Home / Schools & Colleges / Gatsby Benchmarks / Benchmark 3 / Destination Data and Management

Destination Data and Management

Schools should be sharing accurate and timely data with the local authority on pupil transitions and destinations. Gatsby recommends that schools collect and maintain accurate data for each pupil on their destinations for 3 years after they leave year 11.

A destinations good practice guide has been created and can be viewed below.

Destinations Good Practice Guide

FAQs

Why is the Compass tool asking for 3 years of destination data if it is not a statutory requirement from the DfE? Schools do not have capacity to collect this data.

Our Compass tool was developed in partnership with the Gatsby foundation to assess a school’s performance against the Gatsby benchmarks which state for ‘Schools should collect and maintain accurate data for each pupil on their education, training or employment destinations for at least three years after they leave the school.’ The benchmarks set a high standard of career guidance based on international research and best practice. DfE have recognised that this may be difficult for some schools but encourage schools to begin to put processes in place that will help them make better use of destination data. For ideas on how this can be achieved please refer to the DfE Good Practice Guide.

Is the expectation to collect data for three years after the end of KS4 or for three years after they leave the institution?

The expectation of 3 year destination tracking is from KS4. We would encourage sixth forms / colleges to track from KS5 because we think it would be useful to help reflect on provision and advice given as well as inform future programmes, but it is not an expectation.

Do I need consent from the student to track their destination?

For a school to track a student’s destinations after 16 years old, they will need the young person’s consent (unless the student is at a school sixth form, in which case the school does not need consent). It is recommended that schools routinely seek consent from their students in Year 11 to collect and maintain information on them once they have left school Young people can give consent from the age of 14. The DfE created a good template in their best practice guide which you can tailor for your school.

Do schools still have a statutory obligation to report intended destinations to their Local Authority?

Schools and colleges must report on the intended destinations of Year 11 and 12 students as part of the September guarantee process. Each LA must ensure that every young person has a secured place in an education or training provider up to the age of 18. Each LA has a different timeline and process for this so please check with your own LA.

What is the best way to achieve/maintain accurate and long-term tracking without investing in an expensive system?

There are a number of ways to collect destination data that are not too labour intensive. You could consider:

Setting up a group to manage communication with students after they leave. If you are doing this for a single institution, then setting up a LinkedIn group for each cohort who leave may be effective.
Set up an alumni survey process to gather data once students have left your school.
Put in place data sharing agreements with your local colleges, universities and local authorities to find out if your leavers have enrolled in their institutions.