YMCA Young Carers Service is urging island schools to attend a FREE ‘Young Carers in Schools’ training event this Thursday (10th March) 9.30am-1:00pm, held at Sandown Bay Academy.
Nationally it’s thought that as many as one in 12 pupils could be a young carer. Young carers are a vulnerable pupil group specifically mentioned in the Ofsted Common Inspection Handbook, 2015.
Kelly Edwards, Targeted Services Co-ordinator (YMCA) says
“There’s still time for professionals working in an education setting to sign up to this free training event.
“The training aims to highlight how to identify and improve outcomes for young carers. On average six pupils in every Island primary school and 24 students in every secondary school are registered with YMCA Young Carers. Eight registered young carers are also home schooled.
“Our figures don’t account for young carers yet to be identified. Young carers spend a good chunk of their childhood in a learning environment. When their educational needs are not met, this can cause long-term damage to their futures.”
Speaking from experience, Isle of Wight Young Carers Champion’s Katie Rigley (17) and Alisha Wagstaff (18) feel that more support is needed:
Alisha says,
“I really think that schools need to support our Island’s youngest carers. When I was at school there were many times when I just needed teachers to understand but often no one was willing to listen.”
Katie says,
“Some young carers have issues getting into school on time or to school at all, however for others it’s affording trips, uniform and equipment. To know what young carers do at home will help schools understand why they could be struggling, acting out or just fall into the background, this could also get schools to understand why a child is being bullied or is a bully because of the attention.”
Book now
The Young Carers in Schools programme is run jointly by Carers Trust, The Children’s Society & Young Carers in Focus partners (including YMCA), to share good practice, provide relevant tools and training, and to celebrate the great outcomes that many schools achieve for young carers.
Schools can book a place on this training event online.
