Melbourn Village College is to lease iPads to two of its five year groups from September - and the move has been met with some criticism over cost.

New Year 7 pupils and those going into Year 10 will be the first recipients, with other year groups set to follow.

Students going into Year 10 in September are to be given iPads on a two-year lease with parents making a 'voluntary contribution' of £14 a month.

In addition to the device, the school has said this will cover insurance, a case, screen protector, technical support in school hours and a range of apps managed and provided by MVC.

Those joining Year 7 will get iPads on a three-year lease for a voluntary contribution of £11 a month.

Principal Simon Holmes said: “Whilst it is not without cost, we are committed to giving every pupil the best education possible and believe that technology can play a crucial role in transforming learning opportunities and preparing pupils for their future careers.

“Nobody will miss out due to financial constraints and there will be financial support for all those who need it, not only those who are disadvantaged or in receipt of pupil premium.

“We would love to be able to pay the full cost but the current levels of funding for education mean this is just not possible and we will still be investing significantly to enable this to go ahead.”

“The academies trust carried out extensive research into the most appropriate device which is why we are using iPads. They need to be robust and fit for purpose.”

The school says 92 per cent of parents surveyed were in favour of the project. The Crow has received concerns about the cost. Parents would pay a total of £336 for a an iPad for a Year 7 child and £396 for a Year 10 student.

A parent who wished to remain anonymous said: "We have no choice but to lease an iPad through the school at an inflated price and my child does not even get to keep the iPad when the lease finishes."

Mr Holmes said: “No student will miss out and we hope that even those who don’t sign up to the project will be able to use an iPad in school.

“We have kept the contribution as low as possible, and it is voluntary, although we do need a significant proportion to sign up. All contributions will go directly towards the cost of the scheme.”