The Department for Education (DfE) has set up a number of technology schemes to support disadvantaged students; the current ones are for students who rely on a mobile internet connection due to their face-to-face education being disrupted by coronavirus.

The first scheme is a DfE partnership with mobile network operators to help school students in Years 3 to 11 in which disadvantaged families may be able to benefit from free increases to their mobile data if they’re a customer of either:

• EE
• O2
• Sky Mobile
• SMARTY
• Tesco Mobile
• Three
• Virgin Mobile
• Vodafone

The amount of data available to families will vary by provider and other providers may be added onto the list at a later date. Data will be increased until the end of July 2021.

Each provider will vary in how quickly they process requests. Once a network provider has completed a data increase, they’ll send a text message to the account holder.

The second scheme is for 4G wireless routers that the school can apply for and can lend to disadvantaged children during any period of disruption to education.  

The school can apply for these schemes on behalf of students through the ‘Get help with technology service’ and students can apply for both of the schemes.

If you are interested in applying for any of the above schemes, please click here to complete the form by the close of Wednesday 3^rd February 2021.

Further information on these schemes is available here.