Schools are using minibuses to deliver school supplies to disadvantages families

04 February 2021

Schools, such as Westhoughton High School in Bolton, Meols Cop High School in Southport, Merseyside and Fleetwood High School in Lancashire, are using their school minibuses to make weekly deliveries of paper, pens, art supplies, calculators and exercise books to children for remote learning. We at Marshall Minibus are pleased to see schools utilising their minibuses whilst children are learning remotely through the lockdown. 

‘Drop-off points’ are posted on social media and confirmed through text-messages to parents. 

Research from The Sutton Trust into remote learning during lockdown found 31% of families on the lowest incomes had not been able to afford resources for remote learning since September 2020. 

Headteacher of Westhoughton High School Patrick Ottley-O’Connor said that despite supplying more than 200 laptops to pupils, some families were also struggling to access essentials such as pens and paper.

“It’s a very challenging time for many people financially . . .  I don’t care about having to spend additional money if it’s allowing students to continue with their learning.

“A lot of students will be able to access it themselves, but I want everyone to – there’s no excuse why everyone can’t.”

Nigel Whittle, Fleetwood’s head of school improvement, said the school was in an area of high “socio-economic disadvantage” and a bus was a way to “creatively support students”.

It is clear that the sharp increase in the costs of at-home learning is a consequence of the pandemic, but 53 per cent or respondents to a teacher survey from the National Education Union and Child Poverty Action Group in 2018 said they personally supplied school supplies where families were unable to afford them, indicating that the pandemic isn’t the only factor in home-learning difficulties. 

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