The petition of residents of England,
Declares that there are between 400,000 and 1 million young carers in England, who face overwhelming demands of providing care to a family member; further declares that research shows that young carers are twice as likely to be persistently absent from schools, less likely to pass GCSE English and Maths, and over twice as likely to be suspended from school all compared to their peers without a caring responsibility; further declares that it is wrong that young people giving their own time to support family members in need should then lose out themselves; further declares that it is welcome that the new Ofsted Framework includes a requirement to identify young carers in schools, but that there are currently no official means or roles for supporting those children once they are identified; further declares that vital wraparound support in schools is long overdue for young carers; further declares that establishing a Young Carers’ Champion in every school in England would provide schools with tools to support young carers with their educational attainment and wellbeing.
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to introduce legislation that would require every school in England to have a Young Carers’ Champion to lead the school's strategic approaches to identifying and supporting young carers.
And the petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Vikki Slade, Official Report, 15 September 2026; Vol. 790, c. 1684.]
[P003241]
Observations from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education (Paul Waugh):
The Government recognise the challenges that caring responsibilities can present for children and young people, including in their education, wellbeing and wider life opportunities.
Through the cross-Government unpaid carers action plan, we are working to improve support for unpaid carers, including young carers, and to raise awareness of the challenges they may face.
The Government agree that young carers should be identified as early as possible and receive appropriate support. We recognise that many young carers remain hidden from services, and that identification and access to support can vary across the country. That is why our recently published statutory guidance on the new duty to share information, introduced under the Children’s Wellbeing and School Act 2026, makes specific reference to the needs of young carers.
The Government appreciate the intention behind the proposals to require every school to appoint a young carers’ champion. The addition of young carers to the school census has shone a light on the educational disadvantage they face—with key stage 2 and key stage 4 attainment data published for the first time in autumn 2025.
This evidence is driving change in education—Ofsted, for example, makes specific reference to the needs of young carers in its new inspection toolkit and the Department for Education has responded through guidance to the sector.
Our statutory safeguarding guidance is clear that schools and colleges, including the designated safeguarding lead, should be alert to the support needs of young carers, and our most recent update, published this September, includes new stand-alone content emphasising the role of education in the early identification and support of young carers and the impact caring can have on their attendance, attainment, behaviour and wellbeing. Further, we have made substantive additions in relation to young carers in our 2026 update to our statutory guidance on attendance, “Working together to improve school attendance”. This guidance sets out the Department’s expectations of local authorities and schools—setting out a “support first” ethos of holistic, whole-family support to overcome the barriers to attendance and reiterating the importance of recording young carers on the school census. This ethos is reflected in resources provided to schools on school attendance; the attendance toolkit for schools includes reference to supporting young carers in its self-assessment tool.
Beyond this, we will ensure all children and young people have every opportunity to engage and succeed in education, regardless of background or circumstances. Our plan for reform, “Every Child Achieving”, will ensure a broader, enriching and inclusive school experience, taking a holistic approach to addressing many of the challenges highlighted by the petition, including attainment, attendance and behaviour.