Pelsall Lane, Rushall, Walsall, WS4 1NG Tel: 01922 682300 Email: [email protected] Website: www.rushall.walsall.sch.uk Executive Headteacher: Mrs K Bargh B.Ed. (Hons) MA NPQH Head of School: Mrs L O’Brien B.A. (Hons) MA PGCE How to get free broadband or data for home schooling your kids Tuesday 2nd February 2021

Dear parents

We wanted to bring your attention to the following information. Many of our families are already successfully engaging with their online learning however, we are aware that some are struggling with internet access.

Families in England who can't afford to get online may be able to get free data for the next few months from many mobile providers to help kids learn at home.

Families in England with kids in years 3-11 qualify if...

 The child/children are experiencing disruption to face-to-face education (which most are right now)

 They can't afford to have fixed broadband at home, nor additional mobile data

Do I have to prove I can’t afford broadband/mobile data?

 The Government says it won't ask schools to show evidence when they submit applications on your behalf (which is the process – see below), so you're unlikely to be asked for proof either, but please don't abuse the system or you could be depriving those in genuine need.

Some families with children in other school years in England may also qualify if...

 They meet the criteria above, AND  Have been advised to shield because they (or someone they live with) are clinically extremely vulnerable, or they have a child attending a hospital school

Any free data should last till July

The scheme officially lasts till the end of July and the participating mobile providers – EE, O2, Sky Mobile, Smarty, Tesco, Three, Virgin Mobile and Vodafone – have all confirmed it will definitely run until 31 July 2021.

Which mobile firms are providing free data for eligible families, and how much data are they giving?

Provider Help offered under Government scheme Asda Mobile Not offering anything EE Free unlimited data for pay-monthly and PAYG users Giffgaff Not offering anything Lebara Mobile No response O2 Free unlimited data for pay-monthly and PAYG users Plusnet Not offering anything Sky Mobile Free one-off 100GB extra data for pay-monthly users only Smarty Free unlimited data for pay-monthly and PAYG users Tesco Mobile Free 20GB/mth extra data for pay-monthly users only Three Free unlimited data for pay-monthly and PAYG users Virgin Free 20GB/mth extra data for pay-monthly users only Vodafone Free unlimited data for pay-monthly and some PAYG users (i) (i) Vodafone PAYG users must be on a 'Big Value Bundle' worth £10 or more or to participate.

The support on offer is capped, so don't hang about if you qualify

Go quick if you want to take advantage. A Department for Education spokesperson told us: "The support is not open-ended and some providers will have a maximum number of requests they can support. We are continuing to work closely with providers to monitor uptake to ensure that children relying on data can benefit from this offer."

You need to apply via the school, not the mobile network

Anyone in an eligible household can apply. The process works as follows:

1. You apply via the school. You will need to provide: 1) The account holder's name 2) The account holders phone number 3) The name of the network.

The school then passes your application to the Department for Education, which passes it to the mobile firm. 2. The mobile account holder gets a text once accepted. How long that takes can vary by providers. Schools don’t know if it will take days or weeks so please bear that in mind.

Is there other help available for those in England who don't qualify for this scheme?

There are other types of help available:

 If increasing mobile data is not a suitable option for some children, or if a request for additional data is unsuccessful, schools can also request 4G wireless routers from the Department for Education for households – although bear in mind the eligibility criteria for these is slightly different.

 If you or your child don't qualify for the Get Help With Tech scheme, it's worth asking your mobile provider directly if there's any other assistance you might be able to get. EE and Plusnet, for example, don't charge for data if you're using the BBC Bitesize educational website, while there's no data charge for O2 users on several sites, including Hungry Little Minds and the free school meal voucher site. Giffgaff, meanwhile, runs a hardship fund offering free minutes, texts or data to those who need it, which can include students.

Kind regards

Mrs Helen Jones