Bringing enrichment front and centre in schools: a welcome shift with caveats
On 4 November 2025, an article in Schools Week reported that the Department for Education (DfE) plans to publish a set of new enrichment benchmarks that schools are expected to meet—and that the Ofsted will consider during inspections. Schools Week
The benchmarks are structured around five key categories: civic engagement; arts and culture; nature, outdoors and adventure; sport and physical activities; and developing wider life-skills (e.g., cooking, debating, managing finances, coding). Schools Week The aim is for every pupil to “have access to activities across the five categories of enrichment”. Schools Week
At first glance this is an encouraging move. For too long, extra-curricular activities and enrichment have been seen as optional rather than integral to a child’s education. According to the article, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson is quoted as saying such activities “don’t take away from academic achievement, they add to it”. Schools Week
There is good evidence to support that claim: for example, the Education Policy Institute (EPI) has found that pupils participating in enrichment activities have higher chances of progressing into higher education and employment. Schools Week
The problem: cuts in school budgets and added expectations
However, the article also soundingly warns that many schools are already under severe financial pressure. The EPI data (via a survey by the Sutton Trust) show that around half of schools reported cutting spending on trips and outings last year; and more than a quarter (27 %) cut back on sports and extracurricular activity funding. Schools Week
In this context, adding a new set of expectations—which will factor into inspections—raises real practical questions. One voice captured by the article is that of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), whose general secretary Pepe Di’lasio described the benchmarks as “randomly announced” and pointed out that they will join “the many expectations over which schools are judged without a word about how this will be resourced”. Schools Week
Simply put: it is one thing to say that enrichment matters and that schools should deliver; it is quite another to equip schools with the resources, time and staff capacity to deliver consistently across five broad categories.
Why this matters: equity, access and the wider education mission
The benchmarks also carry a strong equity dimension. The article quotes the chief executive of the EPI, Natalie Perera, who emphasises that while enrichment brings “longer-lasting benefits … through the development of soft skills, improved health, cognitive development, and … new friendships”, the government must consider how disadvantaged young people can fully access such activities, given that they often involve both direct and indirect costs to parents. Schools Week
Similarly, the chief executive of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award said the announcement was a “watershed moment” that could help ensure every pupil—regardless of background—can access enriching experiences. Schools Week
That is the promise: schools that go beyond exam-results and offering only the core academic curriculum, by embedding personal development, cultural capital and broader life-skills. For pupils in less advantaged settings, those opportunities can make a real difference in aspiration, engagement and long-term outcomes.
Key questions and what schools should watch
- How will the benchmarks be defined and measured? The article makes clear that the DfE will publish the benchmarks and that Ofsted will “consider as part of routine inspection how this expectation is being met”. Schools Week But further detail will be needed: what counts as “access to activities”; how many, how often; how is quality judged?
- How will schools be supported to deliver? The warning from ASCL is pertinent. If schools are already cutting enrichment because of tight budgets, simply adding another expectation may lead to stress, tick-box culture or uneven delivery across schools and pupils.
- How do we ensure equitable access? Schools need to consider barrier-removal (e.g., cost of trips, transport, equipment, time away from core lessons) so that enrichment is not the preserve of more advantaged pupils.
- How will schools integrate this with existing priorities? Many schools balance exam outcomes, curriculum reform, behavior expectations, parental engagement and budget constraints. The article notes this is “at least the fifth set of expectations announced by Labour for schools since they took power” (behaviour, parental engagement, post-16 study, careers education). Schools Week
Conclusion: a bold direction, but delivery will be everything
In summary: the DfE’s move to make enrichment an inspectable expectation is bold and welcome in principle. It shifts the narrative that schooling is only about test scores toward a broader vision of educating the whole child. For pupils, especially those from less advantaged backgrounds, richer experiences in culture, outdoors, civic life and life-skills can open doors and build capacity for the 21st-century world.
Yet the ambition must be matched by investment, clarity and realistic implementation. Without that, the risk is that schools will struggle, or that enrichment becomes a superficial add-on rather than deeply embedded. As schools survey their budgets, staffing and student needs this term, this expectation will need to be a carefully-planned part of the whole school strategy—not just another item on the inspection checklist.
For leaders, governors and teachers, the next step is to map their current offer: which of the five categories are strong, which are patchy; where are cost-drivers; how are pupils experiencing the offer; and what additional resource or partnership will support meaningful enrichment for all. If done well, this could mark a genuine shift in how we understand schooling. If done poorly, it risks widening inequalities or over-burdening busy systems.
Ultimately: the ambition is right. The details and delivery will determine success.