Hidden inequalities of enrichment week

It’s nearly Enrichment Week and different year groups are starting to talk about what they’re doing. Some are looking forward to competitions, some are going on trips, and some are just happy to have a break from normal lessons. However, for Year 12 the week looks very different. Ours is mostly made up of UCAS sessions, careers talks and workshops about personal statements. Now, don’t get me wrong I completely understand why these things are important. Applying to university or apprenticeships isn’t exactly something you can leave until the last minute. But it did make me wonder: at what point do schools decide that enrichment should stop being fun?

There seems to be an assumption that as students get older, they no longer need experiences outside the classroom. Instead, the focus shifts almost entirely towards preparing for whatever comes next. Despite the logical here, this isn’t what students actually want, it’s the school choosing what’s “right for us”.

Take school trips as an example. Schools like them because they are opportunities to learn in a different environment, develop independence and spend time with people you might not usually work with. Trips are cherished in younger years then all of a sudden you stop going on them and the school behaves as if we don’t need them anymore. If anything, Year 12 is probably one of the most demanding years for student experience. You’re balancing A Levels with decisions about your future, work experience, entrance exams and university applications. You could argue that’s exactly when having a change of environment becomes more valuable, not less.

Perhaps the issue is that we now associate enrichment with academic productivity. If an activity doesn’t directly contribute towards UCAS, careers or academic achievement, it’s seen as less worthwhile. The result is that enrichment gradually becomes another extension of the classroom rather than something genuinely different. Ironically, the one week designed to break up the school year ends up feeling much like every other, reinforcing the idea that every moment of sixth form should be spent preparing for life after education rather than taking the time to enjoy the final years of it.

What’s interesting is that universities themselves don’t seem to think like this. They consistently encourage applicants to have interests outside their studies and value experiences that demonstrate communication, resilience and teamwork. These qualities aren’t only developed through academic workshops; they can be developed just as easily through activities that students actually enjoy. I’m not suggesting that Year 12 should spend the entire week at theme parks. Equally, I don’t think many students would argue that UCAS preparation isn’t important. The question is whether those two things have to be completely separate – Is there really no room for both?

I think, as a society, we’ve accepted the idea that as students get older, education naturally becomes more serious and enjoyment becomes less important. Somewhere between secondary school and sixth form, having fun seems to become something that has to be earned rather than something that’s considered valuable in itself. Every activity seems to be linked to university, careers or exam results. As a consequence, enjoyment gradually becomes secondary. The question is whether this reflects what students actually want, or simply what we’ve come to expect from sixth form.

So, do you think students naturally grow out of school trips and activity weeks, or do they simply stop being offered them? Should enrichment become more academic as we get older, or should it continue to include experiences that have nothing to do with UCAS or exam results? I know what I think and I imagine you all agree with me.