A cloud with a silver lining

A mesh networking initiative is bringing Internet access to a UK school and its students´ homes. On first inspection Broad Oak High School, a specialist sports college in a deprived area of Bury, Lancashire, is an unlikely technological pioneer. In 2006 the school had been earmarked for closure due to falling pupil numbers, and was only saved following lobbying from the local community. Fast forward to today and the latest Ofsted report says the school is doing good work. Broad Oak is also being cited for its £140,000 scheme to construct a wireless mesh network, which will provide Broad Oak students with broadband and network access at school, and in their homes. The scheme, known as NET@BOSC, is the latest in a series of technological solutions adopted by the school, which includes interactive whiteboards in every classroom and a cashless payment system that uses students´ fingerprints instead of money. NET@BOSC has been developed in response to fears that the digital divide would see Broad Oak students fall behind pupils from richer areas, many of whom take a home broadband connection for granted.