We are very pleased to announce that Peters & Peters has donated laptops worth £90,000 to students at two inner London schools, Brampton Manor Academy in Newham and Lilian Baylis Technology in Kennington, working with social mobility charity Access Aspiration.

This is the latest in a series of steps we’ve taken to support these schools, in line with our commitment to responsible business and building an inclusive society. We’ve previously helped students with mock interview practice and with live and online presentations about working in industry and the law.

Both schools are in underprivileged areas, with a high proportion of free school meals eligibility and low-income households. They also cater for a high percentage of black, Asian and minority ethnic students, including many for whom English is a second language.

Throughout the pandemic many students have lacked access to online learning devices, having to share with others in a household, or simply go without. This growing ‘laptop poverty’ denies crucial access to teachers, online classes, group discussions, homework, revision and exam material, preventing students’ from learning and growing as individuals.

And digital learning is here to stay. Digital exclusion and illiteracy will impact lives beyond lockdown, as higher education and future employers expect employees to work online.

Our donation will fund up to 525 laptops in total, distributed over several years. These will benefit a range of age groups from year 7 to 13, with the schools targeting delivery at those who need them most.

April Vale, Learning & Development Senior Advisor at Peters & Peters, said “We’re excited to be working with students and schools and helping to support young people’s futures. We look forward to sustaining our relationship Brampton Manor Academy and Lilian Baylis through our mentoring schemes, working with their legal student alumni through university and beyond.”

Clare Greer, Deputy Director of Sixth Form at Brampton Manor, said: “We are incredibly grateful to P&P for the generous donation of 150 laptops for our students. Whilst lockdown has brought the digital divide into the public eye, the reality is that even in normal times students greatly benefit from having the devices needed to complete the extra work/research that they would like to do at home. This donation is likely to make a huge difference to our students.”

Gary Phillips, Headteacher, Lilian Baylis Technology School, said:

“We are really excited and grateful that Peters and Peters will be funding laptops/PCs for our 6F students who do not have these at home. It’s great to have you as part of team LBTS.. we look forward to the other possibilities this partnership offers.”