A PRIMARY school has won recognition for the extra help it offers children who look after a parent, sibling or family member.
Reid Street Primary School has become the first in Darlington to be awarded Young Carers' Charter status by DISC, a charity backed by Darlington Borough Council and County Durham and Darlington NHS, which supports children, young people and their families, who have been identified as having a challenging caring responsibility.
Education worker for DISC Darlington Young Carers Stephanie Swales said: “We are presently working with all schools and further education colleges across Darlington to implement the Young Carers' Charter.
“Many young carers have responsibilities and duties that are beyond their years and often fall between gaps in the system. This can lead to difficulties at school, college and home, and make them miss out on opportunities to socialise with friends and learn important development skills.
“We are delighted that Reid Street has become the first school in the town to achieve its charter status which demonstrates the hard work its staff have undertaken in pledging to support their young carers within school.”
A series of initiatives have been introduced throughout the school including assigning members of staff as designated young carer leads, providing quiet rooms for pupils to talk through their issues and publicising information on caring to pupils, teachers and families.
Reid Street Primary School senior vice principal and designated young carer lead Jane Knowlson said: “We currently have six students in school, aged from six to 11, who look after a family member at home.
“Young carers can face a number of difficulties at school, from feeling isolated and anxious to having low attendance due to their caring responsibilities.
“It’s wonderful to know that we are leading the way in Darlington by providing the extra help and support our young carers and their families need.”
Parent support advisor and designated young carer lead Tracey Charlton added: “A large part of what we do at Reid Street is to ensure that we support all of our children and families as part of the wider community.
“Our young cares now know that they can come to us at any time for help, to talk through any problems or just have someone to share their worries with.
“There is still a lot of work to do to build on our action plan and keep up to date with young carer issues but this charter is all about moving forwards for our pupils, our school and our community.”
