Free lockdown laptops for poorer pupils as no date is set for re-opening schools

The move is part of a push to make remote education accessible for children while schools are closed, and includes a new online academy to offer pupils online lessons.

It comes on what would have been the first day of summer term for most pupils, and after Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said no date has been set for re-opening schools in England.

He apologised to pupils for the interruption to their studies and said there are no plans to open schools in England over the summer holidays.

Mr Williamson said 4G routers will be provided to ensure disadvantaged secondary school pupils and care leavers can access the internet where their families do not already have mobile or broadband internet.

The Oak National Academy will launch on Monday, having been created by 40 teachers from some of the leading schools in England in less than a fortnight.

Its 180 video lessons per week will cover a broad range of subjects including maths, arts and languages for pupils ranging in age from reception to Year 10.

Electronic devices will be ordered for pupils “in the most vital stages of their education for those who receive support from a social worker and care leavers”, the Department for Education (DfE) said.

Young people will be eligible for the devices if they do not already have one and either have a social worker or are care leavers, or are disadvantaged children in year 10, ahead of GCSEs next year.

The DfE said schools and colleges will be able to keep the laptops and tablets once they reopen.

The Government said it would also make funding of £1.6 million available immediately for the NSPCC to expand and promote its national helpline for adults.

Peter Wanless, chief executive of the NSPCC, said: “The NSPCC Helpline is a crucial cog in the child protection system, last year we responded to almost 73,000 contacts from people with concerns about a child’s welfare.

“At a time when there are increased risks of harm to vulnerable children but teachers and social workers’ access to them is more limited, we must all play our part in recognising the signs of abuse and neglect and be sure to report any concerns.”

Becca Lyon, Save the Children’s head of child poverty, said: “Additional online support for all children to continue their learning will help many, but those without access to the internet will still be missing out. Extending router availability to the families of younger children in poverty will ensure children continue to learn at a critical point in their development.”

Polling of teachers and parents published by the Sutton Trust found over half of students in independent schools take part in online lessons every day, two and a half times as often as their state school contemporaries.

It said the gap was largely explained by access to resources, as independent schools – as well as state ones in more affluent areas – were more likely to have existing online platforms allowing them to broadcast classes online, or receive work submitted by a class.

Sutton Trust founder and chairman, Sir Peter Lampl, said: “The widening of the attainment gap over these next few months threatens to have negative implications for years to come. It is crucial we do all we can to address inequalities through high quality tuition and access to technology.”

Mr Williamson told the daily Downing Street press conference on Sunday that five tests must be met before English schools can re-open,

“People are anxious to know when we’re going to relax restrictions, when schools are likely to be fully back and open again,” he said.

“Of course, I want nothing more than to see schools back, get them back to normal, make sure the children are sat around, learning, and experiencing the joy of being at school.

“But I can’t give you a date. Because before we do, we need to meet five tests.”

They include protecting the NHS’s ability to cope, seeing daily death rates come down, and having reliable data that shows the rate of infection is decreasing to manageable levels, he said.

Mr Williamson said there also must be confidence that any changes do not risk a second peak of infections.

He added: “There are currently no plans to have schools open over the summer period and we haven’t been working on plans to have them open over the summer period.”