Whole school approach to young carers in schools
How can we promote a more inclusive school ethos and environment?
Schools and settings play a vital role in supporting young carers' wellbeing and reducing barriers to their educational attainment. Achieving the Young Carers in Schools (YCiS) Award enables schools to identify manageable steps to improve educational outcomes for this vulnerable pupil group.
Young Carers in Schools Award is a free initiative that makes it as easy as possible for schools to support young carers, and awards good practice. Run jointly by Carers Trust and The Children's Society, and locally supported by Young Carers Matter Norfolk, the Young Carers in Schools programme works with schools across England to share good practice, provide relevant tools and training, and celebrate the great outcomes many schools achieve for young carers.
Achieving the award will enable schools to:
- Identify and support young carers.
- Ensure that young carers are able to attend and enjoy school and reach their full potential.
- Ensure that young carers have the same life opportunities as other children.
- Improve young carers' wellbeing and ensure they are better prepared for independent lives.
- Support parents and guardians to enable their children to attend school.
- Create a school culture which accommodates for and understands the needs of all pupils, respecting disability and caring.
The Award is based on five standards, which were developed following consultation with young carers:
- Understand - There are assigned members of staff with responsibility for understanding and addressing young carers' needs.
- Inform - Awareness is raised by sharing knowledge about disability, illness and young carers throughout the school.
- Identify - Young carers are being identified within the school.
- Listen - Young carers are listened to, consulted with and given time and space to talk.
- Support - Young carers are supported within the school and signposted to whole-family resources and services outside the school.
The 2025 Young Carers in Schools - Final Evaluation Report showed the following impact from the schools participating in the programme:
- When controlling for different pupil characteristics, schools achieving the award between 2023 and 2025 identified more than three times the proportion of young carers as those without the award.
- 87% of school staff surveyed - including pastoral, safeguarding and young carers' leads - agreed or strongly agreed that the award improved all staff's knowledge of the challenges facing young carers and confidence to identify them.
- Of the school staff surveyed, 62% agreed or strongly agreed that the emotional wellbeing of young carers had improved as a result of achieving the award.
- By analysing NPD (National Pupil Database) data, and after controlling for pupil characteristics and school phase, it was found that young carers at schools with the YCiS award had 6% fewer missed school days than their peers at schools without the award.
If you would like to find out more about the Award, please contact Young Carers Matter Norfolk at [email protected].
