As the number of young carers in England continues to rise, we are seeing more students attending school and looking after family members when not. 15 year old Emily, who is an only child living with and caring for her grandparents, is one a 120,000 young carers aged 5-18 nationally (ONS). One Education suggests that currently, across schools in the UK, “as many as one in five pupils could be a young carer.” However, the precise number is difficult to pinpoint as many young carers do not disclose their situation due to fears of different treatment or concerns over protecting their family.
As a young carer, you take on many roles above your knowledge base or age. The added emotional stress this can cause makes it understandable why pupils, such as Emily, struggle to apply themselves in the school environment. Her education was not made a priority, and because of the added stress she was under, Emily became disinterested in lessons. Emily started leaving her mainstream school early or refusing to participate in classes. This led to behavioural issues and various interventions to try and address her attendance. After a period of time and various interventions from her mainstream provider, she was excluded.
We believe young people should be supported, not just educationally, but also emotionally. Since joining Progress Schools, we have been able to appropriately support Emily by working on a one-to-one basis with her to develop a schedule that best supports her commitments outside of school. Emily expressed a keen interest in equine therapy, so we found a placement at a local riding school for two days a week which has helped to improve her mental health substantially. This supports Emily with her emotions whilst developing her passion for horses and the world of equestrianism. She has also benefited from additional, specialist mental health support via CAHMS and has accessed the support of Barnado’s, a leading charity for supporting young carers. Through them she will be able to gain the appropriate support she needs to prevent her education from suffering due to her additional responsibilities.
Since attending Progress Schools Emily’s attendance has improved dramatically, with a 10% increase in her overall attendance. She is able to focus, and engages in lessons, completing all of her work. Her Head of School, Aarron, discussed how far Emily has come since joining Progress Schools:
“To see the improvement in this student has been incredible. She has completely changed her attitude towards learning, and she is on course to do well in her exams.”
Her goals for the future are to focus on her GCSEs and find a placement in college post-16. Emily is also working on a number of qualifications during her time at the riding school, helping to expand her overall knowledge base.
We couldn’t be prouder of how much Emily has improved. Her commitment to her education, especially given her circumstances as a young carer, is admirable and we are excited at what the future holds for such a talented young mind.
(For confidentiality, the student’s name has been changed)
