Our vision and values

Our Purpose

We strive to inspire and equip our students with the skills, knowledge and attributes which meet the future needs of industry.

Our People - Our Culture

To be a diverse and vibrant community in which staff and students embody our values, have a strong sense of belonging and flourish. This is underpinned by our college values which we will ensure are embedded in our daily practices. These are:

  • Professional
  • Ambitious
  • Passionate
  • Supportive
  • Progressive
  • Enterprising
The Gatsby Benchmarks

Plumpton College measures the effectiveness of its careers provision through self-assessment of the Gatsby Benchmarks. The 8 benchmarks serve as a framework for colleges to plan and deliver world-class careers provision and have been adopted as part of the Government's Careers Strategy and statutory guidance for colleges.

We evaluate our careers programme 3 times a year and our latest results can be seen below:

Gatsby Benchmark 

December 2023 

A stable career programme 

100%

Learning from career and labour market information 

100%

Addressing the needs of each pupil 

91%

Linking curriculum learning to careers 

100%

Encounters with employers and employees 

88%

Experiences of workplaces 

100%

Encounters with further and higher education 

58%

Personal guidance 

100%

Further information about the Gatsby benchmarks can be found at gatsby.org.uk

How do we measure impact?

It is important to us that our careers programmes are meeting the needs of our students, employers, and colleagues in other institutions. We measure this by recording all activities carried out in this planner, make use of the Compass Benchmark Tool, and use the methods below. The Careers Lead meets with all staff involved in delivering the careers programme, and our Enterprise Adviser, at the end of each term to review the results of our activities and adjust plans where needed. A summary from this review will be delivered to the senior management team and the board of governors. The following channels are used:

  • Student/ employer engagement
  • Number of careers appointments made 
  • Availability of careers appointments 
  • Attendance at talks and workshops 
  • Number of jobs added to the Jobs Board 
  • UCAS data 
  • Student/ employer feedback at 1:1 meetings and workshops 
  • Involvement with Enterprise Advisor Network, with termly meetings 
  • Surveys following an appointment/ workshop or talk
  • From student forums/ conferences and surveys 
  • Destination and exit surveys  

Careers Statement of Intent

This statement of Intent supports and is underpinned by Plumpton College Strategic Aims and Values, the Operational Development Plan and key college plans, aims and policies for example within work experience, teaching and learning, assessment, and inclusive learning and development. It follows statutory requirements and expectations set out by local, regional and national frameworks for good practice.

View our Careers Statement of Intent