A housing association has stepped in to help children with special educational needs by donating 20 laptops to a school in Cranbrook.
LiveWest contacted Cranbrook Education Campus, part of the Ted Wragg Multi-Academy Trust, with the offer after moving to help bridge the educational gap created by lockdown.
With children now settled back into education following the easing of government restrictions, the laptops are being used to help the most disadvantaged at the school.
The devices have made a huge difference in the school’s inclusion hub which supports pupils with special educational needs, disabilities and those suffering with mental health issues.
It is helping those struggling with meeting expectations in mainstream classrooms to access their live learning via Google Classroom and Google Meet and the range of educational technology platforms, such as Sparx, Tassomai and Bedrock, which are used by the school to supplement learning in the classroom.
Stephen Farmer, Head of Campus at the school, said: “On behalf of pupils and staff at Cranbrook Education Campus, I would like to say a massive thank you to LiveWest for their generous donation.
“The laptops provide invaluable educational support for our pupils and will be primarily used to help and support children with special educational needs.
“Our focus is to provide the highest quality of education and to ensure all of our pupils from all backgrounds are empowered to succeed.
“The pandemic has had an impact on all of our lives, but the levels of generosity from organisations and people to help and support children’s education is truly remarkable.”
LiveWest has supported families and children across the South West by donating more than 150 refurbished laptops and issuing £32,000 to schools to allow them to buy much-needed IT equipment.
In a move to narrow the social divide exposed by the pandemic, LiveWest has also helped more than 100 households get online through digital inclusion grants totalling more than £23,000.
Tim Wotton, Grants Manager for LiveWest, said: “It was fantastic to be able to support Cranbrook Education Campus with a donation of laptops.
“It is always heartening to hear how these are being used the benefits they bring.
“We play an active role in supporting all of our communities and we are thrilled to be able to provide equipment which will make a positive difference to the children’s education.”