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Colleges Week 2026: celebrating FE's commitment to enrichment

03 March 2026

More than 1.5 million learners are accessing quality and meaningful enrichment opportunities in further education colleges across the country, a new report highlights today.

As the country celebrates Colleges Week 2026, Enrichment in colleges, published by the Association of Colleges (AoC), demonstrates a strong commitment to place enrichment at the heart of all 16-19 study programmes.

A range of activities are categorised as enrichment, from those centred on economic literacy, employability and enterprise skills to sport, fitness, physical and mental health and wellbeing. These opportunities allow learners to develop essential and personal skills, like confidence, resilience, citizenship, employability and progression.

The report, based on a survey of colleges*, found that the overwhelming majority (99%) of respondents agree that “enrichment is an essential element of study programmes for all young people aged 16 to 19 and should be a high priority.” Around 90% say they encourage all students to be involved in at least one enrichment activity and 63% offer all their students access at least 80 hours of enrichment activity per year.

Student voice plays a key role in the offer, with 99% of colleges consulting students about what enrichment activity they would value. The most popular offer is trips and visits, including international opportunities, followed by groups and societies, physical and sexual health promotion projects and mental health and wellbeing projects, to name but a few.

The report also highlights the barriers colleges face in enhancing enrichment activity further.

The overwhelming majority (99%) of colleges say they would welcome more support enrichment, with 97% wanting more sharing of good practice and networking for enrichment staff, while 87% wanting more support and guidance on enrichment partnership.

Other suggestions included a centralised database of charities and organisations keen to work with colleges, focused funding for national and regional partnerships, information about national projects, support with accessing wider community enrichment and good practice sharing, a framework within which to develop and evaluate programmes.

One respondent commented that colleges need “more recognition of the impact that enrichment and personal development activity can have on the outcomes for learners in an age of online isolation… Enrichment is the cornerstone of achievement, enjoyment and belonging.”

AoC is currently developing a proposal for a network of regional college enrichment co-ordinators who would establish productive links with partners on behalf of all colleges and support the development of college enrichment strategies.

Eddie Playfair, Senior Policy Manager, AoC, said: “It’s wonderful to see that there is such a broad range of enrichment opportunities available to students across the country. Colleges Week is a national moment to reflect on the success of our colleges, and celebrate the work they do, and this report is a great example of the commitment to learners and their lives. We know that a diverse, high-quality enrichment programme is particularly important for the most disadvantaged learners who might not otherwise have access to a range of experiences and opportunities.

“Of course, there are always improvements to be made, and it’s clear that there is a need to better understand the relationship between college and school enrichment in order to enhance the offer as learners progress. AoC’s membership of the Enrichment for All coalition creates opportunities for a common strategy across both sectors.”

*92 colleges responded, of which six were campuses which were part of college groups, giving an overall response rate of 35%. You can view the full report here.

Runshaw College

Runshaw College’s enrichment programme offers a broad and inclusive range of clubs, events, campaigns, societies, academies and personal development opportunities designed to promote wellbeing, belonging, career and progression focused enhancement and active citizenship through structured skills-based activities.

The programme is underpinned by the ASPIRE themes of active citizenship, social and emotional development, physical, sexual and mental health, inclusivity, respect, tolerance and democracy, and employability and careers.

Up to February 2026 half term, 3,688 individual students have participated in enrichment activities, generating 12,837 recorded engagements. Evaluation of the programme demonstrates positive impact through increased engagement from vulnerable learners, particularly those with student support plans and those access free school meals. Students have reported improvements in confidence, peer connection, communication, teamwork, and resilience as highlighted in our recent learner survey. Participation in enrichment activities supports students’ personal development, sense of belonging, and readiness for progression by developing transferable skills linked to both academic success and future employability, supporting the outstanding progression rates of learners.

Current data also indicates that those students who have engaged in at least three enrichment activities per half term also show higher levels of attendance and retention that those who do not participate.

Weston College

At Weston College, the enrichment programme breaks down barriers to participation so every learner can grow, explore their passions, and build future skills through meaningful experiences beyond the classroom. Delivered under the Students’ Union, the engagement approach is structured across four strands designed to meet a wide range of interests and motivations.

Active Weston offers weekly a variety of clubs such as football, basketball, dance and fitness, as well as termly college-wide tournaments to keep learners active and boost wellbeing.
Sport Weston supports talented athletes through various sports academies with advanced coaching and competitive fixtures, helping them reach their full potential.
Social Weston provides creative and interest-based clubs and societies, as well as cross-college trips (both local and international), themed events such as RAG Week and freshers fair, and cross-college challenges, helping learners make connections, try new experiences, and build confidence.
Your Weston empowers learners through leadership and representation roles within the student committee, including student reps, apprentice ambassadors and the student leadership team, fostering responsibility, problem-solving, and a voice in college life.

Together, these experiences develop essential wider skills such as confidence, communication, teamwork, resilience, leadership, and independence, helping learners become well-rounded individuals prepared for progression into employment, apprenticeships, or higher education.

Around 7,597 learners engaged in enrichment activities during term one of the 2025/26 academic year which represents a 119.17% increase when compared with term one of the previous academic year. This growth demonstrates both increased demand and successful programme expansion, suggesting improved awareness, accessibility, and learner motivation to engage.