As Orchard Mead Academy and Rushey Mead Academy open their doors this October for Interview Technique sessions delivered through our Altogether Now project in partnership with the We Discover programme, it’s worth pausing to consider how careers education in mainstream settings can (and must) adapt to meet the needs of young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
More than one million young people in England are recognised as having SEND. Good careers guidance is not a “nice to have” for these students, it’s essential to their successful transition to adult life. Recent analyses and local projects show both progress and pressing gaps: frameworks such as the Gatsby Benchmarks and national guidance make clear what effective provision looks like, while local initiatives like We Discover demonstrate how tailored delivery can improve outcomes. At the same time, national reporting highlights capacity and funding challenges that risk undermining inclusion unless schools and partners act strategically.
The Gatsby Benchmarks remain the evidence-based foundation for “world-class” careers guidance. Importantly, the Gatsby SEND guidance emphasises inclusion: “Good career guidance ensures that all young people, whatever their needs, background or ambitions, know the options open to them.” This makes it explicit that benchmarks should be applied with adaptations and creativity when working with students who have SEND.
Inclusive careers education demands both clarity of intent and flexibility of delivery. The Gatsby Benchmarks give us the “what” and the research-backed standards; statutory guidance for EHCPs and local initiatives like our Altogether Now project show the “how” in practice. When mainstream schools intentionally tailor careers curriculum to the individual students with SEND gain not only better access to opportunities but the real prospect of sustained employment and fulfilling adult lives.
Our work with SEND young people is funded through the Henry Smith Foundation, so we thank them for giving Leicestershire Cares the opportunity to get involved in this work.
If you would like to get involved and volunteer to make a difference at one of our school events, contact Bella on bella@leicestershirecares.co.uk
Sources and further reading
- Gatsby Benchmarks — SEND guidance and overview. Gatsby Benchmarks+1
- Careers & Enterprise Company — Insight Briefing: Gatsby Benchmark results 2024/25. The Careers and Enterprise Company
- GOV.UK — Careers guidance and access for education and training providers (EHCP / Preparing for Adulthood advice). GOV.UK