Fund raising for Laptops and Notebooks for Dyslexic and Dyspraxic students

Great news, our target fund has been reached for Laptops and Notebooks.

Thank you to Misco for their donation of a £500 laptop, to Cross Embroidery for £100 and to Norbar who have very generously agreed to fund the remaining five notebooks and also all the reading books necessary to help our students on the literacy programme.

Right: Norbar Chairman, Craig Brodey (right) presenting Dr Hammans and the Chair of the Governors, Tony Ingham with five notebooks which Norbar have very generously donated to the school.

Why do we need 5 notebooks?

This is for our Dyslexic and Dyspraxic students who struggle with writing. These students could raise their attainment significantly by using a notebook in all of their lessons. The notebooks will help the students that have difficulties using a pen to write on paper due to coordination difficulties. They will have special permission to use ICT in exams.

Why do we need 8 laptops?

These would be used with our English Skills and Maths skills intervention programmes and we keep it to a maximum of 8 in a group to ensure quality of intervention. These programmes are for our students who have weak literacy and numeracy skills. The laptops would be used for the students to undertake a number of computer based activities to develop their skills. Laptops can also be used outside the classroom by specialist teachers and will engage our most vulnerable students in learning on a one to one basis. This will help raise the students’ reading ages so enabling them to achieve qualifications and raise gain employability skills. Without our intervention programme these students would be at serious risk of exclusion and reduce their chances of gaining meaningful employment in a competitive market.

Case Study

Student A  is 13 years old and currently being fostered. He is in foster care because he was seriously neglected by his parents. He has moderate learning difficulties and although there is a computer at home he has to share it with 4 other children. A laptop enables him to practice his reading and numeracy skills with a specialist teacher on a one to one basis and so raise his attainment.

Student B is 14 years old and has very weak literacy and numeracy skills, which means he finds it difficult to keep up in class and to complete coursework. A notebook will help this student produce coursework for his GCSE and help him with his reading and maths skills. He lives with his mother who has 4 other children under age 15 and who cannot help him with reading and homework when he comes home.

Please contact Jane Ablett: Telephone 01295 251451 ext. 152, email Jane Ablett or Jo Dring ext. 195 if you can make a donation or help in any way with our fundraising.