Enrichment and Ofsted

The schools white paper  is clear that enrichment should not be a bolt-on optional extra for the confident and the well-resourced, but an entitlement for all children.

The white paper reveals an enrichment framework which will be published this academic year, setting out benchmarks “on what good enrichment looks like”. Ofsted’s inspection toolkits will then be updated in September, to take account of these benchmarks.

As schools are now being encouraged to focus on academics and enrichment, it is worth consider what we mean by enrichment. It includes play, participation, performance, competition, leadership, volunteering, trips and experiences all things that help children discover and pursue their passions.

These passions could be sport, the outdoors, debating, choir, coding, chess, art, dance, drama, reading groups and the hundred other “extra” things that are, in truth, essential to childhood.

With schools being asked reprioritise enrichment DAG has taken this as its theme for the DAG Conference on 14^th May 2026.  Are you or is someone from your board coming along to understand more about this new requirement? See above for details.