INFORMATION-hungry students at an East Lancashire school are being offered "takeaway chips" to feed their quest for knowledge.

Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Blackburn, has launched an innovative scheme to allow A-level students to take laptop computers home with them to help with their studies.

Development director Phil Lloyd said he was not aware of any other school in East Lancashire doing anything similar.

The project has been funded by a £10,000 donation from the Old Blackburnians Association which represents former pupils.

The money will be used to buy refurbished computers.

Sixth formers will be given the chance to have personal use of a laptop for their studies on payment of £250, around half the cost of buying the computer.

At the end of their studies the student can either return the computer or pay a further £250 and keep it and use it at home or at university.

QEGS is hoping the scheme will be self-perpetuating with money raised being ploughed into buying more machines.

One of the first was David McGrail, 17, of Burnley. "I've already found it really useful to have use of a laptop," he said. "I can complete assignments at home and simply bring the disk in to school to get printed before handing them in."

Deputy head of school, 17-year-old Caroline Lloyd, of Blackburn, said: "It's great to be able to do work in the private study room in the sixth form centre and know that it's safely stored on the laptop. It's also good for helping develop our ICT (information and communication technology) skills." The original idea came from discussions between the head, Dr David Hempsall, and head of ICT Mike McCann.

"We knew that sixth formers would be keen to have use of a laptop computer to assist their studies," said Mr McCann.

"The tricky part was finding a way to provide good quality machines at modest cost while still giving the students an option for the future."

Glenn Blake, chairman of the Old Blackburnians said: "As a chartered engineer I know how important it is to have good computer skills in so many areas of work. With this scheme the students can keep their skills up to date during their A-level studies and have the option of acquiring a good but inexpensive laptop that can also help them through university."

Students in the upper sixth form were given first option on the computers on the initial batch of laptops but it is hoped the scheme will be extended to the lower sixth form in the near future.

Picture: Glenn Blake (right) presents a laptop to Caroline Lloyd and David McGrail