CAN YOU SPARE A LAPTOP?
APPEAL TO HELP PUPILS WHO DON’T HAVE A COMPUTER AT HOME
SCHOOLS across the county are appealing to the public to provide computer equipment for pupils who are learning from home.
Due to the national lockdown, schools have switched to remote learning for the majority of pupils, with only the most vulnerable and children of key workers still able to attend.
But for many families it is a struggle to provide the technology their children need for remote learning.
The Post asked schools in the county to get in touch if they needed help with equipment donations – ideally laptops, or tablets with larger screens.
Nine schools have responded so far and are listed on the panel to the left of this page.
Meanwhile, Archway Learning Trust, which operates the five Bluecoat sites and The Nottingham Emmanuel School, has launched a crowdfunding campaign to buy laptops for students who are struggling to access online learning.
It wants to supply 500 computers at a cost of around £300 each to pupils who are in receipt of Free School Meals.
Sian Hampton, Archway Learning Trust CEO said: “During the pandemic, staff have worked hard to make sure that no child is left behind and that everyone has the opportunity to learn no matter whether
schools or open or not.
“Sadly, some students have no device to work on at home.
“The Department for Education has provided some laptops and we are grateful for these but this does not take into account all children who don’t have a device including those whose circumstances might have changed since the last lockdown due to furlough ending or redundancy.
“We want all our young people to be able to make the same progress and receive the same support. We don’t think it is appropriate that they are left behind due to not having a laptop.
“We want to fulfil our mission statement ‘working together, transforming lives’ and without the right equipment our children simply be as successful as we want them to be.”
The Government has said it will be providing one million laptops and tablets for schools to allocate locally to students who need them most.
To date, it has delivered more than 560,000 devices to councils in England, with 698 devices provided to schools and colleges across Nottinghamshire, with a further 100,000 arriving this week nationally.
More than 54,000 4G mobile broadband routers have also been delivered to schools and colleges in England, to ensure children have internet access.
The Government said it is building on this work through its partnership with mobile phone providers, including EE, Three, O2 and Vodafone, to deliver free internet access for these students until July 2021.
Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson said: “The last thing any Education Secretary wants to do is close schools and this is not a decision that the government ever wanted to take. But the closing of schools for the majority of pupils does not mean the end of their education.
“Schools and colleges are much better prepared to deliver online learning – with the delivery of a million devices well under way, data support and high-quality video lessons available via the Oak National Academy.”
To donate to the Archway Trust Laptops for Home Learning Crowdfunding appeal, go to https://app.investmycommunity. com/archway-learning-trust-2454 here.
Alternatively, if you have spare devices and laptops available, contact your local school to see if they are accepting donations and what arrangements they have in place.