If we鈥檙e serious about giving children the best start in life, we need to talk about the role of enrichment in education. With the government鈥檚 launch this week of its plan to give every child the best start in life (including the provision of family hubs in every local authority), ministers have an chance to make this the golden thread weaving through its plans to deliver wellbeing and opportunity for all. By enrichment, we mean the broad range of activities and experiences that support young people鈥檚 social, personal, and educational development. Central to all enrichment are the voice of each child or young person, and support from a trusted adult. Access to enrichment matters in the moment, offering young people enjoyment, challenge and connection. And it matters in the long term, with a growing evidence base, including and research from the Education Policy Institute, showing links to improved self-belief, wellbeing and belonging. Crucially, enrichment also helps develop essential skills for life and work: teamwork, resilience, emotional management, confidence and creativity 鈥� the very attributes that employers need but complain school leavers lack. Enrichment can broaden horizons, raise aspirations and support successful transitions into further learning or work. It even supports attendance, because when young people feel engaged and successful at school, they are more likely to show up. But despite these benefits, provision is patchy. With schools under immense pressure to boost attendance, close attainment gaps and support pupil wellbeing, enrichment is too often an afterthought, when it should be part of the solution. In our recent work engaging with hundreds of stakeholders, including school leaders, youth organisations and young people themselves, ten clear 鈥渆nrichment gaps鈥� emerged. These include gaps in strategy, staff capacity, pupil access and partnerships with external providers. Enrichment is too often an afterthought, when it should be part of the solution Perhaps most importantly, we identified a systemic gap: enrichment is not currently prioritised in accountability frameworks, inspection criteria or funding formulas. Without these levers, even the most committed school leaders face an uphill battle to embed it. However, the landscape is shifting. The launch of the government鈥檚 鈥楤est Start鈥� plan follows a series of announcements this year that, together, could significantly improve outcomes for children and young people.聽 In March, the Department for Education鈥檚 (DfE) March announced that it will develop a national enrichment framework with supporting non-statutory guidance – an encouraging step in the right direction. And in June, the prime minister committed to a new framework to increase school engagement, recognising that children鈥檚 sense of belonging in school really matters. This is why The Duke of Edinburgh鈥檚 Award, Big Education and Oasis Charitable Trust have collaborated to publish 鈥淭owards Enrichment for All鈥� 鈥� setting out 8 proposed national Enrichment Benchmarks to help schools build inclusive, high-quality enrichment for every young person. Our aim is to inform and support the government鈥檚 efforts because, implemented well, a new framework would enable schools to plan enrichment more intentionally, create a quality offer and measure its impact. Crucially, it will send a clear message to schools and parents that this government recognises the value of enrichment alongside the academic curriculum. Taking inspiration from the Gatsby Benchmarks used in careers education, our proposed enrichment benchmarks have been developed with widespread engagement across the education and youth sectors. They draw on several years of collaboration, research and pilots by the Duke of Edinburgh鈥檚 Award and the National Citizen Service Trust. We are not calling for rigid targets or top-down mandates. But we do believe that enrichment needs a shared language and a strategic approach, and that school leaders need access to best practice guidance, practical tools, case studies and support to build partnerships and enrichment networks beyond their school gates. Ultimately, schools needs to prepare students for life, in all its complexity and uncertainty. We hope these benchmarks will play an important role in ensuring an enriched education for all. The Department of Education鈥檚 priorities are a testament to this government鈥檚 commitment to its opportunity mission. Enrichment offers a means to tie these objectives together, so that every child not only has the best start in life, but the best possible experience of childhood too. This article was co-authored with Liz Robinson, CEO, Big Education Read the full report