We know that for some students, factors outside of school can have a big impact on this, particularly if there is someone in their family or a friend who is ill, disabled, or has a mental health problem or an addiction. We think in every class there could be as many as two young people who are helping to support someone due to one of these factors – we call these young carers. 

Students can be young carers for lots of different reasons:

• They might be providing physical support to a parent with a physical illness like fibromyalgia or ME, such as cooking, fetching things or helping with things like putting shoes on or doing the shopping. 

• They might be helping a parent with a disability who needs help with more personal tasks such as getting dressed, bathing or changing dressings.

• Or it could be more emotional support – like being there if their autistic sibling is upset, taking responsibility for young siblings whilst parents attend health appointments, or checking that a parent with depression/anxiety is OK.

Some young carers might be doing lots of caring, others just a small amount but are impacted by the situation at home, for example by worrying about the person with a health condition, or needing to do more things for themselves compared to other students.

There is lots of support available for young carers and their families should they ever need it – both inside and outside of school. We are the only school in Manchester to have secured support from Manchester Active. Sessions run in school on a fortnightly basis, and include:

• Yoga
• First Aid training
• Sports and games
• Board games
• Emotional support
• BMX biking
• Trips 

If you think that any of the above applies to your child, and that they might be a young carer, you can call the academy and speak to Miss Brown, or let us know using this form. Even if you feel your child and family are doing really well and don’t need any support, we find that it’s better for us to be aware, in case the situation changes and they (or you) would like support.