Care experience and family
Caring and Classes: The Education Gap for Young Carers
Carers Trust · 2024
About this report
Young carers in England face significantly worse educational outcomes than their peers, missing on average 23 school days compared to 14 for other pupils in 2022/23, with 46% of secondary school young carers persistently absent. Almost half (44%) frequently struggle to study due to caring responsibilities, and young adult carers are 37% less likely to achieve A*AA at A Level than peers without caring roles. The report finds identification and recording of young carers in schools remains poor, with 72% of schools recording zero young carers in the 2024 census. It calls for a Young Carers Pupil Premium, improved Ofsted scrutiny, and better financial support for young adult carers in post-16 education.
Research details
- Methodology
- SurveyInterviewFocus groupSecondary analysisMixed methods
- Sample size
- 24,993
- Sample
- Young carers and young adult carers, parents, school/college staff, young carer services, local authorities, teachers, and pupils across England (and some from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland).
- Who it's about
- Young carers
- Place
- England
- Youth involvement
- Co-produced