School Information
Introducing enable
Budget constraints will make it harder than ever before for schools to pay upfront for computers for e-learning programmes. The Foundation’s latest schools survey confirms that 78% of schools have been buying their computers outright, and then collecting the parent’s donations over a period of 2-3 years. However, as budgets get tighter schools will need to consider leasing as a way of spreading the costs of the programme.
The e-Learning Foundation has partnered with Investec* to provide schools with a lease specifically developed to be acceptable to the school’s funding regulations, and already approved by a number of Local Authorities.
“This is a practical solution to help schools who see their budgets dwindling and cannot see a way forward to provide the pupils with the devices they need for home and school use. When the cupboard is bare then a well constructed lease is often the only alternative available to schools. When linked to a donation scheme for parents the Enable package can effectively neutralise the financial exposure of the school” says Valerie Thompson, Chief Executive of the e-Learning Foundation.
enable means that schools can now benefit from a widely approved lease from Investec and the support of the e-Learning Foundation in collecting parental donations. Together we can ensure schools have everything they need to run a truly universal access scheme.
enable is available to any school that is affiliated to the Foundation and intends to use the equity model to deliver their programme. This will include the collection of voluntary parental donations by the Foundation’s Donation Management Service (DMS). This allows the school to benefit from additional funds through Gift Aid.
Donation Management Service (DMS)
We know that schools need a hassle free way to collect money from parents when they run a programme so we have developed the Donation Management Service (DMS). We will collect your parental donations every month that can then be used to fund your lease. The service:
- Collects and manages your parental donations and deals with parents queries
- Claims the Gift Aid claimable from the Inland Revenue
- Allows you to monitor your donations through our web portal on a regular basis
- Helps with cash donations via PayPoint
Programme requirements
Programme must involve our three core principles:
Equity of access
A school that provides equity of access is one where every child in a given group (e.g. cohort, class or year group) has exactly the same opportunity to have access to the school’s technology, at home as well as in the classroom, regardless of whether, or how much, their parents have contributed to the school e-learning scheme. (Parents can, of course, always choose to opt out). Where a school operates a 1:1 ratio then every child will be provided with their own device (laptop, PDA, etc) regardless of parental contribution.
Sustainability
Sustainability is at the heart of the e-Learning Foundation model. it is not possible us to fund the thousands of schools that wish to support out of school learning through technology so local sustainability is vital. Parents are asked to make small donations, normally collected monthly, towards the cost of the e-learning programme.
Home use
The focus of the e-Learning Foundation is helping schools extend access to ICT beyond the school day and the school gate, and in particular ensuring home access is universally available. While schools increasingly provide good access to ICT during the day, they rarely allow pupils to take school laptops home in the evenings or at the weekend. Research confirms that high levels of home access to a computer makes a significant impact on the learning outcomes of schoolchildren, an impact that children from better off families inevitably benefit from in contrast to children from more disadvantaged families.
Investec Asset Finance provides asset-based agreements and manages a portfolio of over 13,000 assets covering a diverse range of industries and markets including the public sector. The team has worked within the public sector for almost 20 years, with clients including the NHS, Local Fire Brigades, Local Authorities and Schools. Assets currently under management include standard and specialist vehicles, fire tenders, medical, leisure and IT equipment.
Within the Local Education Authority Market Investec has provided leasing facilities to schools in over 127 Authorities. Investec are committed to providing facilities compliant to all current schools funding requirements and have built strong relationships with a number of the schools procurement partners including CBC & ESPO and are members of The National Bursars Association.
Investec Asset Finance is part of the Capital Markets division of Investec Bank plc. Investec is an international specialist bank and asset manager that provides a diverse range of financial products and services. Investec focuses on Capital Markets, Private Client Activities, Investment Banking, Asset Management and Property Finance Activities.
Investec are proud to partner the e Learning Foundation, assisting schools in providing their pupils with individual laptops and e-environments in which to learn through the Enable program.