A Compass evaluation enables education settings to quickly and easily evaluate their careers activity against the eight Gatsby Benchmarks.
The Compass evaluation feature was built in partnership with the Gatsby Charitable Foundation to help practitioners easily discover their education setting's strengths and find areas for improvement.
Completing a Compass evaluation is simple: just answer the questions in the evaluation and Compass+/Compass will calculate the evaluation results for you.
- Systematically monitor your education setting's progress towards achieving the eight Gatsby Benchmarks
- Quickly and easily identify gaps in your careers provision
- Identify areas of strength in your careers provision
- Use results to support Internal leadership reviews
- Compare your progress against previous Compass evaluations
A Compass evaluation takes approximately 30 minutes to complete.
If you start an evaluation but need to stop half way through, you can save your progress anytime and come back to it later to finish answering the questions.
There are three types of Compass evaluation. Click on the links below to view and download:
- Compass evaluation for schools
- Compass evaluation for specialist settings
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Compass evaluation for FE and ITPs
If you think the Compass evaluation for specialist settings may be more suitable, the decision about which version of the Compass evaluation to use will rest on two key factors:
- Firstly, if your setting is identified by the Department of Education as a Special School by your setting's URN, you will automatically be assigned the Compass evaluation for specialist settings without having to do anything different when you log in to Compass or Compass+ to complete a Compass evaluation
- Secondly, when you start a new Compass evaluation, you will be asked if 75% or more of your students typically take Level 2/GCSE qualifications…
If 75% or more of your learners typically do take or could take Level 2/GCSE qualifications, the Compass for schools evaluation could be the most appropriate evaluation type for your setting.
If 75% or more of your learners do not typically take Level 2/GCSE qualifications, the Compass evaluation for specialist settings may be the most appropriate evaluation type for your setting.
There are PDF versions for all Compass evaluation types available below to help you decide which evaluation type is the most appropriate for your setting. After reviewing these, if you feel that another Compass evaluation type will be more appropriate, please contact the Help Desk and submit a support request.
In the 'Description' box, please tell us the Compass evaluation type you currently have on your Compass/Compass+ account, the Compass evaluation type you think you should have and the reasons why.
Please note: If your institution is registered as Post 16, including those with a URN, you must proceed with the Compass evaluation for FE/ITP evaluation, moving to a school evaluation is not possible.
If you work in a Higher Education Institution (HEI) and you want to use the Compass evaluation, please refer to the Compass evaluation for FE/ITPs.
Please note: When registering for new Compass+ accounts, if there is no administrator at the HEI to approve new accounts, or the administrator doesn’t approve, our Help Desk will contact the HEI's Faculty Manager or a Head of Department to authorise each new Compass+ account.
Compass evaluation data can be used in a variety of different ways to support the delivery of an effective careers programme.
- Incorporate Compass evaluation results in reporting processes for key careers stakeholders i,e SLT/Governors
Use Data visualisations to quickly analyse the data and provide a summary overview of your results. Include actions and activities you intend to deliver to improve or maintain results. Share Compass evaluation results with key stakeholders involved in the delivery of careers within your education setting.
- Use Compass evaluation results to support Internal leadership reviews
Complete a Compass evaluation every term, then use this data to inform your annual Internal leadership review (further guidance on this can be found here > Careers Impact System.)
- Compass evaluations contribute towards effective Impact Evaluation
Effective impact evaluation identifies what difference the careers programme makes to young people. Understanding the link between careers activities and outcomes for young people helps to ensure that careers programmes are high quality, effective and responsive. Often what makes a difference is not just what the activity is, but how it is delivered. Find out more about impact evaluation on the Resource Directory.
- Communicate results and progress to key stakeholders
Help to increase engagement in and awareness of careers to make improvements that ensure every young person is able to find their best next step.
You could publish Compass evaluation results on the Careers page of your education setting's website, share progress towards achieving the Gatsby Benchmarks with staff at CPD events/staff training, send information home to parents/carers about what you plan to do as a result of your Compass evaluation and how it links to the support provided to their children.
- Use Compass evaluation data to inform your careers strategy and inform future planning
Compass evaluation results help to quickly identify key areas for future activity and enable staff to have a clear and up-to-date picture of performance.