This school received a grant in 2021 to implement initiatives aimed at addressing the digital divide and support our learners at risk of educational disadvantage as a consequence, as part of the Irish National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), a project under the Recovery and Resilience Facility funded by the European Union through NextGenerationEU.
This funding was used to support learners at risk of educational disadvantage due to a digital divide and who require access to ICT infrastructure to engage with learning both inside and outside the classroom. We used the funding to increase access to digital technologies for all learners by providing digital devices and access to online learning platforms to students, as required, in order to ensure that all pupils had equal opportunities to access the curriculum while also developing their digital literacy skills.
During school closures and periods of home learning, the availability of additional digital devices and software for students helped to ensure that all pupils could engage with digital learning content and to improve digital communication between school and home.
This funding enabled the school to offer access to a range of paid digital learning platforms to support literacy, numeracy and other curriculum areas while also providing opportunities for the development of typing, coding and other digital skills. The funding was provided to help address the digital divide and to support learners who may be at risk of educational disadvantage and has supported equal opportunities for all pupils to access the curriculum and develop their digital literacy and STEM skills in engaging and innovative ways.