Find out about the help available to educational settings and local authorities to support remote and face-to-face education, and access to social care.

Parents, carers, pupils, students and social care leavers cannot apply for digital devices or internet access through this scheme themselves – contact your school, 16 to 19 academy, college, FE institution or local authority to discuss your needs.

Order laptops for disadvantaged children and young people

Use the Get help with technology service for guidance on:

DfE is providing more than 1.3 million laptops and tablets to help disadvantaged pupils and young people with remote and face-to-face education during coronavirus (COVID-19).

This offer applies to:

  • maintained schools
  • pupil referral units
  • academies
  • hospital schools
  • state-funded pupils at independent special schools and alternative provision
  • 16 to 19 academy converters
  • 16 to 19 free schools
  • sixth form colleges
  • general FE colleges
  • designated institutions that provide full-time education to students aged 16 to 19
  • local authorities delivering ESFA-funded 16 to 19 education and training
  • universities delivering ESFA-funded 16 to 19 education and training
  • independent training providers
  • special post-16 providers

Devices are also available for care leavers aged 16 to 25 who need them to access support from their local authority.

Disadvantaged children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are included within this offer. However, if specialist support and equipment is required, help may be available through the Family Fund.

Get internet access for disadvantaged children and young people

Read the Get internet access guidance for information on:

  • how schools and further education institutions can request additional mobile data for disadvantaged children and young people
  • how local authorities, schools, 16 to 19 academies, colleges and other FE institutions can order 4G wireless routers

DfE is working in partnership with mobile network operators to support disadvantaged school pupils in years 3 to 13 and students in further education. Those eligible for support may be able to benefit from free increases to their mobile data until the end of the 2021 summer term.

DfE is giving schools, colleges, other FE institutions, trusts and local authorities, 4G wireless routers that they can lend to disadvantaged children and young people. This includes social care leavers and disadvantaged students aged 16 to 19 who do not have access to broadband at home. This is in addition to routers dispatched to local authorities and academy trusts in the summer 2020 term.

Get help with DfE laptops, tablets or 4G wireless routers you’ve received

Go to Reconfiguring devices before 30 September 2021 to ensure devices are safe for young people to use.

Use the Get help with technology service for guidance on:

  • repairing or replacing faulty devices
  • 4G wireless router data and contracts
  • help guides for children, families and young people using the devices received
  • contacting DfE for support with devices

Apply for a grant and support to set up a digital education platform

Schools, colleges and 16 to 19 academies can apply for government-funded support to access:

  • Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals (formerly G Suite for Education)
  • Microsoft 365 Education (formerly Office 365 Education)

There’s further guidance for schools and colleges on choosing and applying for the most appropriate platform at Digital education platforms.

Get funded training and support to set up and use technology effectively

Academy trusts, schools, colleges, 16 to 19 academies and other FE institutions can access funded advice, guidance and training from the EdTech Demonstrators.

Published 19 April 2020
Last updated 10 May 2021 + show all updates

  1. Updated details about social care leavers and who can order devices. Added information about ordering devices and getting support which was previously published on other webpages.

  2. Updated to clarify who is eligible for connectivity support.

  3. Updated to include information for further education (FE) institutions.

  4. Added O2 and Vodafone to the Get help with technology programme.

  5. Page updated to reflect school closures.

  6. Updated to include information on the increased help available from January 2021.

  7. Updated information on how to get a grant and support to use a digital education platform.

  8. Updated to emphasise the current offers and to encourage reallocation of any 4G wireless routers sent during the summer term that are not being used.

  9. Guidance updated.

  10. Updated to clarify that all local authorities and academy trusts have been invited to order, the majority of devices have been delivered and to set out the delivery timeline going forward.

  11. Updated with various clarifications, including emphasising that devices are for education and social care, adding information on protecting children and young people online, and linking to guidance on loaning or gifting devices.

  12. Updated to reflect policy and process development.

  13. New details of the offer have been added, including a section on getting help using online education platforms.

  14. Clarification on who digital devices and internet access will be provided to.

  15. We have clarified the role of responsible bodies in ordering digital devices for eligible children and young people.

  16. We added a sentence to clarify that the offer also helps local authorities supporting care leavers and children with social workers.

  17. First published.

Contents