Ten laptop computers donated to Banbury primary school

Tudor Hall School has donated 10 Chrome Books laptop computers to its partner school, William Morris Primary, in Banbury.

Distance learning has become the ‘new normal’ since the first national lockdown was announced.

School children across the country have had to adapt to new ways of learning and make the transition from the classroom to the computer screen.

Accessing suitable learning technology has been a challenge for many families, particularly those who have several children in school who need access to the virtual classroom.

The donation was made possible through a fundraising effort by Tudor staff, staff who have been supporting the children at William Morris since 2018, and through a teaching and learning outreach programme.

William Morris, headmaster, Ally Johns said: “I can't thank the staff at Tudor Hall enough for their amazing fund-raising efforts. The donation of these Chrome Books will be of massive benefit to some of William Morris' most vulnerable families. It will enable more children to access online learning, proving invaluable for their education and wellbeing.”

William Morris School Governor, Pippa Jones, said: “We are delighted with how the partnership between Tudor Hall and William Morris Primary School has developed over the past few years.

"The schools have become very important to each other, with many collaborative projects, and it is wonderful that the Tudor Hall community were able to respond so quickly to assist the William Morris community at this challenging time. We know that this is going to make a real difference to the families that are most in need of this support.”

Tudor Hall Headmistress Wendy Griffiths said: “Distance learning is not what we want for the pupils of any school, but it is bridging a huge gap for young people at the moment.

"Our community were saddened to hear that some pupils at William Morris could not access the online learning due to a lack of devices in their households and quickly responded with donations to cover the cost of the items needed.

"It is a gesture of our ongoing commitment to the William Morris Community.

"We hope that the children, staff, and families at William Morris remain safe and we look forward to welcoming them back to Tudor Hall soon."