Young Carers at Barley Close

A young carer is someone under 18 who helps look after someone in their family who is ill, disabled or misuses drugs or alcohol. At Barley Close we aim to support children in school who take on responsibility for others at home so that they can enjoy school, have the same experiences and achieve alongside their peers.

Alison King (SENCO and member of the senior leadership team) can provide information on how to refer your child to  Bristol and South Glos Young Carers Service and  can do this with you if you wish. Contact either via the school office in person or on 01454867090. You can also email and questions or queries directly on alison.king@barleyclose.org.uk. Mrs King can be found on the playground most mornings before school starts, please drop by and say hello!

In school we have a support group who meet weekly (Fun Time Players) on Wednesday lunchtimes. During the group they meet other children who have a similar role at home to them, time to chat and take part in lots of fun activities together. Children can choose if they attend each week.  Should they need someone to talk to during the school day and at playtime, Mrs Eatwell, our teaching assistant who runs the Fun Time Players group, is accessible and does 'check in' frequently on all group members.

Mrs King. Mrs Weston and Mr Quirke also check in with children and work directly with them one to one when required. Mrs Weston focuses on therapeutic activities and Mr Quirke runs Emotional Literacy sessions as our Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) which focus on recognising our emotions, self esteem and managing how we feel day to day.