School's stolen Kindles replaced with generous gift in Exeter

Heartbreak turned to hope at Gatehouse Primary Academy after a cruel Christmas break-in left the school without vital equipment—but thanks to a £579 donation from Taylor Wimpey Exeter, new tools have brought smiles back to students’ faces and revitalised their learning experience

The Kindles, which were a donation from the school’s PTA during Covid, were stolen from the school during the 2023/2024 Christmas break. Taylor Wimpey’s donation was used to purchase spell checkers and LCD pads to replace the kindles and ensure the pupils have the equipment they need to continue receiving a quality education.

While visiting the school to see the new equipment in October 2024, Taylor Wimpey gave a presentation on site safety to raise awareness on the importance of following health and safety rules. At the end of the presentation, students were treated to goody bags.

Rio Cooper, assistant headteacher at Gatehouse Primary Academy, said: “Taylor Wimpey Exeter visited our Unit 3 to share information on their local development, Brook Vale.

“During the visit, the children enjoyed trying on the protective equipment and learning about the different roles that are found on a building site. Taylor Wimpey also discussed site safety and launched an exciting competition to design a new road sign for the development.

“The visit was not only informative, but also gave us the opportunity to thank Taylor Wimpey for their kind donation to Gatehouse Primary Academy, which has allowed the school to invest in different tools to support the children's learning.”

Melissa Langton, sales and marketing director for Taylor Wimpey Exeter, said: “We’re proud to have helped Gatehouse Primary Academy replace the equipment stolen over the Christmas period last year. We hope the donation helps to enhance the learning experience for the pupils and minimises the emotional and financial damage caused by the robbery during what is supposed to be a joyous period.

“It was a great opportunity for our sales team to visit the school and see the equipment that we helped fund. The presentation was a great success with the children and we look forward to seeing their designs for our road safety competition in the coming weeks.”

For further details about Brook Vale, please visit https://www.taylorwimpey.co.uk/new-homes/dawlish/brook-vale or call the sales executives on 01626 650189 .