Ukrainian refugee pupils receive donated laptops

Ukrainian students at Pittville School in Cheltenham will benefit from the donated laptops

Ukrainian refugee children have been given laptops to help them with their schoolwork.

Hotwells Primary School in Bristol and Pittville School in Cheltenham have several students who had to flee the conflict in Ukraine.

The laptops will benefit those who did not previously have access to one, or had to share with siblings.

Headteacher of Pittville School Richard Gilpin said the laptops would make a big difference.

"That sort of technology is vital for any student and particularly the refugee students that we've welcomed into the school," he said.

"We know from the last two or three years through the pandemic how crucial digital technology is to students if they're going to continue to learn at home.

"That's a crucial part of our work here, not only teaching them in the classroom but enabling students to learn at home as well," Mr Gilpin added.

Sofia, a student at Pittville School, said the laptop would help with her studies

Sofia, 15, is one of 10 Ukrainian refugees to arrive at Pittville School and was among the students to receive a laptop.

"I think it will really help with my school work and studying.

"We can check the news about what is happening in my country," she said.

Kee Jones, co-headteacher at Hotwells Primary School in Bristol, said the laptops would be "really valuable"

Kee Jones, co-headteacher at Hotwells Primary School said the donation, from Business to Schools, had been "really valuable".

"We have children who have English as an additional language, but when children arrive with no language at all that is quite difficult," she said.

"Getting them to work together has been really important and the laptops have been really valuable in that because it means we now have the tools to deliver that quite rapidly," she added.