Schools should remember children with caring responsibilities “are not different, they just need to do things differently”.

Education settings across the borough have been urged by Swindon Borough Council to work towards achieving the Young Carers Champion mark given by Swindon Carers Centre.

Ann Giles, the charity’s schools development manager, says those in Swindon are excellent at helping youngsters with responsibilities at home and added having young carers know they can turn to someone is the key.

Ann said: “I work with 79 schools in Swindon and they’ve been brilliant.

“A lot of them have already got the champion award, but some haven’t yet. It’s vital a school knows all its young carers, and the carers themselves know they are recognised.”

For a school to qualify for a champion award it must appoint a young carers lead member of staff – a teacher, the head, or a teaching assistant in a voluntary role.

The school also needs a young carers’ policy and charter.

Ann said: “The charter is drawn up by the young carers at the school themselves, with help from the lead members of staff. It says how the children want to be treated and how they would want to be communicated with.”

Although there are more than 900 registered young carers in Swindon, Ann knows there are many more out there.

She said: “It’s vital that school know their registered and unregistered carers. There are lots of reasons why parents don’t want to be registered, sometimes after they get to know the young carer lead at school, they agree to be registered.”

Some of the specific policies that schools could adopt include making sure if a carer has a detention, that it’s done at lunchtime, or extra time for homework because they have more responsibilities in the evening.

Ann added: “We suggest if a carer has had a hard time at home or is late to school, they might be given more time, space to sit down and have a drink, perhaps, and then go to their lesson.

“They might have been late because they had to help a parent or sibling, it may very well not be their fault.

“It’s really important young carers know there will be someone to turn to, someone who will listen to them if they are struggling.

“We don’t want them thinking they can’t get the homework done and then just give up. Carers deserve the same educational and work opportunities as everyone else.

“They deserve time to themselves to do the things they want, they deserve time to have fun with their friends.

“They’re no different to any other young person. But they might need to do things differently”.

Find out more at swindoncarers.org.uk