With schools closed during the national lockdown, it is important that every child still receives a high-quality remote education. Parents and teachers in Elmbridge have been working very hard to provide this and have been doing a great job.
Of course, not all pupils have access to the technology for remote education at home. This is why the Department for Education has been providing laptops and tablets for schools and councils to distribute to disadvantaged pupils. Over 700,000 of these have been delivered to date, and last week the Department for Education announced that a further 300,000 will be made available.
This has made a real impact in Surrey. New statistics show that since the beginning of this academic year, Surrey County Council and local schools have received 978 laptops and tablets to distribute to children who need them. This is in addition to the 3,601 devices delivered during the summer term last year and does not include devices delivered directly to academy trusts – meaning that the total number is even higher.
The government has also been working with mobile network operators so that schools can request free uplifts in data for disadvantaged families, and has strengthened minimum standards for schools providing remote learning. Together, this package is helping to ensure that no child in Elmbridge loses out on their education during the pandemic.
(Pictured above - Dom taking part in a virtual assembly at Thames Ditton Junior School last year.)