We’re not yet through the first half term of the new academic year and I’ve already had lots of conversations. Demos, follow-ups and even ad-hoc corridor chats. One question keeps cropping up; “Are the eight Enrichment Benchmarks mandatory?”

The short answer is ‘no’. The enrichment framework is designed to be non-statutory guidance from the Department for Education (DfE). Schools are not legally required to adopt it and there is no expectation that a policy document appears, pinned to the staffroom wall by Christmas.

However, “not mandatory” and “won’t come up” aren’t the same thing. The longer answer that follows seeks to resolve any confusion lying in the gap between the two.

What the framework is

The DfE published the framework in the summer of 2026. It applies to schools and colleges, including special schools, alternative provision and sixth forms. It outlines eight benchmarks describing what a good enrichment offer looks like:

1. A strategically aligned enrichment offer.
2. A board and well-rounded enrichment offer.
3. A well-communicated enrichment offer that celebrates participation and achievement.
4. An enrichment offer shaped by the school or college community.
5. An accessible and engaging enrichment offer.
6. An enrichment offer that works in partnership.
7. An outcomes-focused enrichment offer.
8. A continually improving enrichment offer.

They are there to help with planning; not a checklist with a pass mark. Alongside these, the DfE has also published self-assessment and action-planning tools, which are worth a look at before buying into anything else (including from us).

Where the Five Categories Fit

You might still see “five benchmarks” mentioned. These are five activity categories that help reach the aims of benchmark 2; a broad and well-rounded offer. As a recap, these are:

1. Civic engagement.
2. Arts and culture.
3. Nature, outdoors and adventure.
4. Sport and physical activities.
5. Developing wider life and future skills.

Since they are part of a single benchmark, running activities that cover all five would still mean you need to think about the other seven benchmarks.

So Where Does Ofsted Come In?

When I’m asked the question, Ofsted is often at the back of people’s minds. From September 2026, Ofsted’s inspection toolkit covers enrichment under personal development and wellbeing, with reference to the DfE framework where applicable.

This is not the same as “Ofsted will inspect your enrichment offer against the eight benchmarks”. The benchmarks are the DfE’s, not Ofsted’s; inspectors will not be itemising them one-by-one.

However, enrichment will now be part of the conversation around student personal development and wellbeing, using the framework as a point of reference and evidence. You are not required to follow it. But it is useful to be able to discuss why that is, and what you’re using instead.

Why “Not Mandatory” is Still Worth Taking Seriously

This is not about inspection. There are several reasons to be aware, at least, of the principles the benchmarks encompass:

• It helps define good practice. In my conversations about the benchmarks, the reaction is often one of recognition – most good schools already try to do all of these things.
• Benchmark 5 can be tricky. For an offer to be accessible and engaging you need to know who is taking part, not just what’s running. Closing the gap between disadvantaged young people and their peers is a key national aim. This ties in with the National Youth Strategy to halve that gap by 2035.
• Benchmarks 7 and 8 require the capacity to remember and review. Being outcomes-focused and continually improving depend on knowing (and tracking) what happened in previous years. You need to know where the improvements can be made. This depends on data far more than policy.

What is a Sensible Approach for this Year?

You don’t need to create a new enrichment policy from scratch. Four key things you can look at this year:

1. Run through the DfE self-assessment tool. Use this as your baseline, it’s not a final report.
2. Focus on two benchmarks this year. You don’t need to split your focus across all eight at once.
3. Find out the answer to who is taking part. If you were asked tomorrow how many Pupil Premium students participated in some form of enrichment last term, how long would it take to answer?
4. Write down what you’d say when asked. A short paragraph on where your enrichment offer currently is, and what you intend to do next. This means wherever the question comes up; with governors; with parents; or during an inspection, you have the answer ready to go.

Where Does Avalon Fit In?

You don’t need software to follow the guidance, especially when it isn’t mandatory. Many schools manage well on a spreadsheet, and for a small offer this works perfectly.

It gets tricky when you look at action 3 in the previous section. Avalon Achieve® reads from your MIS every evening via Wonde, so activity attendance can be filtered by SEND, Pupil Premium, FSM and EAL without any manual cross-referencing with registers. All activities can be tagged against as many Benchmark 2 categories as you see fit, and the awards layer gives students recognition they can see. This is what Benchmark 3 is asking for.

If you’d like to see how that would look for your school, let’s have a chat.