Fareham school wins bronze young carer award

The Henry Cort Community College has been given a bronze award at The Young Carers in Schools Award for their work to ensure students do not miss out on an education because they are young carers.

Pupil and young carer Lilly Byng is supported by the school.

The 12-year-old said: ‘The drop-in sessions give me the opportunity to have a break and some fun such as chocolate testing sessions, pizza parties, Easter and Christmas activities.’

Principal Ms Cubbage said: ‘A huge amount of work has gone into achieving this award and young carers school lead Mrs Vickers works tirelessly to support our Young Carers.

‘This group of students often get overlooked and it is vitally important that they have the opportunity to ‘be a child’ both in and out of school’.

Research carried out by Carers Trust and The Children’s Society show that on average young carers miss 48 school days a year and often have lower levels of self-confidence and significantly lower educational achievement at GCSE level.

To help schools support young carers, the programme offers a step-by-step guide for leaders, teachers and non-teaching staff and they can also receive training through webinars and events.

Helen Leadbitter, national young carers lead at The Children’s Society said: ‘Hundreds of schools across England are participating in the Young Carers in Schools programme, using the tools and resources to improve their support systems, and ensuring that no child need miss out on educational opportunities because they are a carer.’