Enrichment Benchmarks

Enrichment Vision Statement 

At Springfields, enrichment is central to our mission to build safe, independent lives for autistic young people through support, understanding and enablement. 

We believe that enrichment isn't an additional extra- it's a vital part of how autistic learners experience belonging, joy, confidence, friendship and achievement. It helps pupils understand themselves, explore their interests and prepares them for life beyond school. This matters because research increasingly highlights the relationship between autism, belonging, mental wellbeing and suicide risk. Autistic young people can be vulnerable to loneliness, especially when belonging is only viewed through a neurotypical lens of friendship and social participation. At Springfields, enrichment is part of our wider commitment to protecting wellbeing, reducing isolation, strengthening identity and creating a school community where pupils can be safely and authentically themselves. 

Our enrichment offer is designed around the needs, voices and aspirations of our pupils. It is a planned and purposeful part of our Personal Development curriculum and how we prepare our learners for adulthood. We recognise that autistic learners need carefully structured, sensory-aware and communication-friendly opportunities to access new experiences safely and successfully. We also recognise that meaningful connection grows through shared interests, trusted relationships, predictable environments, and time. 

Our comprehensive enrichment offer means every pupil leaves Springfields with more than qualifications. Alongside their learning, pupils build memories, relationships, interests, resilience, practical skills, self-knowledge and positive thoughts about their future.

We help pupils practise the skills they need for belonging, independence and future success through: 

• Break and lunchtime clubs across arts, sports, wellbeing, and outdoor learning 
• Residentials, including national and international experiences 
• Duke of Edinburgh 
• Careers experiences and encounters as part of our structured careers curriculum
• Preparation for Adulthood weeks (3 per academic year)
• Work experience opportunities
• Pupil leadership 
• Fundraising for charities 
• Community engagement 
• Special-interest activities 

Benchmark 1: A strategically aligned enrichment offer 

At Springfields, enrichment is a planned and purposeful part of our mission to build safe, independent lives for autistic young people.  As well as helping pupils experience connection and belonging, it supports our wider school priorities of: 

• Improving attendance and engagement 
• Strengthening wellbeing and emotional regulation 
• Developing communication, confidence and relationships 
• Building cultural and social capital by widening pupils’ experiences of the world 
• Raising aspirations for the future
• Preparing our young people for further education, employment, community participation and adult life. 

At Springfields, enrichment is more than extra activities, it is a core part of pupils’ preparation for adulthood and a structured part of our Personal Development curriculum. Preparation for Adulthood weeks take place once per long-term and include workplace encounters, travel training, budgeting, cooking, and safety awareness. 

We monitor the impact of our enrichment offer through participation tracking, pupil voice and analysis of attendance, behaviour and wellbeing data. This helps us understand which pupils are engaging well, where additional support may be needed, and how we can continue to make enrichment accessible and meaningful for all learners.  

Through our Pupil Parliament, pupils have a direct voice into the school leadership team with a direct senior leadership link, Liz Burns. This ensures pupil views are heard, valued and acted upon, leading to positive changes across the academy. Liz is supported by our PSHE and SMSC Lead, Hannah Armitage. There is also clear senior leadership and governor oversight. Lee Davidson, Assistant Headteacher, leads Personal Development, working alongside Nicola Brooks, Deputy Headteacher, who has strategic oversight of this area. Regular meetings with Personal Development link governors, Matthew Innes and Alan Holmes, ensure that enrichment, Personal Development and Preparation for Adulthood remain central to our wider mission of building safe, independent lives. 

Benchmark 2: A broad and well-rounded enrichment offer 

Our enrichment offer is mapped across 7 categories: 

• Civic engagement e.g. HEARD Club, Pupil Parliament, Charity Day 
• Arts and culture e.g. Library Pod, junk modelling, Pride Month 
• Nature e.g. Eco Club, Duke of Edinburgh 
• Outdoors and adventure e.g. Forest School
• Sport and physical activity e.g. football, athletics and yoga clubs, Bath Rugby, swimming 
• Life/future skills e.g. Futures Fair, Preparation for Adulthood Weeks 
• Special interest e.g. Pokemon, Warhammer and Dungeons and Dragons 

Special interest clubs are particularly important given that a review of autistic strengths (Chow and Cooper, 2024) found that special interests can bring wellbeing, knowledge, skills and opportunities for social connection.  Moreover,  Evidence on enrichment in schools and colleges (Department for Education, 2026) suggests that young people are more likely to get involved in activities when they genuinely match what they’re interested in. This is echoed by parents suggesting that enjoying an activity is the biggest motivator for taking part. 

