CHILDREN who don’t have a computer at home are falling two grades behind at school, a charity claims.

With more than a million children in the UK unable to get online at home, the e-Learning Foundation warns they’re being put at a disadvantage and are calling for more funding to help narrow the gap.

Almost 1,000 low-income families with children in Dorset County Council schools and nearly 900 families from Bournemouth Borough council schools got money towards computers under a nationwide Home Access scheme, but this ended in November.

Valerie Thompson, e-Learning Foundation chief executive, said: “There’s still a very significant number who cannot go online at home and that’s a basic requirement in the 21st century education situation.

“Because they can’t access the school learning platform or research things on the internet, they’re missing out on the common currency with other children and there’s a level of exclusion.”

Good IT access at home yields improvements of two grades, she said, adding that a pupil premium scheme giving schools extra money for pooper pupils should be spent on personal computers.

“It wouldn’t be shared with mum or dad or their little brother, or a glorified games machine,” Ms Thompson said. “And would help put them on a level playing field.”

Poole Borough council said access to computers was high in some areas and significantly lower in others, but that schools had encouraged parents to apply to the Home Access scheme.

Grants went to 514 families as a result, and all children can use IT at breakfast and homework clubs.

And Dorset County libraries all offer free computer access.