The updated Gatsby Benchmarks say it plainly: inclusion is non-negotiable. Careers provision has to reach every learner — and the students most likely to slip through are those with SEND and from disadvantaged backgrounds, who often have the most to gain from it. Meeting the standard is less about extra programmes and more about how you design the ones you already run.
Design in, don’t bolt on
The instinct is to run a mainstream programme and then add adjustments. Inclusive provision does the reverse — it designs for the full range of learners from the outset, so fewer students need singling out. A few principles carry most of the weight.
Reduce the reading load
Careers content is often gated behind dense text and forms. Tactile, visual and spoken formats open the same content to students who struggle with reading — without diluting it for anyone else.
Offer more than one way in
A single mode of participation excludes whoever it doesn’t suit. Activities that can be done by talking, moving, making or writing let every student take part on their strongest footing.
Check the routes are actually open
An encounter that only points towards the highest-attaining path quietly excludes most of the room. Make sure the destinations you showcase include ones genuinely open to every student in front of you.
Why physical, tactile tools help: Something students hold, move and arrange lowers the reading barrier and raises engagement at the same time — which is often exactly what makes provision land for students it used to pass by.
Inclusion is also good practice for everyone
The reassuring part: almost nothing on this list only helps SEND or disadvantaged students. Less reading, more ways to take part, honestly open routes — these make careers work better for the whole cohort. Meeting the inclusion theme rarely means running something separate; it usually means running the main thing better.
Frequently asked questions
What do the updated Gatsby Benchmarks say about inclusion?
One of the five themes underpinning the updated benchmarks is that inclusion is non-negotiable: careers provision must meet the needs of every learner, with particular focus on students with SEND and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. It is a whole-programme expectation, not a separate strand.
How do you make careers provision more inclusive?
Design for the full range of learners from the start rather than retrofitting adjustments: use tactile and experiential formats, reduce reliance on dense reading, offer multiple ways to take part, and make sure encounters connect to routes that are genuinely open to every student — not only the highest-attaining.