Coronavirus: Government cuts laptop allocations for some schools by 80 per cent

DfE changes criteria to favour schools where more pupils are self-isolating

The government promised to deliver hundreds of thousands of laptops and tablets to disadvantaged schoolchildren (PA)

The government has cut the allocation of laptops to disadvantaged pupils at some schools by up to 80 per cent, according to headteachers.

One school received an email from the Department of Education saying it would only receive 13 of the 61 computers it had been promised - even though it actually needed 168.

Another was told on Friday night that its expected allocation of 17 laptops had been cut to just three.

Schools received the notification the day after a new legal duty to provide immediate access to remote learning to pupils who are at home because of Covid-19 came into force.

Head teachers union NAHT said the timing of the change to the allocation process "beggars belief", while Labour said the government's handling of education during the pandemic had been a "disgrace".

The government has promised to distribute hundreds of thousands of laptops to help disadvantaged pupils in years 3 to 11 learn from home during the coronavirus pandemic.

It calculated the number of devices based on the number of children in years 3 to 11, free school meals data and how many devices a school already had.

However the Department for Education said it had changed its allocation process "in the context of significant global demand". The focus will now be on areas where pupils are more likely to be self-isolating.

Chris Dyson, head teacher at Parklands School in Leeds, told the BBC that the reduction in his allocation was "absolutely scandalous".

He said: "I actually needed 168. So I logged on expecting to hopefully see my 61 had gone up, and it destroyed me, it flattened me, when I saw it's actually been cut to 13.

"Thirteen laptops in a worst-case scenario to share amongst 380 children."

Michael Tidd, headteacher at East Preston Junior School in Sussex, said schools had been finalising their plans to meet the remote learning legal duty.

"And then the day after all those plans had to be finalised, then we get told that the number of laptops we were expecting...it's been reduced massively," he told BBC Radio 4.

"For us, actually, we don't have huge levels of deprivation at our school, but we were expecting to have 17 laptops available to us and as of yesterday, that's been reduced to three."

Mr Tidd suggested schools might have to wait until they are in coronavirus lockdown and then for the devices to be delivered.

He added: "It's the combination of that with this sudden stipulation that by law we have to have remote access immediately ready and to make that change the day after that requirement comes into force seems kind of disingenuous at best from the DfE."

Nick Brook, NAHT deputy general secretary, said: "The fact that the government is simultaneously announcing an additional supply of laptops, whilst at the same time reducing each school's allocation demonstrates that it has seriously underestimated the impact coronavirus would have on schools this term.

"The government has been quick to mandate what it expects schools to be able to do when it comes to remote learning, but is clearly unable to deliver the necessary tools that schools and their pupils need.

"It beggars belief that within 24 hours of making immediate access to remote learning a legal requirement, the government has announced that it is reducing the number of laptops schools are eligible to receive."

Labour's shadow schools minister Wes Streeting said: "Only this incompetent government could introduce a legal duty on schools to provide online learning for pupils isolating at home and then cut their allocation of laptops the very next day. Education has been a total afterthought for this government throughout this pandemic and it's a disgrace."

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said the government was right to prioritise distributing devices for pupils most in need, but warned "the demand for laptops is outstripping supply at an alarming rate" amid rising infections.

The DfE said it was expecting to deliver more than 500,000 laptops and tablets to schools by Christmas.

A spokesperson said: "The scale and speed at which the department has delivered laptops and tablets to children who need them over the past six months is unprecedented.

"As we move into half term, and in the context of significant global demand, we're updating our allocation process to more accurately align orders with the number of students schools typically have self-isolating, ensuring as many children as possible benefit from receiving a device this term.

"We have already purchased an additional 96,000 devices and continue to work closely with our suppliers to ensure delivery despite the increased global demand."

Additional reporting by Press Association