Computers are now an integral part of learning, but many students struggle to access online materials and learning opportunities as they do not have independent access to a computer at home. In trying to address this, Lilian Baylis Technology School received a grant for 120 Chromebooks and 15 laptops to issue to Year 12 students last autumn.
The school serves a community of high disadvantage, with over 50% of pupils qualifying for free school meals, and this pilot project aimed to democratise knowledge and power, which are typically the main barriers to disadvantaged students. It was an evolution of the school’s former laptop loan scheme, which had a very low uptake. On further investigation, this was because students were wary of the financial responsibility and the possibility of owing money they might not be able to pay back (such as if their laptop became damaged). This was particularly so for the parents who were asked to countersign the loan.
The project was also building on a previous small-scale pilot run by Tech 4 Schools, whereby one class was gifted laptops for their year 12 course. It had had a huge impact on the quality of learning outside the classroom, resulting in better assignments and ultimately higher grades for students.
All year 12 students who were part of the scheme have since progressed into year 13. In addition, students who benefitted from the scheme reported that they also used their laptops in securing opportunities outside of school life, including work placements and summer internships. They have also used their laptops to create UCAS accounts and research courses and universities over the summer, resulting in a greater number of applications for university than in previous years – this may indicate that greater access to technology in this way has had an impact on raising aspirations.
Arguably the impact of this funding will go beyond the duration of the grant, and beyond the intended beneficiaries. The students’ families have benefited from new or increased online resources, enabling them to complete applications for housing, Personal Independent Payments, jobs and more, whilst the 6th form teachers have also benefitted, as it has allowed them to set online learning which had a positive impact on workloads.
The school is now looking to secure funding from other philanthropic partners in order to continue the scheme with subsequent year groups.
