Three Milton Keynes schools have been presented with awards for their work to help young carers.
Middleton Primary, Monkston Primary and Kents Hill Park ‘all-through’ schools, have all been presented with Bronze awards for their work in ensuring that pupils do not miss out on an education because they are young carers.
The schools, which are part of Kingsbridge Educational Trust, received the prestigious accolades in recognition of the support they give to young carers. This includes drop-in sessions and homework clubs.
The schools also inform staff on how to identify young carers and share vital information on their websites and noticeboards, so that pupils and their families know where to access help.
“Identifying barriers to learning in order to improve the achievements of our pupils, is at the heart of what Kingsbridge Educational Trust set out to achieve when we rolled out the Young Carers in Schools Programme across all of our schools, said CEO, Peter Barnes.
“It is testament to the tireless work of our staff, that The Children's Society and Carers Trust have acknowledged Kents Hill Park, Middleton Primary and Monkston Primary with the bestowing of the Young Carers in Schools awards.
“The programme was first implemented at Oakgrove School, who then worked with the other schools in the Trust, sharing guidance and resources.”
Giles Meyer, Chief Executive of Carers Trust, today congratulated the award-winning schools, saying: “The Young Carers in Schools programme is helping to transform schools and support staff across England. Schools play a vital role in a young carer’s life, as many care for relatives without their teachers even knowing what they do.
"On average young carers will miss a day of school each month as a result of their caring role, so the steps schools take to identify and support them can have a huge impact on their learning, wellbeing and life chances.”
