Thousands more laptops for local disadvantaged children

More than one million laptops and tablets have now been delivered to schools and local authorities across England, as part of a £400m. investment that will support schools and young people for years to come.

The news comes after the Department for Education last month announced a further 300,000 laptops and tablets to help even more disadvantaged children and young people learn at home.

Schools are already receiving top ups to their original allocations – with those with the highest proportion of disadvantaged pupils being prioritised first.

Pendle MP Andrew Stephenson said: “No child should miss out as a result of the disruption caused by this pandemic. That is why it has been our priority to equip those children most in need with the resources they need to succeed.

“I very much welcome that young people across Lancashire are continuing to benefit from the raft of measures the Government has put in place to help schools deliver high-quality learning, and the 16,766 devices we now have received will ensure no child’s education is hindered, regardless of their background or circumstance.

“While we hope that all our children will be back learning in the classroom as soon as possible, we will do everything in our power to give them the world-class education they deserve as they learn at home.”

The 1.3 million devices the government is providing sits alongside a package of extensive support for the most disadvantaged children. This includes partnering with the UK’s leading mobile network operators to provide free data to disadvantaged families, alongside a further £300m. being invested in tutoring programmes building on the existing £1 billion Covid Catch Up Fund.

To further strengthen remote education provision, the government has also provided more than 54,000 4G routers to schools and colleges across England, ensuring no child is prohibited from receiving a quality education due to a lack of internet access.

To further bolster the quality of remote education for all students, the Government has strengthened the minimum standards for remote learning provision, so every child, no matter where they learn, receives the great education they deserve.