Careers in the curriculum for every KS3 subject, ready to teach.
A 20-minute careers lesson in each subject, every term, for Years 7 to 9. Each one links a real job to the unit pupils are already studying. Teachers mark it as taught, pupils complete a check that marks itself, and your Benchmark 4 evidence builds itself.
English, maths, science, computing, geography, history, languages, RE, art, design and technology, music, drama and PE. Three lessons per subject per year: Autumn, Spring and Summer.
Benchmark 4 is the one schools find hardest to evidence.
Every teacher, every subject
Gatsby Benchmark 4, linking curriculum learning to careers, asks all subject teachers to show how their subject leads to jobs. That’s a lot to plan on top of a full timetable.
Hard to prove it happened
A careers slide in a lesson rarely gets recorded, so the careers lead can’t show which pupils met which careers, or whether it made a difference.
Generic careers talk doesn’t stick
Pupils engage when the job uses what they’re learning that week, not when careers is a bolt-on at the end of term.
Plan nothing. Teach 20 minutes. No marking.
Open your subject
Teachers find their subject in the Teach io careers hub. This term’s lesson for each year group is at the top.
Teach the task
Starter, job spotlight, a 10-minute activity using the current unit, and a quick reflection. Mini-whiteboards and exercise books are all you need.
Mark it as taught
Tick your classes. Every pupil in them is linked to the lesson, and you untick anyone who was absent.
Pupils check themselves
Pupils answer three multiple-choice questions that mark themselves instantly, see the right answers, and say whether they could see themselves doing the job. No AI, no teacher marking.
Who uses this? A journalist.
Linked to a myths and legends unit. Pupils use inference and embedded evidence, the skills they’re already practising, to report on Theseus like a journalist.
- Starter (3 min): pupils read a headline about the Minotaur and say what it makes them infer.
- Job spotlight (5 min): what journalists do, how they check sources, and how they separate evidence from opinion.
- Subject in action (10 min): pupils write a headline and a three-sentence news opening with one embedded quotation and one clearly signalled inference.
- Reflect (2 min): “Could you see yourself doing this job?”, then a three-question check on Teach io that marks itself.
- A clear objective tied to the unit you’re teaching
- Timed teacher script and pupil instructions
- Key vocabulary and the kit you need
- Support and stretch for each class
- A three-question self-marking check for pupils, with instant feedback
- Real pay, local job outlook and routes in for pupils
- A printable version for cover lessons
Three careers a year in every KS3 subject.
Autumn asks “Who uses this?”, Spring puts skills into action on a real problem, and Summer shows how to get there, linking to GCSE options in Year 9.
| Subject | Year 7 | Year 8 | Year 9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Journalist · copywriter · librarian | Solicitor · speech and language therapist · marketing executive | Scriptwriter · PR officer · teacher |
| Maths | Accountant · quantity surveyor · data analyst | Engineer · logistics planner · finance officer | Software developer · statistician · electrician |
| Science | Lab technician · paramedic · vet nurse | Pharmacist · environmental scientist · food scientist | Radiographer · automotive engineer · forensic scientist |
| Computing | Game designer · IT support · web designer | Cyber security · data analyst · robotics technician | Software apprentice · AI specialist · network engineer |
| Geography | Town planner · tour guide · surveyor | Environmental consultant · logistics manager · GIS analyst | Transport planner · flood engineer · sustainability officer |
| History | Museum curator · archaeologist · archivist | Police officer · journalist · heritage officer | Solicitor · civil servant · researcher |
| Languages | Cabin crew · hotel receptionist · translator | Export sales · tour rep · customer service | International business · armed forces linguist · teacher |
| RE | Youth worker · chaplain · charity worker | Social worker · counsellor · police officer | Lawyer · nurse · community development worker |
| Art | Illustrator · graphic designer · animator | Architect · fashion designer · photographer | UX designer · games artist · set designer |
| D&T | Carpenter · product designer · chef | Engineer · CAD technician · electrician | Automotive designer · manufacturing apprentice · architect |
| Music | Sound engineer · musician · music teacher | Music producer · events manager · live events technician | Music therapist · games audio designer · arts administrator |
| Drama | Actor · presenter · stage manager | Lighting technician · drama therapist · teacher | TV producer · lawyer · sales executive |
| PE | Sports coach · physiotherapist · PE teacher | Personal trainer · sports journalist · groundskeeper | Firefighter · armed forces · sports scientist |
Benchmark 4 evidence you can show an inspector.
Ofsted looks at careers as part of personal development, and the Gatsby Benchmarks are the national standard for good career guidance. Careers in the curriculum gives you a record of what every pupil has done, subject by subject.
- A grid of which classes have been taught each subject’s lesson this year
- Each pupil’s careers record, including the jobs they’ve met in lessons and their reflections
- Every pupil’s check score, marked automatically, with no AI and no teacher marking
- Pupil voice: “Could you see yourself doing this job?” for every career
- One-click export of Benchmark 4 activity for your Compass+ upload
- Part of Teach io Careers, alongside aspirations, labour market information, events and guidance
Careers in the curriculum: FAQs
What is Gatsby Benchmark 4?
Benchmark 4 is “linking curriculum learning to careers”. It expects all teachers to link their subject to careers, so pupils see how what they learn in class is used at work. Schools in England are expected to work towards all eight Gatsby Benchmarks.
How long does each careers lesson take?
About 20 minutes inside a normal subject lesson: a 3-minute starter, a 5-minute job spotlight, a 10-minute activity using the current unit and a 2-minute reflection.
Do teachers need to plan or prepare anything?
No. Each lesson has a timed teacher script, pupil instructions, vocabulary and any short model text written in. Most need only mini-whiteboards or exercise books.
Does it fit our scheme of work?
Each lesson is tied to a typical KS3 unit for that term. If your sequence is different, teachers can use the lesson for that year group at any point in the term, as the activity uses core subject skills.
How is it recorded for Compass+?
When a teacher marks a lesson as taught, every pupil in the class is linked to it. The careers lead downloads a Benchmark 4 file, one row per pupil, ready to check against the Compass+ upload template.
What do pupils see?
After the lesson, pupils open the task on their careers page. It shows the job, typical pay and local job outlook where data exists, and routes in such as college, apprenticeships and university. They answer three multiple-choice questions that mark themselves instantly, then see the correct answers with a short explanation.
Do teachers have to mark anything?
No. Every check is self-marking from a fixed answer key, so there is no teacher marking and no AI marking. Scores appear in the careers hub as soon as pupils finish.
Bring careers into every KS3 lesson.
See the careers hub, a full subject’s lessons and the pupil reflection in a short demo.