What is the government's new enrichment framework for schools and colleges?

by Projects Abroad
published 9 October 2026

5 mins read

In June 2026, the Department for Education published its enrichment framework for schools and colleges. It is non-statutory guidance, but it sits alongside the Schools White Paper commitment to a core enrichment entitlement for every pupil, and it is the clearest picture yet of what the DfE considers a strong offer. 

The framework signals a welcome shift towards more holistic education, and it raises expectations of school leadership. With Ofsted now taking enrichment into account, schools need clear evidence of a high-quality offer and its impact. 

What is the new enrichment framework? 

The enrichment framework is a structured guidance tool to help schools and post-16 further education colleges plan, strengthen and evaluate their co-curricular and extracurricular provision. 

The guidance is non-statutory, so institutions are not legally required to follow it. It does, however, sit alongside the Schools White Paper commitment to a core enrichment entitlement for every pupil and the National Youth Strategy, which aims to halve the participation gap in enriching activities for disadvantaged young people by 2035. Together, these position enrichment as a core part of a young person's education rather than an optional extra. 

The eight enrichment benchmarks

The framework is built around eight benchmarks. Think of them as a checklist to conduct your own audit of your enrichment provision. 

1. Strategic alignment. Enrichment should connect to your school's wider aims rather than being bolted on. A useful question for schools: can you explain how your offer supports your curriculum intent and your vision for pupils?

A broad, well-rounded offer. Pupils should have access to activities across five focus areas: 

• Civic engagement and community
• Arts and culture
• Sports and physical activity
• Nature, outdoors, and adventure
• Developing wider life skills, such as STEM or digital literacy 

Schools should be thinking, "Where are our gaps?" Most schools are strong in one or two areas and thinner in others.

2. Communication and celebration. The offer should be clearly communicated, and participation and achievement should be celebrated. Would a pupil or parent know what's available and how to get involved?

3. Community-shaped. Pupils, parents and the wider community should help shape what's on offer. The aim is for enrichment to reflect the interests, needs and circumstances of the people it serves.

4. Accessible and engaging. Schools are encouraged to ask who could be missing out and why. Cost, transport, timing, confidence and awareness can all be barriers. Schools need to ask, "who isn't taking part?"

5. Partnerships. Schools are encouraged to work with local, national and international organisations to share the load of delivering enrichment. 

6. Outcomes focused. Impact should be measured and monitored, with data collected to show what difference enrichment is making. This is the one many schools find hardest. Attendance registers show who turned up, not what they got from it.

7. Continuous improvement. The offer should be reviewed regularly and improved based on evidence.

How Projects Abroad helps schools to meet the framework

For over 30 years, Projects Abroad has delivered safe, immersive global experiences for young people. We work directly with teachers to fit group travel into your existing enrichment plan, so it supports your framework review rather than sitting beside it.

Strategic alignment

Every Projects Abroad programme is built around the school's own aims. We map each project to the school's curriculum intent and to the framework benchmarks so that leaders can show how a trip fits within their enrichment plan. 

To support this, our programmes are built on our Global Citizenship Framework (GCF), a structured educational model grounded in UNESCO's Global Citizenship Education model. Schools can map the learning outcomes directly to their own curriculum, which makes it straightforward to show how the trip supports what they are already teaching.

Outcomes focused

The framework asks schools to measure and monitor the impact of enrichment, with data to show what difference it makes. With our programmes for schools, measurement and reflection are built into the trip itself, so schools have evidence of what students gain without adding homework. The activities are short and led by conversation.

• Student self-reflections: Personal reflection activities are built into both the beginning and the end of the trip, and students are asked to score themselves on global citizenship measures - providing a clear record of progress.
• Group debriefs and journal: Regular group debriefs and a weekly reflection, supported by a journal, enables students to share highlights, difficult moments and new ideas.

On-site staff are trained to facilitate these sessions and to help students connect their experience to their studies, career aspirations and lives at home. Together, the scorecards and reflections give schools portfolio material for their own impact reporting and for evidencing their offer to Ofsted.

How Projects Abroad meets the 5 key pillars of enrichment

Alongside the eight benchmarks, the Department of Education has broken effective enrichment down into five core focus areas that schools should aim to offer. 

When it comes to meeting the benchmark set by the government, our overseas programmes hit each pillar of the new framework.

1. Civic engagement and community

What it is: Opportunities for pupils to give their time to others, understand their responsibilities as citizens, and take part in projects that benefit a community.

How we deliver it: On our group trips, students volunteer on community development projects, support local conservation efforts, or assist in healthcare and educational settings overseas. They learn about civic duty and then put it into practice, working on real projects alongside local people.

2. Arts and culture

What it is: Experiences that introduce pupils to creative work, heritage and different ways of life, building appreciation and cultural understanding.

How we deliver it: Many of our trips visit UNESCO World Heritage Sites and world-famous landmarks, including Angkor Wat and Machu Picchu, allowing students to appreciate global achievement and architecture firsthand. Just as importantly, our programmes put students in direct contact with living cultures. Pupils meet and learn from local communities, from the Bribri people in Costa Rica to the Maasai in Tanzania, discovering traditions, crafts and ways of life through real conversation and shared experience. Together, these experiences give students direct access to arts and culture in a global context. 

3. Nature, outdoors, and adventure

What it is: Hands-on, real-world learning, including time in the natural world, that builds independence, resilience and readiness for work.

How we deliver it: Our Conservation & Environment programmes take learning outside of the classroom and place it in some of the planet's most vital ecosystems. Working alongside expert scientists and local conservationists, students learn from people who work in the field every day, gaining practical skills and insight into real careers in conservation and environmental science. Seeing industry experts at work inspires students to think differently about their own futures while actively contributing to ongoing research, habitat restoration, and environmental protection initiatives.

4. Sport and physical activity

What it is: Regular opportunities for pupils to be active and take on physical challenges, supporting their health and wellbeing.

How we deliver it: Our Expedition programmes include outdoor trekking, with trips in Cambodia, Tanzania and beyond, so students take on a physical challenge outdoors as part of a group. Working together through demanding outdoor environments teaches students perseverance, leadership, and physical discipline, helping them build confidence, trust in their peers, and a lasting appreciation for an active lifestyle. We can also offer Sports Coaching programmes in a range of destinations, giving students another way to stay active and share their skills through sport. 

5. STEM and academic enrichment

What it is: Chances to apply science, technology, engineering, maths and other academic subjects beyond the timetable.

How we deliver it: Trips like our Medicine & Healthcare programmes connect what students learn in class to real-world practice, with expert staff and local professionals on hand. The same hands-on approach runs through our Engineering programme in Sri Lanka, where students apply technical skills and problem-solving to practical, real-world projects. Whether it's shadowing doctors in hospitals or learning from international human rights lawyers, these experiences give students rare insight into professional life and strengthen their UCAS applications and CVs. 

Take enrichment beyond the classroom

If you're an educator thinking about how to strengthen your school's enrichment offering, an international school trip can provide a meaningful way to support your wider aims.

Projects Abroad works with schools and colleges to design structured overseas experiences that contribute to students' personal development, global awareness and wider skills. We also take care of the practicalities, including risk assessments, logistics and 24/7 in-country support, helping teachers deliver high-quality enrichment without adding unnecessary administrative burden.

Explore our tailored group trips for schools and colleges, or get in touch with our team today to discover how we can help you create an unforgettable global enrichment experience for your students.