Recommendation 14

HM Government Acknowledged

60. Extra-curricular activities, alongside a rich and engaging curriculum, can support children’s development, behaviour, attainment and wellbeing. That is why in the Schools White Paper we committed to a richer, longer average school week which makes the most effective use of time in school and ensures children enjoy a rounded education. 61. We will ensure that all children have fair access to quality time in school by introducing a minimum expectation of a 32.5 hour school week in state-funded mainstream schools, which will support all children to achieve their academic potential. We will expect all mainstream schools to work towards meeting this expectation as soon as possible and by September 2023 at the latest. Alongside the Schools White Paper, we published a document explaining the key facts of the policy to help schools start to prepare for changes where necessary. This can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/length- of-the-school-week-minimum-expectation 62. We will also encourage all schools to consider whether an extension to their current school week might be appropriate to provide more opportunities for learning, socialisation and enrichment, recognising the significant benefits that additional time in education can bring. 63. We will publish guidance on best practice in the summer to support both the minimum expectation for mainstream schools and the wider ambition for all schools to consider increasing time in school where appropriate. This will include case studies from schools that deliver longer weeks and examples of how additional time can be used, including to support pupils’ literacy and numeracy. 64. The Schools White Paper sets out the Government’s commitment to ensuring that there are more opportunities for young people to be involved in schemes that are aimed at developing and strengthening active citizenship and other life skills. These will include supporting the Government to achieve the National Youth Guarantee, expanding access to the Duke of Edinburgh Award and Cadet schemes. 65. We want to promote the best use of local facilities of all kinds to ensure there are as many opportunities as possible for children and young people to take part in enrichment activities inside and outside school. We want the offer to be broad and varied to encourage all children to be involved. 66. DfE continues to encourage partnerships between state and independent schools. In May 2018, the Department and the Independent Schools Council (ISC) agreed a joint understanding designed to expand the participation of independent schools, such as by encouraging schools to offer support targeted at children from disadvantaged backgrounds. 67. The 2020 Census by the Independent Schools Council (ISC), covering the period immediately before the pandemic, found that 87 percent of its member schools were involved in partnerships with local state schools. 30 percent of these reported sharing sports fields, 28 percent swimming pools, and 22 percent a concert hall or theatre. 68. The Department supports a range of initiatives to expand access to high quality enrichment and extra-curricular activities through schools. These include: • Investing over £200m a year in our Holiday Activities and Food programme for the next three years. All 152 local authorities in England are delivering this programme. • Working in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence on the Cadet Expansion Programme, the aim of which was to establish cadet units in schools, Further Education colleges and academies. • Working with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to offer the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award to all state secondary schools in England. The DfE’s expansion programme is committed to support the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award to expand into more schools in the most deprived areas of England and enabling access to young people who may previously have faced barriers participating in the Award. • Working with DCMS and the Department of Health and Social Care on the cross-government School Sport and Activity Action Plan (published in July 2019). It aims to provide children with greater opportunities to do 60 minutes of sport and physical activity every day inside and outside school. We will publish an update to the plan later this year to align with publication of the Government’s new sport strategy. This update will not only recover ground lost during COVID-19 restrictions, but will boost momentum to deliver an action plan for all pupils regardless of background. • Investing nearly £30m per year to deliver on the manifesto commitments to open up state school sport facilities in England, as well as to improve the teaching of Physical Education at primary school. 69. DfE has, and will continue to, work closely with DCMS as they roll out the National Youth Guarantee, ensuring that every opportunity for collaboration is utilised.