Landmark report explores how to give more young people access to high-quality enrichment opportunities

A new report commissioned by National Citizen Service Trust  and The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award makes a series of important recommendations for sector leaders that, if acted upon, will increase accessibility to high-quality enrichment opportunities for young people.

To generate higher quality and more widely accessible enrichment for all young people, the report recommends:

The newly published Education and Enrichment Report is the first in-depth research on models of effective collaboration between the education and youth sector of its kind. Research for the report, carried out by The Centre for Education and Youth and UK Youth, included a literature review, input from a cross-sector advisory group and case studies from 11 education and youth sector partnerships.

Jacob Diggle, UK Youth chief impact officer, said: “UK Youth was delighted to conduct this study, alongside CfEY.

“No single profession has a monopoly of care for young people. Young people’s lives don’t fit into neat boxes and neither should our support. 

“This research highlights the vital importance of effective partnership working between the formal education and youth sectors. However, this takes skills and commitment from all sides.

“UK Youth will continue to call for partnership working skills to be an essential part of the qualification requirements for both teachers and youth workers.”

Enrichment activities such as sports, arts clubs, volunteering, social action and adventures away from home can improve young people’s essential skills, health and participation in education. However, while schools and youth organisations work hard to provide enrichment to young people, they often face challenges in working together to achieve the same goal.

The report found formal education and youth sector organisations often face a coordination challenge when creating new partnerships. However, the research showed effective partnerships often overcome this challenge by drawing on intermediary organisations such as community hubs, local cultural education partnerships and multi-academy trust central teams. These ‘honest brokers’ can provide support in areas such as quality assurance and ongoing support with partnership management.

Trust between education and youth sector organisations is also a key component for effective enrichment delivery. The report showed effective partnerships included strong philosophical and organisational alignment with agreed impact measures increasing trust while demonstrating the impact the partnership is having on young participants.

The report found budgets held by education settings are the main long-term funding source for enrichment partnerships. However, a challenging funding climate for these settings is currently placing significant pressure on partnerships, with some drawing on economies of scale or other efficiencies like central MAT resources.

To address the challenges identified by this research, the independent report suggests a series of recommendations for partners and stakeholders. These include:

Stuart Andrew, civil society and youth minister, said: “The findings from this research will help support our understanding of what young people need to reach their full potential.

“We are committed to providing young people with someone to talk to, something to do and somewhere to go. Working with the Department for Education, we are rolling out our Enrichment Partnerships Pilot in up to 200 secondary schools from September, to improve young people’s essential skills, wellbeing and engagement in education.”

Mark Gifford, NCS Trust chief executive officer, said: “NCS provides vital enrichment opportunities to help young people become world-ready and work-ready. It is crucial all young people are aware of the enrichment opportunities available to them and that these are delivered in the most effective way through strong education and youth sector partnerships.

“This groundbreaking report highlights important examples of best practice for effective enrichment provision along with bold recommendations that could further enhance the quality and reach of enrichment to more young people.”

Ruth Marvel, DofE CEO, said: “We see every day the difference enrichment and development opportunities beyond formal education – like the DofE – can make to young people. They help grow their confidence and self-belief and improve their wellbeing.

“Now more than ever, it’s vital that every young person has regular access to opportunities outside of the classroom. Our report provides policymakers, educators and youth leaders with valuable insights that can help bring sectors together and bridge the gap in enrichment delivery. By doing so, we have the opportunity to widen access to life-changing, high-quality enrichment opportunities that give all young people the chance to thrive.”

NCS Trust and DofE are working closely with the Department for Culture Media and Sport and the DfE on next steps for the report’s recommendations and any future actions to bring these to fruition.

To read the full report, click here.

UK Youth is a leading charity with a vision that all young people are equipped to thrive and empowered to contribute at every stage of their lives. With an open network of more than 8,000 youth organisations and nation partners; UK Youth is focused on unlocking youth work as the catalyst of change that is needed now more than ever. To find out more, visit ukyouth.org 

UK Youth is involved in a range of programmes designed to help young people thrive, such as outdoor learning, physical literacy, social action and employability, including Hatch. For more on UK Youth’s programmes, see ukyouth.org/what-we-do/programmes