Quality in Careers Standard Award

The Quality in Careers Standard Award is a nationally recognised award and is one of the highest accolades a school can receive for excellence in this area of school life.

Harrogate Grammar School had to complete a number of reassessment stages and submit another portfolio of evidence to receive the full award for a further three years and was complimented again on the excellent submission and many examples of excellent practice across the school’s career programme demonstrating its commitment to providing outstanding impartial, independent careers education, information, advice and guidance for all young people.

The external assessors commented on the excellent knowledge, help and support provided for students to enable them make informed decisions about their future and how well the school works with all students to continue improving their awareness of opportunities as well as raising their aspirations and ensuring that all students achieve their full potential. The school’s ability to also adapt the delivery of its careers programme during school closures through the pandemic was complimented with the assessors saying that, “it was a pleasure to see the excellent work you are doing at HGS, to continue supporting students and fully meeting all the accreditation criteria, incorporating the Gatsby benchmarks.”

Harrogate Grammar School offers a wide range of careers education related activities such as the annual careers fair, careers themed super learning days, a variety of careers and options events presentations, a careers curriculum delivered by form tutors for all year groups along with additional careers themed packages of support for sixth form students and work experience programmes for students in Years 11 and 12. In addition, students have access to an external fully qualified careers adviser, which was also complimented in the final report.