How you can help primary schools across Harborough by donating laptops

People are being asked to donate laptops to help children learn at primary schools across Harborough.

Learn Academies Trust, the schools’ umbrella body, is appealing for help from local businesses as well as the general public during the coronavirus pandemic.

The organisation would like any unwanted Windows laptops which can be refurbished and loaned out to families who need them.

They just need to be in working order and have a charger.

The trust has also launched a fundraising campaign to buy a set of laptops at a special-discounted price for schools as part of a Government scheme.

There are many reasons why youngsters may not be able to access online lessons when learning at home:

- Their family may not have access to the internet, or only have access via limited mobile data on a mobile phone – sometimes only one phone

- There may not be a laptop, computer or tablet in the house

- Even if there is a laptop or computer an adult may need it to work from home - or there may be several children competing to use it to access online lessons.

The Covid-19 crisis has already had a huge impact on education, with teachers, children and parents quickly adapting to new ways of working.

As schools gear up to welcome back all children in the autumn term staff also need to prepare for when children will have to self-isolate at home, whether this is:

- an individual child or family who develops COVID-19 symptoms or has been in contact with someone who has

- a whole class or year group having to close temporarily due to an outbreak in school

- a local lockdown closing a whole school for two weeks or longer.

Learn-AT wants to ensure that all schools have laptops available to loan out to families as and when they need them.

Stef Edwards, Trust Leader, said: “We are determined to make sure that every single child in a Learn-AT school, regardless of their family circumstances, can access high-quality online learning from home if they need to stay away from school again because of coronavirus. “We would be so grateful if the local community could support us to achieve our goal.”

If you are able to donate an old laptop please email [email protected]

Donations towards the fundraising campaign can be made online via https://donatemyschool.com/learnacademiestrust

Any donations would be very much appreciated.

Learn Academies Trust was founded in 2016 and has 10 member primary schools:

Blaby Stokes CE Primary School

Church Langton CE Primary School

Great Bowden CE Academy

Husbands Bosworth CE Primary School

Lubenham All Saints CE Primary School

Market Harborough CE Academy

Meadowdale Primary School

Red Hill Field Primary School

Ridgeway Primary Academy

St Andrew’s CE Primary School, North Kilworth­