**PRESS RELEASE**From FRIENDS OF STOKE NEWINGTON SCHOOL

Every child deserves an education!

In the face of the massive digital divide exposed by the COVID Crisis, Friends of Stoke Newington School are launching an ambitious fundraising initiative to support the school community through the latest lockdown.

SNS students need laptops, headsets and other equipment urgently to be able to participate in online learning during this latest lockdown in England and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Staff have worked tirelessly to put their teaching online for all of their students. But many families are struggling without the equipment they need to ensure their children have adequate access to this provision. There are many obstacles: having to share devices where parents are also working online from home, sharing small spaces without adequate quiet, limited access to wifi.

SNS Headteacher Zehra Jaffer said: “Education is a great leveler and certainly at SNS we are proud of our ambitious goals for each and every student regardless of their starting point. However, the pandemic has thrown a spotlight on the huge inequalities in our society, one of these being the digital divide. If our students do not have the right tools to access home learning then they are inhibited from accessing and progressing in their learning. This is simply not fair or right. This needs to be urgently addressed so we do not further disadvantage our young people. I am incredibly proud of our fantastic community who are determined to address this through this crowdfunding campaign.”

SNS Governor Chair of Governors Fran Plowright Nelson said: “We are proud to be one of Hackney’s largest community comprehensive schools serving a wonderfully diverse community. As such we want to make sure that each and every single student has the full technical kit they need in order to be able to access their online lessons and to be able to continue with their education especially at this difficult time.”

Parent and fundraiser organiser Carola Emrich-Fisher said: “We’re all in this together, but not all families have the necessary technology at home to let their children access online learning. We came together as a parent community to help the school bridge the gap of the digital divide with this campaign. There’s a tremendous amount of enthusiasm and energy around this issue right now and we wanted to build on that.”

Readers are encouraged to chip in TODAY to help students continue to receive the outstanding education ALL children and young people deserve. All funds will be used to support online learning and other educational needs of the school resulting from the COVID crisis. You can donate here: https://gofund.me/6af56143

ENDS
Enquiries: Ann Hepburn, Chair, Friends of Stoke Newington School (PTFA) email
friendsofsns@gmail.com phone 07714 759833