The
Director of Children’s Services submitted a report to support an initiative to
ensure Middlesbrough’s children and young people have access to IT hardware and
internet connection to enable remote virtual learning.
The report provided
context and rationale for an investment in remote technology aimed at narrowing
the digital divide and provide children and young people an equitable
opportunity to learn in the current circumstances.
The report
required a decision as there was a requirement for a Single Member decision to
formally consider this report to agree to provide £350K funding to mitigate the
impact of extended school closures as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic. The
funding will support recovery from ‘lost learning’ for young people and the
ability to participate in online learning.
The report
outlined that In December 2020, the Council committed £20,000 to support
disadvantaged pupils to
access IT
hardware and internet connection to enable virtual learning and to mitigate
disruption
from learning due to the impact of Covid. 50 devices and Wi-Fi connectivity
were purchased through ONEIT and a loan scheme established for schools to
access. Under the original plans (when Middlesbrough was Tier 3), schools were
invited to loan devices should a learning bubble need to isolate away from
school. Due to the most recent Proposed decision(s) To support an initiative to
ensure Middlesbrough’s children and young people have access to IT hardware and
internet connection to enable remote virtual learning restrictions which
included the closure of schools this scheme has now been exhausted and all
digital devices are now loaned out (on long-term loan).
Under
current lockdown measures schools have increased accountability to provide
learning
that mitigates lost learning as a result of COVID. New government guidance was
published that strengthened expectations for the provision of remote education
and confirmed remote education curriculum should be aligned to the classroom
curriculum as much as possible. Ofsted have also confirmed schools remote
learning offer will be a key focus of interim visits. This has significantly
increased the onus on adequate provision of digital devices/ digital access for
the young people in the town.
In order to
fulfil this expectation, nationally DfE have increased their offer to schools
by another 300,000 laptops in addition to the 700,000 already delivered and
they have confirmed all schools will receive 100% of their ordered allocation.
Analysis of school pupil premium numbers has revealed that this allocation only
caters for a specific cohort of pupils within schools total of disadvantaged
pupils meaning that some pupils will not receive a device from the DfE.
Recently published data confirms that 1408 devices have now been delivered to
maintained schools and approximately 7000 to Academy Trusts. Figure 1 of the
report outlined the breakdown of disadvantaged pupils in schools across
Middlesbrough.
The report
further gave information in relation to the demand and also explained the
proposal as detailed below:
Schools
have been invited to submit requests for support for additional IT technology
including
WIFI and digital devices. This has enabled schools to create a preferred choice
based on
pupil need and request systems that will fit within their local IT environment.
Total
number of devices requested: 1,291
Total
number of WIFI connectivity requested: 261
Total
expenditure for this option: £345, 102
(Appendix
A)
These
figures were representative of school replies and account for pupils in all key
stages.
It was
proposed funding was offered to the schools as listed above which will purchase
of the necessary remote learning equipment for their pupils.
Funding for
this scheme would be sourced from the ‘Contain Expenditure Management Fund’
(COMF) under the categories of:
·
Targeted
interventions for specific sections of the local community and workplaces
·
Community-based
support for those disproportionately impacted - such as the BAME population
OPTIONS
Alternative
options considered
Other
options have been explored, including a tender process and sourcing laptops ‘in
– house’. It is clear these other options will incur an increased time delay in
roll-out and there was a clear urgent need to provide devices as soon as
possible to stop the young people of Middlesbrough being further disadvantaged
by the prolonged lockdown/ school closure.
Other
options considered also did not enable timely bespoke provision at a school
level which was necessary when supporting pupils with the digital devices
within the local IT school environment.
ORDERED
1.
That Single Member decision supports
the initiative to ensure Middlesbrough’s children and young people have access
to IT hardware and internet connection to enable remote virtual learning and
agree funding to the sum of £350K to purchase 1,291 devices and 261 remote
connectivity.
2. That an agreement be made with schools that under these arrangements the
ownership of the devices rests with schools. The devices will not be returned
to the LA creating lasting legacy of digital provision across the town.
REASON
The decisions were
supported by the following reason:
The impact on learning
for pupils not having access to remote virtual technology will widen the
achievement gap. Dedicating this resource will help secure learning
opportunities as well as promote safeguarding for pupils who do not have access
appropriate technology in the home. In addition, this facilitation will promote
the government message of wherever possible stay at home and support school
closures to help effectively manage the impact of Covid.