Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what engagement her Department has had with schools that deliver a defined annual enrichment entitlement; and what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a aspirational annual enrichment hours target.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department published a new Enrichment Framework in June 2026, which supports the government's ambition for an aspirational enrichment entitlement for every pupil and student. Schools and colleges need the flexibility to plan and deliver enrichment activities in a manner that best suits their circumstances and community needs, and the Framework does therefore not set out an aspirational annual enrichment hours target.

Educational settings may however choose to set their own internal targets where they consider this helpful in meeting the enrichment benchmarks.

The Framework includes case studies from a wide range of educational settings, showcasing different approaches to the delivery of high-quality enrichment provision, including those which set out a defined offer for pupils or an ambition around the number of enrichment hours provided.

The Committee is exploring how the education system should adapt to prepare young people to be active and informed citizens in preparation for the introduction of votes at 16. This includes the role of schools and colleges in supporting pupils to engage with challenging political issues, and in tackling misinformation and disinformation, whilst ensuring impartiality and avoiding bias.