NDA helps schools with remote learning
Pupils from two West Cumbrian schools are benefiting from a new scheme that reuses redundant IT equipment from the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA).
NDA donates laptops to schools
In a bid to support the educational needs of local students, the NDA has donated 45 laptops in a first for the organisation.
Solway Community School, at Silloth, and Beacon Hill School, Aspatria, were given the equipment so pupils who, would otherwise struggle to access technology, could continue with their learning both at school and at home.
The initiative is also designed to help make a difference to disadvantaged pupils in the community or those who wouldn’t otherwise have access to appropriate IT equipment.
Frank Rainford, Group Director of Security and Corporate Services at the NDA, said:
We are delighted to see so many young people benefit from our IT equipment. The laptops will offer additional support to students during these challenging times and will ensure they can continue with their learning remotely.
Our commitment to supporting the communities in which we operate is hugely important to us and we hope this initiative will continue to inspire pupils in their education, ensuring no pupil misses out on an opportunity to learn.
Around 100 laptops in total have been earmarked for donation to local students, as the scheme develops.
The equipment, which has had all the data erased by specialist IT recycling contractors, had been used by NDA employees in their work towards achieving the mission of cleaning up 17 of the UK’s oldest nuclear sites.
Judith Schafer, Executive Headteacher for the two schools, added:
It has become vitally important that our students can continue learning remotely. This has been a steep learning curve for teachers and students, made more complex for some of our students who face extra educational barriers because of limited access to appropriate ICT equipment.
The laptops provided by the NDA will give these students the quality equipment and support they need to ensure they are able to continue their education remotely where necessary.
The donated equipment has also allowed some of the pupils to access additional remote learning support, provided through the NDA’s nucleargraduates programme.
An eight-strong team of graduates have been offering online tutoring sessions to support year 11 pupils, who could go on to become the next generation of nuclear professionals.
The scheme has been so well received that a full year group from Beacon Hill School took up the graduates’ offer of extra learning support, in subjects including science, technology, engineering and maths.
The scheme will run until September 2021.
Hear from the pupils themselves about why the laptops have made a difference Cumbria Futures Federation and NDA