PUPILS at a Hackney primary school are struggling to study for their SATs after callous thieves stole their computers less than two weeks before the exams start...

PUPILS at a Hackney primary school are struggling to study for their SATs after callous thieves stole their computers less than two weeks before the exams start.

Burglars broke into Brook Community School in Sigdon Road last Thursday evening, forcing open a second-floor window after climbing up scaffolding put up while renovation work is carried out.

The school was broken into three years ago with thieves using the same method to gain entry.

This time the intruders took five projectors and seven laptops that teachers were using to plan the tests that start on Monday for year six pupils.

Three digital cameras and £20 in cash were also stolen and classroom doors smashed in, costing the school about £10,000 to fix the damage and replace the equipment.

Year six teacher Matt King told the Gazette: "They are our main resource. We used the interactive white boards and laptops to plan all our lessons."

He said all the past questions which were on the computer they were using to prepare the pupils for the exams had been lost and they had had to put studying on hold while police officers dusted the crime scene.

Rebecca Thomas, the head teacher, believes that the thieves kept a watch on the school and waited for an opportunity to break in.

"When they take stuff from our schools, they are actually taking stuff from our children," she said.

A spokesman for Hackney's education authority, The Learning Trust, added: "It's despicable that thieves targeted a school which does so much for its children and community.

"On hearing of the break-in the trust immediately gave the school projectors and laptops to minimise the disruption to children's learning."

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