Thousands of most vulnerable children in Warwickshire provided with laptops to help with remote learning during Lockdown 3.0 thanks to county council

The Council has purchased 2,375 laptops which will be passed on to various groups of young people.

The laptops are fully equipped with Windows 10 Home edition, firewall and anti-virus and have full three-year warranties. A further purchase of MiFis with unlimited data has also been made to support learners whose households do not have internet connectivity.

The first release and delivery of devices, numbering around 1050, have been distributed to young carers and Children Looked After (CLA) as well as to Special Schools to support pupils with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) and Infant Schools. A second phase of provision of laptops and connectivity devices is currently being arranged.

The need was identified through a demand assessment survey carried out with schools earlier this term. Schools will receive the devices, own them and distribute them to the pupils they identified as requiring this support.

The laptops have been purchased to complement the Government allocation which schools can access for Years 3 to 11 directly from the DfE scheme which prioritises Secondary and Junior age pupils.

Cllr Colin Hayfield, portfolio holder for education and learning, said: “One of the hardest things about the pandemic is that it has deprived so many children of their opportunity to attend school for their education.

"However, the wealth of remote learning that Warwickshire schools have made available so quickly does offer a temporary solution, albeit one that cannot replace the face-to-face learning that is so enriching.

“Our survey with schools showed us which children and young people were without access to a laptop and, in some cases, internet connection.

"The swift arrival and distribution of these laptops by the council will help to prevent gaps in attainment between them and their peers.

"We were pleased to support a local scheme.”

Cllr Jeff Morgan, portfolio holder for Children and Families which oversees the work around children in care and vulnerable children, added: “It is vital we support our most disadvantaged pupils during this period of lockdown so they may continue to learn and have every opportunity possible to keep up with their peers.

"Supply of these devices and access to broadband will be immensely helpful and is only part of the help available from the council and its partners.

"The Family Information Service is an excellent source of guidance and signposting on all family matters and the Local Welfare Scheme can help people facing hardship find solutions to support their families. I urge anyone struggling at the moment to find out more through the relevant Council webpages or to get in touch."