A Leicestershire based multiacademy trust has begun a new initiative to provide laptops to students with limited access to technology WORDS BY KERRY SMITH
N
ational reports suggest that the Covid-19 pandemic has disproportionally affected those students from the most disadvantaged backgrounds. The Lionheart Academies Trust, a family of Leicestershire schools, holds a long-standing commitment to ensuring that every student within its 11 schools has an equal access to an equal education, regardless of socioeconomic background. Where most students have had to adapt to a new digital norm taking their learning online, new government data has highlighted a growing achievement gap across the student population. This data shows stark disparities between the levels of engagement of students from poorer households when compared to wealthier households. Lockdown has provided an opportunity for the Lionheart Academies Trust to collect its own data when analysing student engagement. Similarly, staff found that those who do not have access to technology are less engaged than those who do. A huge task lies ahead in trying to level the playing field when it comes to educational engagement for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The trust, with over 9000 students, is making this its moral imperative: to ensure students in Leicestershire have the resources to engage
14 | NICHE
Levelling
How businesses can with education so that no young person is left behind. Unlike many other multi-academy trusts across the country, the Lionheart Academies Trust is entirely made up of schools based solely in Leicester and it’s respective county, and thus has strong ties to its local and fiercely loyal communities. Kath Kelly, the CEO for The Lionheart Academies Trust, said: “Schools don’t function in a vacuum, so it’s our job to ensure young people are prepared for the working world. A key part of that preparation relies on touching base with local businesses, because that’s the environment our students will ultimately go into.” Roma Dhameja, Vice Principal at a Lionheart school, said: “The team has been working really hard over the last three years to build those relationships with local businesses, because in another three years’ time, when our Year 10s leave, these are the doors they will be knocking on. It’s our collaborative duty to make sure these young people don’t fall through the gaps.” From its central budget, the trust has successfully equipped a percentage of its Year 10 students with a Chromebook. But, in order to level the playing field entirely, it has identified 1500 students across all year groups that will significantly benefit from access to technology.