As well as lunchtime clubs, pupils are supported through: 

• A planned residential programme that supports pupils from late-stays onsite to overnight camping onsite to national stay aways e.g. PGL and international travel. 

Benchmark 3: A well-communicated enrichment offer that celebrates participation and achievement 

We are proud of our enrichment offer. Information on our offer is available: 

• On our website  
• In our half-termly Celebration News 
• In our half-termly Careers Corner 
• In annual reports 
• In weekly Headteacher’s letters 
• On our social media platforms 

When they achieve key club milestones, learners can choose a prize from the enrichment reward trolley. Learners are rewarded for both the number of times they attend any club, with rewards available at 25, 50, 100, 150. Learners are also rewarded for attending a range of clubs, with rewards available at 5, 10, 15 and 25. Recognising the range of activities young people get involved in matters, because the evidence shows that taking part in a broad mix of opportunities is linked with feeling more connected to school and experiencing fewer low‑mood symptoms over time (Evidence on enrichment in schools and colleges, Department for Education, 2026)

Benchmark 4: An enrichment offer shaped by the school community 

Our enrichment offer is shaped by the entire Springfields community, including: 

• Pupil Voice e.g. through HEARD or Pupil Parliament 
• Parent Voice e.g. through annual survey  
• Staff Voice 
• Staff interests and expertise 
• Community input e.g. Futures Fair and Preparation for Adulthood Weeks 

Benchmark 5: An accessible and engaging enrichment offer 

Research suggests that autistic children can experience additional barriers to extracurricular participation, including social, sensory, emotional and environmental barriers. At Springfields, accessibility is designed into enrichment from the outset. Our enrichment offer is designed around accessibility, special interests, independence and supported participation. Learning extends beyond the classroom with structured, progressive activities that help pupils explore passions, develop new skills and build confidence. Clubs are designed for all abilities, enabling children from different phases of the school to socialise together. 

We understand that for many of our learners, special interests are a route into engagement. Our offer responds to pupil voice and includes Pokémon, Warhammer, LEGO, Beyblades, and Minecraft, explicitly recognising and responding to personal hobbies and interests.  

Our offer also includes activities that support sensory and wellbeing, including sensory disco, yoga, mindfulness, gardening and a relaxation room, showing that participation can be sensory, emotional and regulatory as well as physical.  

All staff are highly trained autism practitioner who adapt activities to suit individual communication styles and needs, with assistive technology, visual aids and sensory resources used to support access to enrichment activities. 

Our residential programme begins with Year 5 late stays in a familiar environment before building towards overnight stays, weekend trips and international experiences. Staff work closely with families to ensure each pupil is supported and prepared. We work closely with families to identify any financial, practical or cultural barriers that might prevent learners from taking part. Where needed, we subsidise or remove the cost of trips and residentials so that every learner can access the same breadth of opportunity. 

It is important to Springfields that our enrichment offer reflects the diversity, identities and values of our school and wider community. Our EDIB work is embedded across school life, helping pupils to celebrate difference, understand their own identity, learn about the nine protected characteristics and engage with views, beliefs and experiences that may be different from their own. This is reflected through enrichment opportunities linked to events such as Black History Month and Pride, alongside activities that strengthen pupils’ connection to the autistic community and the wider world.  

We recognise that autistic pupils may face barriers to accessing community experiences. Activities are therefore carefully planned and adapted to make participation safe, meaningful and achievable, helping pupils build confidence, independence and a stronger connection with the world beyond Springfields. 

Lee Davidson, Lead for Personal Development, regularly reviews participation and engagement data and work with pupils, staff and families to understand where barriers to participation remain. This helps us respond quickly, make appropriate adjustments and ensure that pupils are supported to access opportunities in a way that works for them. 

National evidence ('Post‑16 education: pathways and outcomes for disadvantaged learners', Department for Education, 2026) continues to show significant inequalities in longer-term outcomes for learners with SEND. This reinforces our commitment to removing barriers so that every learner can access rich experiences, be part of their community and build confidence and independence for adult life.

