Device allocations
Find out how we estimated device requirements and how to query an allocation.
Contents
How devices are allocated
Laptops and tablets for schools, colleges, further education providers, academy trusts and local authorities
The number of devices available to order through the service reflects the number of laptops and tablets we estimate are needed by each school, college or further education provider.
This calculation is based on:
- free school meals data
- free meals data for further education providers
- an estimate of the number of devices a school or further education provider already has
Providing internet connectivity
For information on getting internet access for disadvantaged children and young people, read about requesting 4G wireless routers.
For information on getting internet access for disadvantaged children in years 3 to 11, read about increasing mobile data allowances. This is not currently available to 16 to 19 providers.
How to query an allocation
You can see your current allocation by signing in to the Get help with technology service.
If the number of disadvantaged students who are unable to access face-to-face education or a device through other means is greater than your allocation, you can email COVID.TECHNOLOGY@education.gov.uk to request more.
We’ll ask you for some information about the situation, including the information listed below. Before querying your allocation, you should make sure that pupils and students cannot access a device privately, or by being lent a device already owned by your school, college or further education provider.
You’ll need to provide anonymised evidence that confirms:
- the ages of the pupils and students for whom you are requesting additional devices
- how you’ve identified that these pupils and students are disadvantaged (such as whether they get free meals)
- how you know that the pupils and students do not have access to a private device (for example, through phone calls to families or a survey you’ve conducted about device ownership)
- that all the devices your school or further education provider has already, have been distributed
If you’re applying for a local authority or academy trust, you need to tell us:
- the LAESTAB number for a hospital school
- the name of the school your query is for and the number of additional devices required. If you’re requesting additional devices for more than one school, you’ll need to provide the number of additional devices required for each school
If you’re applying for a school, college or further education provider, you need to tell us:
- your unique reference number (URN), which is normally 6 digits. If you’re applying for a further education college, this will be your 8-digit UKPRN. If you don’t know your URN or UKPRN, you can find these on the Get Information about Schools site
- the name of your school, college or further education provider
- the number of additional devices required
We’ll review your query and respond with a decision as soon as possible.
Laptops, tablets and 4G wireless routers provided during the summer term 2020
Over 220,000 laptops and tablets were made available to distribute as part of the first phase of the Get help with technology programme. The most disadvantaged and vulnerable young people and children were prioritised to make sure they can access social care and remote education.
The DfE considered all allocation queries raised by local authorities and academy trusts, and reviewed the submitted evidence against the initial allocation. DfE then compared those queries to similar requests received nationwide, and balanced these against the total number of devices available. More devices have been provided where there was an evidenced need to support eligible children.
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