Network Rail has announced that it has donated 20 laptops to pupils at Hexham Middle School.

A group of volunteers at Network Rail are working to distribute at least 8,000 refurbished laptops that are no longer needed in Britain, to be fixed up and be used in schools.

The idea was put together during lockdown to improve remote access to learning, meaning more children could use them if they didn’t have a laptop.

Now schools have reopened they are being used inside the classrooms.

Network Rail selected Hexham Middle School at random in the draw for ‘laptops for schools’.

Lesley Eagan, a service desk analyst at Network Rail who persuaded the school to put their name in the hat, said: “It’s just fantastic to hear that the pupils are getting good use out of the devices. We’re asking colleagues across Network Rail to nominate schools in need of laptops and we hope to help as many as we can.”

Hattie Curry, Associate Assistant Headteacher at Hexham Middle School, added: “It’s a fantastic scheme and we’re really grateful for the donation.

“At the moment the laptops are on a special charging station and can be booked out by teachers to explore digital teaching with their pupils. However, if we have to go back into a lockdown situation, they will be a lifeline for some of our more disadvantaged children who don’t have access to their own machine at home.”

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