Tools to support services to build and maintain engagement with schools
Supporting Young Carers in Schools: A Toolkit for Young Carers Services
Meeting the needs of young carers at [INSERT NAME OF SCHOOL]: Information for Head teachers and senior leadership team members
At [name of school] we are aware that some of our pupils are young carers – children under 18 who are caring unpaid for a family member or friend who is ill, frail, disabled or has mental health or addiction problems.
Young carers are a vulnerable and disadvantaged group specifically mentioned in Ofsted’s Common Inspection Framework, who experience particular challenges and demands that impact on their capacity to enjoy and achieve at school. They are often eligible for free school meals and Pupil Premium Funding.
Why should [insert name of school] take proactive steps to identify and support young carers?
Research shows that, unsupported and unidentified, a pupil’s caring responsibilities can have a significant impact on their attainment, attendance and wellbeing:
- On average young carers miss or cut short 48 school days a year. (Sempik, J & Becker, S, 2013)
- Young carers have significantly lower attainment at GCSE level – the difference between nine Cs and nine Ds (The Children’s Society, 2013).
- A quarter of young carers said they were bullied at school because of their caring role (Sempik, J & Becker, S, 2013).
As young carersrequire different types of support to other disadvantaged pupil, it is essential that [insert name of school] identify and support pupils who have caring responsibilities in order to raise their outcomes, ensure effective use of Pupil Premium, and demonstrate to Ofsted that we are meeting the needs of this vulnerable pupil group.
How many young carers are there at [insert name of school]?
Whilst we are aware of xx pupils at [insert name of school] that have caring responsibilities, evidence suggests it is likely that there will be many more unidentified young carers at [insert name of school].
Research by the BBC (BBC, 2010) suggests there could be 700,000 young carers in the UK, many unaware of the impact that caring is having on their lives. That means about one in 12 pupils have caring responsibilities.
How can [insert name of school] raise the attendance, attainment and wellbeing of pupils who are young carers?
To effectively identify young carers and raise their outcomes, [insert name of school] should look to adopt a whole school approach through a series of manageable and low-cost steps.
A whole school approach for young carers is vital because it:
- Reduces stigma: One of the main reasons young carers say they do not access support is stigma. A positive whole school ethos where young carers and their families are respected and valued by pupils, staff and the wider school community is crucial to ensuring young carers and their families feel safe and confident to access support.
- Increases identification: Many young carers are hidden. All school staff need to know how to identify young carers to ensure they do not slip through the net.
- Promotes self-identification: A pupil with caring responsibilities may self-identify to any member of staff whom they feel they can talk to and share their worries and concerns.
- Respects young carers information: All staff need to be aware of the school’s process for sharing information about a young carer. This will help ensure that information is only shared with the appropriate consent and with a view to guaranteeing a pupil does not need to repeat their story several times. All school staff should know not to discuss a pupil’s caring role in front of their peers.
- Addresses all of the issues: It will enable the effective delivery of flexibilities, interventions and support to raise outcomes. Teachers and support staff delivering targeted interventions, such as homework clubs, should know how to ensure these interventions meet young carers’ needs, for example, that homework clubs should be run at lunchtime.
- Creates long term change: A whole school approach that places young carers on a similar footing to other vulnerable pupils ensures sustainability.
What evidence is that that a whole-school approach for young carers improves outcomes?
In autumn 2016, 58 schools, where young carers previously experienced difficulties attending and/or achieving at school reported the significant positive impacts of adopting a whole school approach for young carers:
- 91% aid young carers were less likely to have high absence rates
- 86% reported young carers engaged better in class
- 84% stated young carers were more motivated to learn.
What will the development of support for young carers cost?
The development of support for young carers is low-cost in terms of time and resources. The initial steps include:
- Identifying a member of staff who can lead the development as part of their wider role within school
- Development of school literature and website to ensure that printed and online information is up to date, and transparent about how the school communicates with, and supports, its pupils who are young carers, and their families This good practice engenders a healthy school environment where young carers and families feel supported and better identification of pupils who are carers can take place. The development of this information could be coordinated and managed by the Young Carers School Operational Lead. Cost: £200 (nominal administration costs / IT costs).
- Ensuring support for all pupils is accessible to young carers i.e. homework clubs are run at lunchtime rather than solely after-school.
What support is available for schools?
[insert local service name], are working in partnership with Carers Trust and The Children’s Society, to increase identification of young carers in schools in through the Young Carers in Schools programme.
In autumn 2016, 72schools adopting this approach across England reported the identification of almost 2,200 young carers.
By taking part, schools can:
- Get England wide recognition for effective practice through the Young Carers in Schools Award.
- Prioritise and take manageable steps to increase identification and improve outcomes
- Access essential support including [delete/add as appropriate: half-termly network meetings with other schools, tools, templates and good practice examples]
- Demonstrate to Ofsted that the school is meeting the needs of young carers, specifically mentioned in the Common Inspection Framework.
Recommended next steps
We recommended that the Schools Senior Leadership Team:
- Schedule an agenda item at their next meeting to discuss their school’s support for young carers.
- Consider appointing a Senior Leadership Team Lead, responsible for overseeing and championing the school’s provision for young carers
- Idenitfy a member of staff who will be responsible for developing the school’s provision for young carers through the Young Carers in Schools programm and enable this member of staff to participate in the network meetings run by [insert name of service].
- Add the school to the “Schools Supporting Young Carers Map” at This interactive map showcases schools across England working to raise outcomes for this vulnerable pupil group.
Carers Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales (1145181) and in Scotland (SC042870). Registered as a company limited by guarantee in England and Wales No. 7697170. Registered office: 32–36 Loman Street, London SE1 0EH.
The Children’s Society is a registered charity number 221124. Registered Office: Edward Rudolf House, Margery Street, London, WC1X 0J
Young Carers in Focus is a Big Lottery Fund partnership programme run by The Children’s Society in conjunction with Rethink Mental Illness, Digital Me, YMCA Fairthorne Group and The Fatherhood Institute
© Carers Trust 2017
Supporting Young Carers in Schools: A Toolkit for Young Carers Services