Tockwith school connects to high-speed network

Tockwith Primary is one of the 20 rural schools in North Yorkshire to benefit from the work of a drive for high speed.

Tockwith Church of England Primary Academy is one of the 20 schools chosen by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Department for Education (DfE) to be part of the RGC programme.

Service provider NYnet, in conjunction with North Yorkshire Education Services (NYES), has been working with Openreach to connect the school using the latest technology.

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Tockwith Primary is benefiting from its new gigabit-capable broadband connection, which is set to revolutionise the way they work.

Other schools have reported that having faster and more reliable access to the internet has allowed staff to work more efficiently, while the children, although still geographically remote, are no longer technologically isolated and will have the same opportunities as their urban peers in preparing for a more technological future.

Justin Reeve, Head Teacher of Tockwith Primary School, said: “We are delighted to be part of the RGC programme provided by NYnet.

“At Tockwith, we have always embraced technological advances, but the internet speed has always been a limiting factor for us – not any more.

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“We currently have 165 Chromebooks in the school, so the new broadband connection will have a significant impact for us.”

County Councillor Don Mackenzie, Executive Member for Access, said: “North Yorkshire is the country’s largest county and we regularly face the challenges of ensuring that our rural areas are not disadvantaged by their remoteness when compared with our urban centres. High-quality digital infrastructure is one of the County Council’s top priorities and we are making substantial investments in broadband and mobile telephony. That is why I warmly welcome the RGC initiative.”

Openreach Managing Director for Infrastructure, Kim Mears OBE, said: “We’ve been playing a leading role in connecting North Yorkshire for many years, but it’s never felt as important as it does right now.

“Faster, more reliable broadband is helping schools support their pupils and keep lessons going during lockdown. And once pupils are back at school it will be vital for interactive learning and developing their digital skills.”

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Acting Chief Executive of NYnet Graham Warren said: “NYnet is delighted to have facilitated the upgrade of these rural schools to an ultrafast fibre connection. We are very proud to continue providing great broadband access across North Yorkshire.

“Keeping our communities and schools connected during these difficult times will make North Yorkshire a future proof and modern county.”