Ed Davey calls for young carers to receive education support as latest TV broadcast released

12 Jun 2024

EMBARGO: 18:30 Wednesday 12th June

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey speaks to carers in latest TV broadcast airing later tonight
Liberal Democrats propose Young Carers Pupil Premium, ensuring carers keep up with their learning
Ed Davey, who cared for his mother as a child, says the plans will help young carers fulfil their potential
Up to three in 10 (27%) of young carers are missing school

The Liberal Democrats will announce plans for young carers in England to receive extra funding for their education as part of a major expansion of the pupil premium. The policy would support over 50,000 children with caring responsibilities to catch up on their learning.

The latest policy announcement comes as Ed Davey’s new Party Election Broadcast airs tonight on BBC and ITV, with the party leader hearing from carers.

In the film, Ed Davey, who cared for his mother as a child and now cares for his disabled son, hears from a young carer who struggles to balance their learning with caring responsibilities.

Close to three in 10 (27%) young carers miss school, with many dealing with increased pressure on their time due to their caring responsibilities. Research has also shown that a young carer is twice as likely to be unhappy compared with other children.

Introducing a Young Carers Pupil Premium would provide more money for schools to help the estimated 54,000 young people currently balancing their caring responsibilities with their education.The extra funding would be in line with the current pupil premium which provides £1,480 per primary school child and £1,050 per secondary school child.

The funding could be used to help identify young carers and provide them with additional support such as tutoring and booster classes.

This would form part of an “Education Guarantee” for young carers, including ensuring that all schools have a young carers lead and policy.

The funding forms part of an £365 million proposed boost to the pupil premium, which gives extra funding to schools to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged children. The Lib Dem plans would see the pupil premium extended to 17-18 year olds and the pupil premium plus extended to children in kinship care. It means an additional 450,000 children would benefit from the pupil premium, taking the total to over 1.3 million pupils in England.

The Liberal Democrats have put support for carers at the heart of the party’s offer to voters at this election, including increasing the carers allowance by £1,040 a year and giving an amnesty to carers being hounded for overpayments by DWP.

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

“When I speak to young carers and listen to their experiences, it's clear they have so many skills and so much to offer. But many just aren't getting the support they need to balance their education with caring for loved ones.

“We need to support those who give so much of their time to caring. No young carer should fall behind the rest of their class.

“Our plans for a Young Carers Pupil Premium would help these fantastic young people fulfil their potential. I am proud that the LiberalDemocrats are putting a fair deal for young carers at the heart of our plans.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

The Liberal Democrat Party Election Broadcast featuring Ed Davey hearing from carers will air on ITV at 18:25 and BBC at 18:55.

The broadcast is available to watch under embargo here.

Research on the number of young carer’s missing school can be found here.

More detail on the Liberal Democrats plans to expand Pupil Premium eligibility in England (Education is devolved in Scotland and Wales):

Introduce a Young People’s Premium, extending Pupil Premium funding to disadvantaged young people aged 16-18.
Introduce a Young Carers Pupil Premium as part of an ‘Education Guarantee’ for young carers.
Support the education of children in care, extend Pupil Premium Plus funding to children in kinship care, and guarantee any child taken into care a school place within three weeks, if required to move schools.

Young People’s Pupil Premium:

It is estimated that 360,000 pupils would qualify for the Young People’s Premium for 16 to 18 year olds.
In 2024/25, the Pupil Premium will be £1,050 for secondary school children. (GOV.UK).

Young Carers Pupil Premium:

In 2023/24, there were 53,975 pupils identified as a young carer in the school census. These figures include 32,473 children in secondary education; 21,001 in primary education; and 501 in special and alternative provision education. (GOV.UK).
The Liberal Democrats would extend the Pupil Premium to include these children.
The Pupil Premium is for pupils who are eligible for free school meals or have been eligible in the past six years. In 2024/25, the Pupil Premium will be £1,480 for primary school children and £1,050 for secondary school children. (GOV.UK).

Pupil Premium Plus Extension to Kinship Care:

The Pupil Premium Plus is additional educational funding given to schools or virtual schools for children who are looked after by a local authority, plus those children who have previously been looked-after by a local authority or other state care. In 2024/25, the Pupil Premium Plus will be £2,570 per pupil. (GOV.UK).
While children in care and those who have been adopted qualify for additional pupil premium funding, those in kinship care (when a family member or close friend looks after a child if their parents are unable to do so) do not. The Liberal Democrats would correct this anomaly and extend Pupil Premium Plus funding to children in kinship care.
An estimated 40,000 more children aged between 5 and 16 in kinship care would receive Pupil Premium Plus funding under the Liberal Democrat plans.

These three policies are estimated to cost £365m a year. Our plans to pay for this and other policies are set out in our fully costed manifesto.