"Parrs Wood technology college in Manchester runs a huge information technology network. Over 700 machines make this one of the most advanced school systems in the country. So did it cost them a fortune? The answer is a resounding 'no'.
"For a start, 350 of these machines are thin clients--basically a keyboard and a monitor networked to a server. They are not new PCs but are refurbished machines, available free through computer recyling schemes such as the Guardian's Tools for Schools.
"The assistant head, Samantha Wells, says: 'We're saving thousands.' You might assume this is only something a big, technically-proficient secondary can do. You'd be wrong again.
"'We are using second-hand refurbished machines,' says Andy Tromans, head of Sandwell's Ocker primary school. 'It does work...'"
