Supporting Young Carers at Hylands School

At Hylands, we are proud to support our students who take on the important role of caring for family members. Many of our students serve as young carers, assisting parents or siblings who face long-term physical or mental health challenges. Their responsibilities often extend to childcare, household chores, shopping, cleaning, and cooking.

While these acts of care are deeply admirable, they can also affect our students’ academic performance and well-being. Caring duties can lead to missed lessons, fatigue, and feelings of being overwhelmed. Recognising these challenges, we are committed to providing emotional and practical support to ensure our young carers thrive both at home and in school.

Our dedicated Personal Support Managers (PSMs) and ACE mentors offer tailored support to these students, helping them manage their responsibilities and stay on track academically. In addition, we are fortunate to partner with Essex Young Carers and Action for Family and Carers (AFFC), two organisations that offer specialised support for our young carers. AFFC visits the school regularly to provide counselling services, as well as extracurricular activities designed to give our young carers a much-needed break, where they can have fun and connect with others facing similar challenges.

At Hylands, we recognise the immense value of our young carers and their families. We are committed to providing the support they need to succeed and feel valued as part of our school community. Their resilience and dedication inspire us, and we are proud to be there for them every step of the way.