A primary school in Rainham received a number of laptops during the third national coronavirus lockdown thanks to the joint efforts of a local MP, Clarion Futures and Rainham Steel.
The pandemic highlighted a digital divide and when schools closed, many families didn’t have adequate IT equipment at home. Using a mobile phone, in addition to having limited data and Wi-Fi access, just wasn’t practical.
John Cruddas MP for Dagenham and Havering, got in contact with Clarion Futures on behalf of Newtons Primary School to help provide much-needed laptops for their students. Having worked with the school for many years, the Digital Inclusion and Communities teams were delighted to help, knowing the laptops would be making a difference at such a challenging time for the community. The teams managed to purchase 30 laptops and source an additional 10 from the Digital Inclusion team’s own resources.
Una Connolly, Headteacher at Newtons Primary School, says the school has been “uplifted” by the donation drive, particularly as it will ease the burden on parents when it comes to providing devices at home. She said: “Our parents have been fantastic. They’ve done everything to make this work, even offering their mobile phones. But these laptops will make things easier.”
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