The screen folds over so it can be used without the keyboard. She uses the touchscreen all of the time unless actually typing, just like you would on a phone or tablet. I think the touchscreen is more natural for younger people.
I took my daughter to Curry's and came away with an Acer R13 64GB for just shy of £400. It has touch screen, a decent keyboard and is pretty fast. They have refurbished ones on eBay for £280.