Using icould to help you meet the Gatsby Benchmarks

The Gatsby Benchmarks provide a best practice model for effective careers provision in schools and colleges. Adopted by the Department for Education, they have been included in statutory guidance since 2018 and were updated in 2025. Schools and colleges are expected to implement the updated benchmarks from September 2025.

There are eight different benchmarks. You can use icould as part of your wider careers programme to help meet aspects of the benchmarks listed below. You can also use icould to support personal careers guidance sessions – over half of teachers completing our latest user insight survey told us they regularly use icould in 1:1 guidance sessions.

Criteria for schools include:

• During each Key Stage, all pupils should access and use information about careers, pathways and the labour market to inform their own decisions on study options or next steps.
• Parents and carers should be encouraged and supported to access and use information about careers, pathways and the labour market to inform their support for pupils in their care.

Using icould:

icould real-life career videos are a useful way to open discussions about careers, pathways and skills. The videos feature individuals talking about their jobs and career paths.

Our Advice and guides section provides information around key decision points and different routes available. In particular:

• GCSE options
• Apprenticeships, A-levels and college
• University choices
• Applying for jobs 

These resources can also be shared with parents.

Criteria for schools include:

• A school’s careers programme should actively seek to challenge misconceptions and stereotypical thinking, showcase a diverse range of role models and raise aspirations.

Using icould:

Many icould videos challenge career stereotypes and showcase diverse role models, across a range of sectors and levels. Our Explore videos by theme section includes selected videos which may be of particular interest:

• Challenging gender stereotypes
• Living with a disability or learning difficulty

The site encourages young people to discover opportunities and job types they may not have known about before. Showing a range of opportunities and career routes can help raise aspirations and broaden young people’s horizons.

Criteria for schools include:

• Every year, in every subject, every pupil should have opportunities to learn how the knowledge and skills developed in that subject help people gain entry to, and be more effective workers within, a wide range of careers

Using icould:

See links between careers and school subjects by exploring icould videos by subject.