A new framework landed on your desk this term, and the questions came fast: is this statutory, what does Ofsted want, and where does our STEM offer fit. The DfE Enrichment Framework, published on 15 June 2026, answers the first two and names STEM directly in the third. This guide walks a STEM or computing lead through all eight benchmarks and the five categories, in plain terms, with the honest framing around Ofsted and funding.
What is the DfE Enrichment Framework?
The DfE Enrichment Framework, published on 15 June 2026, is non-statutory guidance built around eight benchmarks and five enrichment categories that schools and colleges in England can use to plan a broad, well-rounded enrichment offer for every pupil. It applies to schools and to further education, sixth-form and post-16 settings. It puts into practice the enrichment entitlement recommended by the Curriculum and Assessment Review led by Professor Becky Francis, whose final report was published on 5 November 2025.
The framework is guidance, not law. It gives leaders a shared language for what good enrichment looks like and a structure to audit their current offer against. You can read the full publication on GOV.UK.
Is the Enrichment Framework statutory?
No. The Enrichment Framework is non-statutory, so no school is legally required to follow it. From September 2026, however, Ofsted considers enrichment under Personal Development, and its inspection toolkit looks for whether any enrichment is purposeful and varied, having regard to the enrichment framework where applicable. In short, this is something Ofsted will look at, not a compliance test you pass or fail.
That distinction matters. The framework is a planning tool, and there is no such thing as being "Enrichment Framework compliant" or "Ofsted-approved" against it. Strong, well-recorded enrichment helps you tell a clear story about personal development, which is the practical reason to engage with it now. Quality enrichment also strengthens your evidence for the quality of education.
What are the eight enrichment benchmarks?
The eight benchmarks describe the features of a strong enrichment offer. They are: a strategically aligned offer; a broad and well-rounded offer across five categories; a well-communicated offer that celebrates participation and achievement; an offer shaped by the school or college community; an accessible and engaging offer; an offer that works in partnership; an outcomes-focused offer; and an offer that is continually improving.
Read plainly, each benchmark asks a question your senior team can answer:
- Benchmark 1, strategically aligned: does enrichment connect to your curriculum and your school’s wider aims, rather than sitting as a bolt-on.
- Benchmark 2, broad and well-rounded: does your offer span all five categories, so pupils try a genuine range.
- Benchmark 3, well-communicated: do you celebrate participation and achievement through certification, awards and records.
- Benchmark 4, shaped by your community: does pupil voice shape what is on offer.
- Benchmark 5, accessible and engaging: is it equitable for disadvantaged pupils, pupils with SEND, young carers, care-experienced pupils, those in alternative provision and the persistently absent.
- Benchmark 6, works in partnership: do you draw on partners such as science centres, STEM ambassadors, employers, further and higher education, and museums.
- Benchmark 7, outcomes-focused: do you track pupil participation and outcomes, including through your management information system.
- Benchmark 8, continually improving: do you gather feedback and offer a mix of free, subsidised and paid activities.
What are the five enrichment categories?
The five enrichment categories the framework sets out are: civic engagement; arts and culture; nature, outdoors and adventure; sport and physical activity; and wider life and future skills, which the DfE describes as digital literacy, STEM clubs, cooking, managing finances and enterprise. They sit under Benchmark 2, the broad and well-rounded offer, and a strong programme gives pupils experiences across all five over time.
STEM is the only domain the DfE names in its five-category shorthand, "wider life and future skills, including STEM". The department’s named STEM examples include STEM clubs, robotics, a Coding Club, national STEM competitions, employer-led masterclasses and science-centre visits. So if you run a robotics club or book a hands-on robotics session, you are already working inside the fifth category, not adding something separate.
How does STEM enrichment meet the framework?
STEM enrichment maps cleanly onto three benchmarks at once: Benchmark 2 as a named part of "wider life and future skills"; Benchmark 6, where employers, science centres and external providers count as legitimate partners; and Benchmark 3, where completion certificates and records evidence participation. A robotics club, a drone-coding day or a national STEM competition entry can each be logged against all three. For a fuller map of each workshop to Benchmark 2 and Benchmark 6, see how STEM clubs and workshops meet Benchmark 2.
External providers are explicitly part of the picture. The framework calls for a mix of free, subsidised and paid activities, and paid external partners are a recognised route under Benchmark 6, sitting alongside your own clubs and free opportunities. Our delivery sits in exactly that space: across our internal records we have run more than 3,000 workshops with 1,190 schools, including 711 funded sessions through the RAF and EKO routes for 588 schools. Hyett Education contributes to your Benchmark 2 and Benchmark 6 offer as one partner among several, never a way to become "compliant", and our workshops start from £597 per day, with an instant quote for your year groups. For how this fits funding, read our guide to funding enrichment fairly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the DfE Enrichment Framework statutory?
No. It is non-statutory guidance published on 15 June 2026. From September 2026 Ofsted considers enrichment under Personal Development and looks for whether enrichment is purposeful and varied, having regard to the framework where applicable, but no school is legally required to adopt it.
What are the five enrichment categories?
The five categories are civic engagement; arts and culture; nature, outdoors and adventure; sport and physical activity; and wider life and future skills, which the DfE describes as digital literacy, STEM clubs, cooking, managing finances and enterprise. STEM is the only domain named within that shorthand.
Does the framework give every school funding for enrichment?
No. The framework launched alongside a £132.5m Every Child Can programme and a £22.5m Enrichment Expansion Programme inviting 400 schools in deprived areas. Both are targeted, not universal per-school funding, and the framework asks schools to offer a mix of free, subsidised and paid activities.
Where does STEM fit in the enrichment benchmarks?
STEM sits inside Benchmark 2 as part of "wider life and future skills, including STEM", with named examples such as STEM clubs, robotics, coding clubs, national competitions and science-centre visits. STEM activity also supports Benchmark 6, partnership, and Benchmark 3, celebrating participation through certification.
When does the framework start to matter for inspection?
From September 2026. That is when Ofsted begins considering enrichment under the Personal Development judgement and its toolkit looks at whether enrichment is purposeful and varied, having regard to the framework where applicable. The framework itself has applied since its publication on 15 June 2026.
Where to start with the eight benchmarks
The clearest first step is to audit your current offer against the five categories, then check which benchmarks your STEM activity already covers. Most schools find they are stronger than they expected, particularly where a club, a competition or a funded workshop is already running. From there you can map the gaps, gather pupil voice, and decide where a partner adds value. If you would like to see how a STEM session fits your offer, explore our curriculum-linked workshops, get in touch to talk it through, or get an instant quote for your year groups. For how Ofsted will weigh this from September 2026, read how Ofsted will look at enrichment, and for trust-wide planning see planning a trust-wide enrichment offer.
