Careers & Higher Education

"Leaders have expanded the careers programme to provide regular one to one guidance to pupils in the Senior School. A busy programme of activities is mapped against national benchmarks."



INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS INSPECTORATE (ISI), FEBRUARY 2024

Careers & Higher Education Guidance

As part of their education at Dover College, all of our pupils are entitled to receive careers education, information, advice, and guidance. Our programme has been designed so that it meets the needs of all pupils, whether they join us in our Prep School or later on in the Senior School. 

We are committed to ensuring that all pupils acquire the requisite values, skills, and knowledge to manage their careers learning and explore their aspirations. Our careers programme ensures that all pupils can  make informed, independent, and aspirational decisions at each key transition point. They leave Dover College  with the confidence and skills they need in order to navigate their chosen pathway in higher education or the world of work. Our programme of careers education is delivered through lessons, workshops, assemblies, our Sixth Form Laborem programme, in subject lessons and in one-off Careers events.

The careers programme for Prep School and Senior School is presented in the form of their journey through education into the wider world. 

Prep School to Remove (Year 8) Careers Programme

Third Form (Year 9) to Fifth Form (Year 11) Careers Programme

Sixth Form Careers Programme

The quality of our programme has been externally recognised by The Quality in Careers Standard, accredited by Investor in Careers.

Our Careers programme ensures all pupils:

  • Are aware of the full range of employment, education, and training options available
  • Can make informed choices about their future options based on relevant Labour Market Information, meaningful encounters with employers and education providers, and impartial information and advice
  • Develop transferable employability skills which will help them excel in the current labour market
  • Reflect on their personal strengths and skills in order to make appropriate and aspirational decisions about their future
  • Leave school equipped with the knowledge, ambition, and confidence to successfully pursue their chosen career pathway


All pupils are entitled to, and will receive:

  • A comprehensive programme of CEIAG 
  • Personalised support and access to independent and impartial information and guidance on the full range of careers, education, and training options available to enable them to manage and plan each key transition point effectively. This will include for GCSE Options, post-16 Choices and post-18 decision making including applications to university and apprenticeships.
  • Chances to take part in meaningful encounters with a broad range of employers, education providers, and training providers
  • Support appropriate to individual needs, with particular attention paid to students with recognised individual needs.


The Gatsby Benchmarks

The objectives of our Careers programme are mapped against the Gatsby Foundation Benchmarks of Good Careers Guidance and are as follows:

  1. To ensure that all pupils at Dover College receive a stable careers programme.
  2. To enable all pupils to learn from up-to-date information provided by the career and labour market.
  3. To provide a CEIAG programme that addresses the needs of each individual pupil.
  4. To link the curriculum learning to careers learning.
  5. To provide pupils with a series of meaningful encounters with employers and employees.
  6. To provide pupils with experience(s) of workplace(s).
  7. To ensure that pupils have a series of encounters with further and higher education.
  8. To provide each pupils with the opportunity to receive independent personal guidance.


We have developed our careers provision over the last 18 months to ensure that we meet, and continue to meet all eight of the Gatsby Benchmarks.

Find out more about how we are meeting The Gatsby Benchmarks here.

Read our CEIAG and Provider Access Policy.

Impact Measurement & Evaluation

The quality and impact of our Careers programme remains under continuous review. We collect and evaluate feedback from a variety of stakeholders including pupils, staff, parents, and providers.

The careers provision is reviewed annually, including through use of the Compass evaluation tool. We measure the effectiveness of the programme with reference to our destination data in comparison to national and equivalent figures.

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