Schools in disadvantaged communities in every local authority district in the North East are to benefit from investment and tailored support to expand access to enrichment opportunities.
Thousands of young people will get the chance to join sports teams, learn an instrument, or take part in debating and outdoor adventures, helping them build confidence, develop new skills and stay engaged both in and out of education, said the government.
More than 400 secondary schools across England will benefit from tailored support backed by £22.5mn through the government’s Enrichment Expansion programme.
The investment will help schools broaden opportunities for pupils by putting on more activities during the school day or after school ranging from music groups, engineering clubs and debating societies to football teams, volunteering projects and outdoor learning programmes.
Building confidence
By building confidence, skills and a sense of belonging, these experiences can help keep young people engaged in education and set them up for future success, said ministers.
The programme follows the findings of the State of the Nation survey of more than 14,000 young people, which found that young people want safe spaces, trusted adults, better mental health support and greater access to enriching activities. Yet too many are still missing out because of where they live or the barriers they face.
Without access to enrichment, too many young people miss out on the confidence, skills and sense of belonging that help them succeed. Those least likely to participate are also more likely to become not in education, employment or training (NEET), making these opportunities a vital part of helping young people stay engaged, raise their aspirations and prepare for future success, according to the government..
In response, ministers launched the Youth Matters Strategy in December last year and committed to halving the participation gap in enriching activities between disadvantaged young people and their peers by 2035.
Enrichment expansion
The Enrichment Expansion programme’s additional funding and support is part of this solution, helping those schools facing the greatest challenges to deliver a wide range of high-quality enrichment opportunities, in line with this year’s new benchmarks for every school.
Schools Minister Georgia Gould said: “A great education is about more than what happens in the classroom. It’s about the football team, the school play, the debate competition, the volunteering project and the outdoor adventure that help young people discover who they are and what they can achieve. But for too long, too many children have missed out on those opportunities because of where they live or the barriers they face.
“This investment will help hundreds of thousands more young people access the activities that build confidence, spark ambition and open up opportunities for the future, helping more children stay on track in education and fulfil their potential.”
Both the Enrichment Benchmarks and the Enrichment Expansion programme form part of the government’s mission to ensure that every young person has somewhere to go, something to do and sense of community – including through the recently announced expansion of Young Futures Hubs, reported by North East Bylines on 18 September, as well as the £132.5mn Every Child Can programme, which will increase access to a wide range of high-quality activities.
The programme will be delivered by the Youth Sport Trust and a team of national partners, with dedicated Enrichment Co-ordinators managing clusters of local schools to identify gaps in their current offer, develop enrichment plans, and connect with local partners to expand opportunities for their pupils. As part of the funding, schools will receive tailored support to strengthen and grow their enrichment provision, helping more children access high-quality experiences both in and beyond the classroom who otherwise would not have been able to do so.
The investment will support schools to deliver the opportunities outlined in the government’s new Enrichment Benchmarks, announced earlier this year, which provide practical guidance to help every child access high-quality enrichment opportunities as part of their education.
Somewhere to go and something to do
Minister for Young People, Vicky Foxcroft said: “Through our landmark State of a Nation survey we heard from more than 14,000 young people who told us that they feel they are missing out on safe, supportive environments where they can connect with others and find a community to belong to.
“Every young person should have somewhere to go, something to do and someone they can trust, where they can discover new interests that help them develop the confidence they need to thrive.
“That’s why we’re supporting more than 400 schools to develop their enrichment offers, helping thousands more children access activities and opportunities that build skills, confidence and a stronger sense of belonging.”
*This report is based on a press releases from the Department for Education and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
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