Frodsham Primary Academy Wins Award for Supporting Young Carers

Frodsham Primary Academy’s commitment to supporting pupils who are young carers has been recognised with a special award. 
 
The Warrington Primary Academy Trust school received a Silver Award at Cheshire Young Carers School Awards, held last week in Chester. It was the second year running the school has received the accolade. 
 
Over the past two years, the school has worked closely with carer support organisation Cheshire Young Carers to identify and support pupils who would benefit from their services.  
 
The Cheshire Young Carers team has delivered training at the school to help staff recognise signs that a child may be a young carer. They have also led whole-school assemblies and delivered wellbeing programmes to both groups and individual pupils. 
 
Debbie Sutton, Pastoral Lead at Frodsham Primary Academy, said: “Many young carers go unseen, and it is vital that we are able to identify children who may be supporting parents, grandparents, or siblings with physical or emotional needs. Currently, we have 10 identified young carers in our school, with a further 6 pupils going through the referral process. 
 

“Once a referral is completed, with the support and consent of the pupil’s parent or carer, a member of the Cheshire Young Carers team visits our school to work directly with the child. After assessments are carried out, the young carer gains access to a wide range of support, including activity-based respite programmes, regular fun activity groups, and much more.” 

Headteacher Gemma Callaghan added:  “I am extremely proud of what this award represents. It highlights our commitment to ensuring that every young carer and every pupil, is truly seen, understood, and supported as a whole child. 
 
“As a school, we are committed not only to identifying young carers and referring them to specialist services but also to providing ongoing in-school support. This includes pastoral care, emotional literacy sessions, and creating a safe, understanding environment where young carers feel recognised, valued, and supported.” 
 
Graham Phillips, Cheshire Young Carers CEO, commented: “The Cheshire Young Carers School Award recognises the commitment of schools to find “hidden” young carers and then provide additional support if it’s required. Frodsham Primary Academy is a great example of a staff team who are committed to supporting pupils who are young carers to help them thrive.”