General Careers Information

Sutton House Academy is proud to announce its commitment to the new Careers Strategy which was unveiled in 2017. As part of this new initiative, the Academy has firmly aligned itself towards achieving the Gatsby Benchmarks. In short, the Gatsby Benchmarks have a key role in:

  • Raising young people’s aspirations and promoting access to all career pathways.
  • Enabling all young people to develop the skills and outlook they need to achieve career wellbeing, including adaptability and resilience.
  • Underpinning the Department for Education guidance to schools on meeting their statutory responsibility for career guidance.

With Sutton House Academy being a SEMH (Social, Emotional and Mental Health) school, the “Gatsby Approach” as such, remains essential to us having a dynamic careers and enterprise provision. This new system of good career guidance revolves around the 8 Gatsby Benchmarks, which are:

  • A stable careers programme
  • Learning from career and labour market information
  • Addressing the needs of each pupil
  • Linking curriculum to careers
  • Encounters with employers and employees
  • Experience with workplaces
  • Encounters with further and higher education
  • Personal guidance

The Gatsby Benchmarks spell out in clear terms how Sutton House Academy will attempt to support every pupil in terms of their career and employability prospects. The idea is that our pupils get exactly the same access and opportunities as mainstream pupils, in order to make sure that pupils are both well informed and suitably equipped to take on further and higher education challenges, or move confidently into the world of employment. As soon as our pupils enter key stage 3, we plan on directing a ‘tailor-made’ careers support programme which meets the individual needs of our pupils. Not only will pupils look at careers and the associated world of employment in lessons but they will also have the opportunity of visiting businesses and workplace environments to gain first-hand knowledge of what it takes within the workplace. Sutton House Academy will also arrange for educational and enterprise agencies to come into the classroom and allow our pupils to gain more insight on the wide range of career choices that are available.

The plan further includes Sutton House Academy pupils attending career fairs and other events to gather as much information and make as many connections as possible. Sutton House Academy will embed into its practice the importance of making the most appropriate career choices together with getting ready the workplace. From assemblies to educational trips, our pupils will get to harvest the excellent experiences to help them prepare for personal success, achievement and fulfilment. Key to the delivery of careers information and work prospects will be individualised plans for each of our pupils. The vision is to devise and unroll a meaningful programme which reaches out to as many agencies and organisations (local and further afield) so that our pupils have as much information, support and guidance necessary, to allow them to flourish beyond their time at Sutton House Academy.


Sutton House Careers Leader:

Name: A.Bull or J.O'Connor

Email: info@suttonhouse.org.uk 

Phone: 01702 904 633


Good Career Guidance and further resources can be downloaded from https://www.gatsby.org.uk/education/focus-areas

Careers Education Information, Advice & Guidance Policy

The impact of the Sutton House Careers' programme on pupils is how successful students are once they leave Sutton House Academy, destinations of Sutton House Year 11 leavers are regularly monitored.

Careers Review / Careers Programmes

Careers Hub - Reports

Next review of Sutton House Careers Programme: Summer 2023


Labour Market Information - https://www.southend.gov.uk/info/200208/business_support_and_advice/798/ambition_southend

Guide to Careers & Job Opportunities for Young People - https://www.essexesb.co.uk/files/e7aac-Careers%20Fact%20Sheet%20Booklet%202017-18%20Online.pdf

Ofsted