution's priorities.

Within your annual evaluation process, undertaking a Careers Impact internal leadership review will:

  • Engage Leaders through informed and impactful SLT and governor engagement in and vision for sustainable and strategic careers leadership
  • Align priorities through intentional distributed leadership of careers as a driver for whole institution improvement
  • Embed best practice through Improved understanding of best practice in careers leadership and of meaningful and sustained achievement of the Gatsby Benchmarks 
  • Celebrate success through recognitions of strengths in and impact of careers leadership and provision
  • Sustain quality and impact through internal quality assurance and impact evaluation of careers leadership and provision.

The process focuses on the following 6 themes, which are rooted in the Gatsby Benchmarks:

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The Careers Impact Maturity Model used in the internal leadership review process has been tailored to different institution types:

Please note: PDFs have been intentionally added above to ensure that the models are not edited during the review process. This will ensure that the models are engaged with consistently across all institutions when completing internal leadership reviews.

 

Preparing to complete a Careers Impact Internal leadership review

A Careers Impact internal leadership review needs a collaborative approach and is a reflection on the maturity of careers leadership across a school, special school or college.

Who should take part?
All those involved in the distributed leadership of careers should be involved in the review process e.g.

Headteacher/Principal Careers Leader
Link Governor Careers Coordinator
Enterprise Adviser Careers Adviser
SLT; Pastoral, Personal Development, Curriculum, Progress, Teaching & Learning SENCo/Head of SEND
SLT; Vice Principal/Assistant Principal Head of Inclusion
Head(s) of Year/Head(s) of Department PSHE Lead
Central Strategic Careers Leader Student Support/Student Services


What does a review involve?
The review involves colleagues reflecting on a range of statements in the Maturity Model, then selecting those that best describe the practice in their institution. Colleagues consider the statements and the responses, which indicate progressive maturity within each of the six themes. Colleagues should do this ahead of coming together to discuss and agree a final response for each statement that represents their institution.
Please see the Evaluation section Overview article to gain more understanding of when we would recommend completing an internal leadership review.

How can you make the process collaborative?
Here are some examples of how different institutions have approached the review process, to bring the appropriate colleagues together and achieve agreement on the statements that best reflects practice:

Case Study 1:
“As a team, we took a three-stage approach to completing the process. Firstly, as a careers team (Careers Leader and SLT Careers Leader), secondly inviting our wider Senior Leadership team including our SENCo to feedback on our responses, and thirdly our Headteacher and SLT Careers Leader met to discuss and agree best-fit responses. This approach created the opportunity to raise awareness of careers, to share the potential of careers contributing to wider school improvement aims and to quality assure decisions from the viewpoint of other leaders within the school.”

Case Study 2:
“We initially completed the self-evaluation process as a team of two (SLT Careers Leader and supporting Careers Leader) and were keen to position ourselves firmly in column 1. We then discussed with the wider Senior Leadership team which has helped to raise the profile of careers and gain further buy-in from the Headteacher and SLT. Inviting SLT to contribute to best-fit responses prompted actions and also highlighted that our existing approach is more strategic and stronger than we originally thought.”

Case Study 3:
“A core group of us met together (Careers Leader, Trust Central Strategic Careers Leader, Careers Link Governor) and we agreed the ‘best-fit’ statements through discussion and debate, with elements requiring us refer to evidence to justify our decisions with each other.”

Case Study 4:
“As the Careers Leader, I completed the process and then met with the Headteacher to discuss this. Where there was a difference of opinion, I was able to explain my judgement and we discussed and were then able to agree on the ‘best-fit’ response.”

How to use the Careers Impact internal leadership review feature on Compass to get the most out of the review process

The digital feature allows you to centrally record responses agreed in your internal leadership review discussion.
You will also have instant access to a summary of your institution's responses, including a visualisation showing a snapshot of your institution’s indicated areas of strengths and priority action areas.
Signposting to support and resources for each theme area is provided to drive continuous improvement. You will also be able to share this visualisation and recommendations for support with colleagues involved in the distributed leadership of careers.
Each time you complete a Careers Impact internal leadership review, you can record your responses and compare with previous reviews to track your progress.