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To: All Head teachersLondon Borough of Havering
SOCIAL CARE and LEARNINGHAVERING INSPECTION AND ADVISORYSERVICE
Scimitar House23 Eastern Road, Romford RM1 3NH
Please call: Penny PattersonTelephone: 01708 433827Fax:
01708 431895
e-mail:
ppatterson.311@lgflmail.org
Date:
01 December 2009
Advanced Notice of Home Access Programme
The Home Access programme will provide one-off financial bursaries for low income families toincrease the availability of PC and internet access in the home. The spend of this bursary will be ringfenced to specific products from a small list of commercial partners.
“
Home Access aims to provide practical and financial support to low-income families who may notbe able to afford a computer or the Internet. We will support these families to ensure that the
educational and social benefits of 21st century technology are available to them.”
Diana Johnson, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for SchoolsKey Points
DCSF will contact schools by email on 1
st
December.
Expected National roll out
–
December 2009 to March 2010.
Schools need to be ready to contact low-income families with promotion immediately whennotified. Especially as this is so close to Christmas.
Grant will be available on a first come basis until funding allocation for whole project is exhausted.
Schools will receive Home Access Pack from DCSF with promotional materials
–
estimateddate in school Spring 2010.
It will be advertised on Television so that parents are aware.
Applications are means tested
–
applicants have to fill in a comprehensive form. Schools canhold meeting to aid parents with this process.
Schools can elect to aggregate the purchases on behalf of families. We recommend thatschools only offer the aggregation model if they have the capacity to negotiate a better dealfrom a supplier and are able to cater for ongoing issues with the products especially afterwarranty term has lapsed. There is no funding to support this; the school would have to beaffiliated to the e-learning foundation.
Schools will need to actively target families who may qualify for grant
Applications will be open to learners in years 3 to 9.
Maximum of one grant per household.
Families who have received ICT equipment from other grants may not qualify
–
in Haveringwe have issued laptops to looked after children through targeted home access.
How will it work?
Qualifying families will receive a payment card and activation notice from card provider withspend limit of £600.
There is a list of approved suppliers (currently 7)who will have identified products for sale.Families can select from a PC, Laptop or Minibook from various manufacturers who meet therequired specifications. Schools may support families in choosing a PC, Laptop or Minibook.
There will be 3 additional assistive technology packages for young people with specialneeds, these will come through a separate provider.
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