The Quality in Careers Standard and The Primary Award

At edt, we are proud to serve as an awarding body accredited by the Quality in Careers Consortium – offering the Quality in Careers Standard and The Primary Award.

The Quality in Careers Standard 

We are a licensed awarding body to support, assess, and accredit secondary schools, colleges and independent training providers against the Quality in Careers Standard nationally. The standard is designed to celebrate and accredit excellent careers education and guidance, and demonstrate the quality and value of careers education, information, advice, and guidance (CEIAG) provision. 

The standard is accessible in England, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands, and is fully aligned with the updated Gatsby Benchmarks for ‘good career guidance.’ It is by, and fully complies with the Department for Education’s revised careers statutory guidance published in May 2025.

Start your journey to the Quality in Careers Standard today

Benefits of the Quality in Careers Standard:

• gives you a framework for outstanding careers education and guidance
• supports you in preparing for Ofsted inspections
• raises attainment, aspirations and motivations
• focuses on careers as a whole-school approach.

How it works

We offer a two-stage approach to ensure that you are supported at every stage of your journey:

We will allocate a careers consultant to work with you to achieve the standard and help bring the evidence together. The time spent with this consultant is dependent on the package purchased.

Our consultant will help you collect evidence and complete a workbook to show how you meet the necessary criteria.

Our independent assessor will also visit you to examine your evidence and make an informed judgement regarding whether you have achieved the standard. 

The Primary Inspiring Careers Award for primary schools has been developed by edt. It is endorsed by the National Quality in Careers Standard Consortium Board. The Award has been designed to recognise excellence in primary careers education where pupils are offered inspiring and exciting insights into the world of work and are provided with regular opportunities to develop their career understanding and skills.  

The Primary Careers Award is a widely recognised standard for careers education. It helps you enhance your curriculum with clear guidelines and quality resources, ensuring best practices are integrated throughout. The process features an independent review of your careers programme and ends with a certificate that acknowledges your effective practice.

Showcase your commitment to every student’s future today

Frequently asked questions 

How much does the Quality in Careers Standard cost?

We offer different packages to suit the varied types of support schools may need, so the cost depends on the package you buy. Please contact us directly for more information on the packages we offer.

How will my school be assessed?

The Quality in Careers Consortium sets the national criteria for the standard, however, each awarding body will interpret this differently.

Our approach is split into two phases. The first phase focuses on leadership and management of careers, culminating in an online assessment.

After successful completion, you will move into phase two, which looks at how your school implements careers education, and the impact this has on students.

Once you have completed this phase, an assessor will complete the final assessment, either by visiting you in person or meeting with you virtually.

What type of support will I receive?

Our approach is consultancy-led – you’ll have a dedicated consultant assigned based on the level of support you need. They’ll advise on the evidence required, help you gather and organise it, and prepare for assessment. We ask schools to complete a workbook which you will then upload to an e-portfolio.

How long does the Quality in Careers Standard award last?

The award will last for three years. During this period, our team will meet you annually to discuss progress since your last assessment and get you ready for reassessment.

What type of certification will I get?

There will be two forms of public recognition through certification.

Phase one: Intent Certificate – ‘Committed to working towards the standard’

You will be authorised to use the words ‘Committed to work towards the standard incorporating the Gatsby Benchmarks’ on your materials until external assessment takes place.

Phase two: External Assessment – ‘Fully meets the Standard’

Learning providers that are assessed and accredited as ‘fully meeting’ all the national assessment criteria for the Quality in Careers Standard (incorporating meeting the Benchmarks) will receive an accreditation certificate from edt. You will also be authorised to use the Quality in Careers logo and the words ‘Nationally accredited by the Quality in Careers Standard’.