Jonathan Harvey tells School’s Out! why funding opportunities such as 4Children’s Creative Computers supported by Marks & Spencer are so important to out of school providers and the children at their settings.

‘Everyone at Felixstowe Fun Station in Langer were delighted when they heard the news that out of the whole country, we had won a computer!

‘The children now have a new world that has opened up for them and they are really looking forward to exploring it. It’s great to ask the staff at the club to help with homework but what if they are not sure of the answer or how to help? Being able to find out their own information or showing their friends how to work something out will give such a sense of achievement and a boost of confidence.

‘Computer skills are something that will be invaluable to future generations and giving these children the opportunity to gain these skills at Felixstowe Fun Station is something we are proud to do. We hope that by having the computer it will instil a new sense of responsibility in the children. This is a luxury piece of equipment and unlike a lot of after school activities it cannot be broken up at the end of the day!

‘We also hope that the computer will also bring a new sense of camaraderie. The start of the autumn term has brought many new, younger children to the club but conflicts sometimes do happen, especially with children who have been at ‘our club’ for a while. Hopefully these older children will be willing to teach the younger children how to use the computer and this will enable them to form good friendships.

As a more informal setting than school, we do not tend to keep detailed records of children’s progress but by general observation we will be able to see how much of a difference the computer makes to our club. We really look forward to getting the most out of this computer that we can!’

Kool Club!

Suzie King, is the team leader at the Kool Club who were also successful in their application for a creative computer. She writes….

“The club was delighted to receive a creative computer. The computer is used daily and we have to limit the amount of time each child spends on the computer as it is so popular! The children love to go onto paint and create their own pictures. We have themes such as Firework Night. The children design their images upon the theme and there is a small prize for the winner.
Children and staff bring in PC games from home to load on and share the enjoyment. Staff have been able to create work documents in the work place, before any computer generated products had to be done in a member of staff’s home. We are currently fund raising so we can get a compatible printer and this will mean that the children will be able to take home their Masterpieces!”

Creative Computers Guide – buy your copy today
From only £3 you can buy a copy of the new Creative Computers guide which provides top tips for setting up and making the most of your computer - from basic instructions for Word and Excel, policy writing to project ideas and computer safety. Buy online or call 020 7512 2100 to order your copy today (Full price £5, 40% discount for 4Children members only)

Members can also download the guide for free