STUDENTS at five schools in Chadwell St Mary and Tilbury will benefit from a policy of providing them with a laptop for home use.

The scheme was born during the the Covid pandemic but will now be rolled out as policy for schools in the Gateway Learning Community Trust, which has released funds to obtain 800 machines.

A statement from the trust says: "Among the gloom and despair of the last 12 months, there has been an emerging light that has transformed schools and ways of learning forever.

"It has got schools through the multiple lockdowns and 'bubble' closures during the pandemic and has enabled young people to continue to progress and keep in touch with their teachers and classmates.

"From a standing start, the Gateway Learning Community has developed a state-of- the-art online offer that has been praised by parents and the government and stands head and shoulders above the provision made by many local schools.

"When the first closure was announced, the five schools within the GLC (the Gateway Academy, the Gateway Primary Free School; Herringham; Lansdowne and Tilbury Pioneer primary academies) emptied their schools of laptops and iPads so that all young people and especially those who needed additional IT support could have virtual access to their teachers and could continue to learn.

"For up to four hours a day students would work on-line in all subjects across the curriculum with new and innovative teaching methods proving to be really popular. Teachers have assessed the ongoing progress of students in maths and English and have announced that those who have attended online lessons every day have, in general, progressed well and will achieve the end of year academic targets that were set before we had heard of Covid-19.

"This is a triumph for teachers; their students and parents, who have been behind the scenes supporting like never before."

As students returned to their classrooms this week the GLC Board of Directors has agreed that laptops should stay in the homes of young people; that the school-based computers should be replaced; and that every child from Year Three to Year Seven should be issued with a laptop that they will take to and from school each day in-order that they have best opportunities to continue their learning, both at home and at school.

The GLC has released significant cash reserves to fund this, with a plan in place to fund a laptop for all GLC young people in the near future. An order for an additional 800 laptops has been placed to add to those already in the community.

Kevin Sadler, the CEO of the group said: "We planned over the next few years to expand our online offer, but the advent of the pandemic has accelerated this massively.

"Our teachers and young people have made incredible progress in the last year there is no way we couldn't possibly take a step back.

"To think that there has been little detriment to learning over the last year for those young people who attended their live lessons every day opens the door to new and exciting ways to learn.

"I am truly grateful to our directors who have provided the resources to allow this to happen. We are committed to ensuring every young person within our care as the resources needed to support them to reach their full potential."