Resources

Resources to help schools identify young carers ahead of census

Pastoral issues Safeguarding Parental engagement Government policy Whole-school issues Pupil wellbeing Attendance
With one in five students having caring responsibilities, schools are being helped to identify and support these vulnerable young people ahead of new census requirements.
Image: Adobe Stock

The number of young carers in England remains, officially, unknown with many hiding their caring role and therefore remaining unsupported in school.

However, from January 2023, schools are being asked to identify young carers as part of the annual school census (DfE, 2022).

A young carer is a child or young person who cares for a friend or family member who, due to illness, disability, a mental health problem, or an addiction, cannot cope without their support.

Estimates vary as to how many young carers there are. The 2011 national census identified 178,000 young carers in England and Wales. One in eight of those were aged under eight.

Register now, read forever

Thank you for visiting Headteacher Update and reading some of our content for professionals in primary education. Register now for free to get unlimited access to all content.

What's included:

  • Unlimited access to news, best practice articles and podcasts

  • New content and e-bulletins delivered straight to your inbox every Monday

Register

Already have an account? Sign in here