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More on KentOnline
A school has received a national award for its role in supporting young carers throughout the pandemic.
Westcourt Primary and Nursery School, on Silver Road, Gravesend, has been acknowledged for its commitment to help its students by The Children’s Society and Carers Trust.
The Young Carers in Schools Covid Award, recognises the support given by schools to children under 18 who help look after someone in their family, or a friend, who is ill, disabled, or has a mental health condition.
Without additional support at school, young carers can struggle to balance their caring duties with other activities in their lives.
One in four nationally also report being bullied because of their role.
So when young carers at Westcourt needed extra support staff at the school stepped up.
The Primary First Trust-run academy has been providing a range of support and established a strong relationship with the Young Carers in Schools (YCiS) initiative.
Before the pandemic, staff organised for the programme to visit the school and meet the children.
They also ran a workshop for parents to discuss life at home and offer valuable advice and guidance.
During the months of lockdown, the school rang parents at home to identify anyone new falling under this banner and those who may need extra support.
The school also secured bus passes for its young carers who begin secondary school in September.
Looking ahead, the school plans to offer additional support for such students by holding a monthly lunchtime club in which they can meet together to talk about their experiences and enjoy fun and enriching activities.
Mags Sexton, Head Teacher at Westcourt Primary and Nursery School, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded The Children’s Society and Carers Trust award for our work with our young carers.
"We are so incredibly proud of their resilience and positive attitude"
"The pandemic has been very challenging for many people, but our young carers have had to navigate this time whilst being a key carer, and sometimes sole carer, for a family member.
"We are so incredibly proud of their resilience and positive attitude, and we want to do all that we can to support them, in any way possible.
"The guidance that The Children’s Society and Carers Trust have given us has been invaluable and we are looking forward to building on our provision even further this September.”
It's not the first time the school has been recognised in recent months.
In April its teaching and approach to reading was held up as an example of "best practice" following its inclusion in the 2021 edition of The Parliamentary Review.
