City school boosted by donation of new laptops
A COVENTRY school has been boosted with a donation of new laptops to help underprivileged children who have been unable to access a home computer during lockdown.
Charity group the Tile Hill Community Partnership (THCP) gifted Westwood Academy six laptops with 12-months connectivity as part of the first phase of Hope for Tile Hill project.
The generous donation has been made possible thanks to £3,000 funding from the West Midlands PCC Community Initiative Fund and a further £3,000 from the Heart of England Community Foundation.
The school was considered after the Covid-19 crisis left a number of children without access to a computer, with fears it is seeing them fall behind in their education.
Headteacher Mrs Helen Lawrence said: “It is so important that the educational advantages of digital learning are experienced by all pupils and therefore increasing pupil access to the necessary technology is such a fundamental part of raising aspirations and educational achievement. This donation will enable us to supplement the very valuable work of our academic staff in combination with home learning for our more vulnerable pupils, which is now even more important than ever before.”
THCP chair Greg Smith added: “Access to online resources is something many take for granted, meaning that those without access can easily fall a long way behind in their academic career.”
It is hoped a second phase of the laptop project can distribute used laptops to elderly residents and to community groups.
Providing laptops and a wi-fi connection can help people re-connect with families and individuals during isolation, and for children to reconnect with their school and keep on top of work.
Ward councillor Peter Male said the first donation will help to make “a big difference” to school children in the area.
He added: “We look forward to future collaborations with the Tile Hill Community Partnership and the wider Woodlands ward community.”