Schools across England are considering what the Department for Education’s new Enrichment Framework and Enrichment Benchmarks mean for their pupils, staff and wider school community. While the framework represents a significant new focus on enrichment, many schools may be closer to meeting the benchmarks than they realise.
To help schools understand the changes and identify practical next steps, the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom (CLOtC) is hosting a free online event, Making Sense of the New Enrichment Framework, on Thursday 24 September from 3.45pm to 4.45pm.
What is the Enrichment Framework?
Published by the Department for Education in June 2026, the Enrichment Framework provides schools and colleges with a structure for planning, evaluating and strengthening enrichment opportunities for all young people. It is built around five key areas of activity:
- Civic Engagement
- Arts and culture
- Nature, outdoors and adventure
- Sport and physical activity
- Wider life and future skills
Alongside these areas sit eight Enrichment Benchmarks designed to help schools develop a strategically planned, inclusive, accessible and continually improving enrichment offer that supports pupils’ personal development, wellbeing and future success.
For many schools, enrichment is already part of the curriculum and wider school life through educational visits, residentials, outdoor learning, volunteering, employer engagement, cultural experiences and extracurricular activities. The challenge is often not creating new opportunities, but bringing existing provision together into a coherent whole-school approach and demonstrating its impact.
Learning Beyond the Classroom is enrichment in action
Learning beyond the classroom is central to the government’s vision for enrichment, with many schools already delivering the opportunities outlined in the framework through both the school day and after-school programmes.
An initial mapping exercise carried out by CLOtC found that its existing frameworks align closely with the new Enrichment Benchmarks, meaning that schools do not need to start from scratch. Instead, they can build on what is already working and use tried and tested support to strengthen, evidence and sustain their enrichment offer.
Supporting schools with confidence
The upcoming online event will be led by Clare Carlin, Education Programme Manager at CLOtC, and will provide practical guidance for school leaders, teachers, Educational Visit Coordinators (EVCs), personal development leads and anyone responsible for enrichment within their setting.
Participants will explore:
- What the Enrichment Framework and Benchmarks mean in practice
- How existing enrichment activity contributes towards the framework
- Where potential gaps may exist
- How learning beyond the classroom supports the framework’s ambitions
- Practical approaches to evidencing enrichment
- How the LOtC Mark can support schools on their enrichment journey.
“We understand that schools are concerned that the new framework could mean additional work at a time when staff are already managing significant pressures. The reassuring message is that most schools are already delivering a wealth of enrichment through learning beyond the classroom. This session will help schools recognise what they are already doing well, understand how it aligns with the benchmarks and identify practical steps to strengthen and evidence their provision with confidence.”
Clare Carlin, Education Programme Manager, CLOtC
Join us
This free session will provide practical advice, reassurance and opportunities to learn from CLOtC’s extensive experience supporting schools.
Event: Making Sense of the New Enrichment Framework
Date: Thursday 24 September 2026
Time: 3.45pm to 4.45pm
Format: Online and free to attend
