£100,000 fund to make sure disadvantaged students can access online learning

Partnership with XTX Markets will help students access Sutton Trust Online.

Global electronic liquidity provider XTX Markets is donating £100,000 to provide 200 Sutton Trust students with laptops and internet-enabled dongles, it was announced today.

The devices will make sure that students who face barriers to digital access are able to continue their learning and take part in Sutton Trust Online this summer. Sutton Trust Online has been developed in partnership with Bloomberg LP to support year 12 students (16- and 17-year olds) across the UK in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

The platform will incorporate all the features of the Trust’s flagship Summer School programme, including academic content, advice and guidance on applications and student finance, plus an insight into what university life is like.

Sutton Trust research has found that 15% of teachers in deprived schools say more than a third of their students learning from home do not have adequate access to an electronic device. Without adequate resources, poorer students risk falling further behind as they can’t access learning and support online.

Recent IFS data suggests that a quarter of the poorest schools in the UK saw less than a fifth of eligible pupils return, which means that children struggling the most to cope with home learning remain at home while their better-off classmates are back in the classroom.

A Sutton Trust survey of over 12,000 programme applicants showed that 19% have very limited access to shared devices in their households, with some pupils only able to spend as little as one hour a day in independent study.

The donation from XTX Markets means that 200 disadvantaged students will not only be able to access remote learning, but also Sutton Trust online. The devices will be sent directly to students’ homes.

Sutton Trust students who need a device will be eligible for the scheme, and will be able to keep the laptops and dongles after their programme has finished in order to overcome digital access barriers to their studies.

Sir Peter Lampl, chairman and founder of the Sutton Trust and chairman of the Education Endowment Foundation, said:

“Access to a device and a good internet connection is critical for mitigating the impact of school closures on the most disadvantaged pupils. We are incredibly grateful to XTX Markets for their generous donation.  This will ensure that hundreds of the most disadvantaged students will be able to access our summer school programmes online this year.

“These students will be able to use these devices to access remote learning too, so that they can keep up with their peers when they return to the classroom.”

Notes to editors

• XTX Markets have already funded maths-focused Sutton Trust Summer Schools to ensure that first-generation university applicants who are interested in maths, finance and business have the opportunity to experience a taste of university life.
• The Sutton Trust surveyed a pool of 12,603 programme applicants and found that 19% were required to share devices with siblings and others in the household. The time available for study and online programmes was limited to less than 3 hours a day for 1000 of those students and less than 1 hour a day for 93 students.
• 6,000 students this year will take part in a Sutton Trust programme experience through our new digital platform, Sutton Trust Online.
• Since 1997, over 25,000 young people have taken part in a Sutton Trust Summer Schools. Research by Higher Education Access Tracker has shown that 93% of Sutton Trust students moved from the lowest to the highest socio-economic groups after leaving university.

About the Sutton Trust
The Sutton Trust is committed to improving social mobility from birth to the workplace. Founded by Sir Peter Lampl in 1997, the Trust has supported over 30,000 young people through evidence-led programmes and published over 200 pieces of agenda-setting research, many of which have influenced government policy.

About XTX Markets

XTX Markets is a leading quantitative-driven electronic market-maker partnering with counterparties, exchanges and e-trading venues globally to provide liquidity in the Equity, FX, Fixed Income and Commodity markets. XTX Markets are keen to ensure a diverse talent pool of graduates to the sector, from a wide range of socio-economic backgrounds.