Closed petition: Dedicate 3% of the National School Budget to Secondary Extracurriculars

Closed on 23 March 2026

We urge the Government to require at least 3% of spending of the National Schools Budget for extracurricular activities in secondary schools. We believe this funding could be used to cover costs such as staff overtime or facilities, ensuring access to sport, debating, drama, and music.

We believe secondary school students deserve more than grades. Sports, debate, music, drama, STEM, and leadership clubs can foster resilience, creativity, and ambition. We believe cuts make enrichment a postcode lottery. We believe the estimated £22.5m for 400 schools is a drop in the ocean. We believe a 3% ring-fence of the national schools budget could guarantee schools the funds to run out-of-hours clubs, giving every child the right to thrive, not just survive, on and beyond school grounds.