Benchmark 6: An enrichment offer that works in partnership 

Springfields has a culture of collaboration not competition and this extends across all our work. We understand that we are stronger when we work in partnership with other organisations that share the same aim. Our enrichment, careers and Preparation for Adulthood work extends beyond our school gates, drawing on employers, colleges, public services, charities, DofE, local authorities and sports clubs. 

Our weekly Headteacher’s newsletter, and our social media channels, help share and signpost pupils and families to opportunities beyond our offer. 

Our annual Futures Fair enables learners to meet local businesses, national organisations, adult social care services and charities. It is integral to our mission of building safe, independent lives. 

Our structured careers curriculum includes employer engagement, workplace visits and real-world opportunities, helping learners explore pathways and build confidence for further education, training or employment. We work in partnership with an Careerpilot to provide accurate, impartial and focused careers information, advice and guidance tailored to individual needs. This includes signposting beyond the school’s internal offer. 

Preparation for Adulthood Weeks involve employers from a wide range of industries, visits to colleges and training providers, workplace encounters, apprenticeship talks and input from public services including paramedics, police and fire brigade. 

We have a close relationship with Duke of Edinburgh, a recognised national enrichment partner, and offer the Bronze and Silver routes to learners in Year.9 and above. 

Our residential offer for Year.11 pupils works in partnership with PGL. 

Through our annual Charity Day we have raised funds and awareness for the National Autistic Society, RSPCA, and Friends of Springfields Academy. 

Benchmark 7: An outcomes-focused enrichment offer 

Our enrichment offer supports our mission statement of building safe, independent lives. Intended outcomes include: 

• Increased confidence 
• Increased independence 
• Increased sense of belonging to Springfields and their local community 
• Prepared for post-16 transition and their next steps 
• Nationally recognised qualifications e.g. Duke of Edinburgh  

We carefully track the impact of our enrichment offer through: 

• Engagement data in break and lunchtime clubs 
• Academic progress/pupil progress meetings 
• Social and emotional development/12 Week Outcomes 
• Mental wellbeing through pupil, staff and family voice 
• A sense of belonging through pupil, staff and family voice 
• Year 11 outcomes and post-16 destinations  
• Careers quality assurance and tracking/Gatbsy Benchmarks 

Our careers provision helps learners discover strengths, explore career pathways and build confidence for their next steps into further education, training or employment. Learners in Years 9-11 work towards Gateway qualifications in employability, including units in customer service, entrepreneurship, applying for jobs and digital skills for work. 

Recent DfE research (Post‑16 education: pathways and outcomes for disadvantaged learners, Department for Education, 2026) highlights the continuing disparity in post-16 education and employment outcomes for learners with SEND, particularly those with EHCPs. This strengthens our determination to ensure that enrichment contributes directly to preparation for adulthood, developing confidence, independence, employability, community participation and the skills learners need for their next steps after Springfields.

Benchmark 8: A continually improving enrichment offer 

At Springfields, one of our school values is reflection, meaning with are constantly reviewing what we do with the aim of dong it better. We have a culture of listening, reviewing and adapting provision using feedback from pupils, families, staff and partners. This ensures our offer continues to respond to pupils’ interests, identities, communication styles and changing needs. 

Autism research reinforces the importance of listening to autistic pupils as active participants in decisions about their school lives, meaning pupil voice is central to how we review and develop our enrichment offer. Through HEARD, Pupil Parliament and regular review of participation data, we listen carefully to what learners want to take part in and where interest is lower. We see low uptake as useful information, helping us understand whether an activity is relevant, accessible and meaningful, so we can adapt the offer accordingly. 

We have several well-established mechanisms in place that support continuous improvement:  

• Parent HEARD. We respect and utilise parents’ and carers’ experience and see communication as a two-way process. 
• Parents’ Evenings 
• Annual Reviews  
• Half-termly Celebration News ensures that enrichment is celebrated and shared over time. 
• KS4 Pathways are linked to pupil interest, EHCP outcomes and preparation for transition into post-16 education or employment. Our provision is designed around learner need and future planning. 
• Pupil Parliament minutes and “you said, we did” examples. 
• Partner feedback from PfA Weeks, Futures Fair, DofE, residentials and work experience. 
• Termly participation data review. 

This page will be updated at least annually, ensuring annual self-assessment against the DfE Enrichment Benchmarks.