We are committed to giving every student the best education possible and believe that technology can play a crucial role in the classroom.

• Access to student’s own work any time/anywhere
• Highly personalised feedback
• A level of challenge that is focused and targeted for all students
• An increase in the exchange of ideas between student and teacher
• Students can take ownership of the device and look after it
• Students learn how to use the iPad effectively and develop appropriate skills in its usage
• A greater link between home and school learning
• More opportunities for parents/carers to play a greater part in supporting and understanding the work that students are doing in class
• An increase in student motivation and effort levels

• 10-hour battery life
• Lightweight and portable tablet well-suited to the demanding, fast-paced environment of a school
• A stable and reliable OS
• Extensive range of cheap/free Apps, developed specifically for educational use on the iPad
• Intuitive to use
• Range of inbuilt sensors and camera
• Apple-certified Apps that can be installed, giving confidence in the Apps to which students have access. The Apps will not contain viruses and can be restricted by age group.
• Functions provided by the iPad that can support effective teaching and learning, including:
  • A web browser – extension tasks, wider reading, film clips, research skills can all be developed in short bursts and where appropriate.
  • A camera – the production of rich media resources by students will lead to more innovative and varied presentation styles in lessons. It will allow learning to be consolidated and developed in a different way. Students can be filmed carrying out activities so that they can receive coaching from teachers and others. Techniques can be filmed by the teacher to support the skill development of their students.
  • Apps – there are many subject specific Apps that can enhance the quality of provision. Obvious examples include GarageBand in music lessons and the many art creation Apps. However, there is an ever-increasing supply of subject specific Apps for all areas.
  • Productivity software – students will have access to Microsoft Office 365 on their iPads including OneDrive and OneNote.

The devices are the property of the College. If your son/daughter leaves the College during this lease period, you will be required to return the iPad and accessories to the College.

Your contributions mean your child has access to an iPad for the duration of their time at the College. The iPad remains the property of the school at all times and must be returned when your child leaves the school.

No. It is important to note that the scheme is not about the price of an iPad. The 1:1 scheme we are providing will involve a device that is fully insured and with a warranty. It will have all the up-to-date software that your son/daughter will need, and we will provide technical support during school hours.

These devices can be used at school during the day, as well as at home in the evenings and at weekends. In contrast, personally owned computers cannot be connected to the network at school, would not be managed by our Mobile Device Management (MDM) and would not be supported by our technical team. You would also be responsible for insuring your device against damage, loss or theft.

The program provides a device set up ready for use in the classroom, case, warranty, insurance and core apps including tailored security and safety filters. We believe this program provides outstanding value for money.

The warranty and insurance is unique to this scheme and offers a number of key features, including accidental damage cover. We will manage all claims within the College. Please note that the insurance does not cover accidental loss; for example, if your son/daughter leaves their iPad on a park bench, this would not be covered under the terms of the insurance policy.

It is expected that your son/daughter will look after their device, ensuring that it is transported in a suitable school bag and not used whilst travelling to and from school. It is expected that the device will never be removed from its case. Claims for accidental damage will only be accepted by the insurance company if the device is stored in the case provided. Claims for theft will require a police crime number.

We understand that some families are unable to contribute financially. If you are not able to contribute, your child will still have access to an IPad.

We need the majority of parents to contribute for the scheme to be able to run. We ask that if or when you are able to contribute that you will consider doing so. Smaller donations are very welcome.

We ask that you make a voluntary donation of £10 a month for the time that your son/daughter is at school. In return your son/daughter will receive a new iPad, case, wall charger, full insurance against accidental damage and theft, all software and applications needed and technical support during school hours.

We will only run this scheme if parents/carers want it and are prepared to donate. While a small number of families in difficult circumstances can be accommodated, unless there is widespread support for the scheme then the school will not be able to provide an iPad to your son/daughter.

If you have more than one child in this year group, please talk to us when we launch the scheme.

We already have an Acceptable Use Policy to ensure all students adopt a safe and sensible approach to using the device. A series of assemblies and guidance sessions will be organised to ensure all students are aware of this policy and are aware of how to use their device appropriately.

In addition to this, a MDM system will be used by school to provide full control over the device. The MDM provide a school-curated selection of apps and will prevent students from installing any apps from the Apple Store the school do not deem necessary,

Students’ internet use will be filtered using the same filter we use in the school, but it is the responsibility of parents/carers for filtering/monitoring what their son/daughter does at home. We will of course help parents/carers with this.

It is possible to block access to certain sites within school on iPads in the same way that it has been with PCs. We also have a duty of care to continue to educate students so that they understand the risks associated with social media and use it safely and positively.

This issue will be taken very seriously, in the same way that it is now if a student uses their phone in this way. Playing games and taking photographs/video are possible now, as the majority of our students carry mobile phones. iPads would fit into our existing policies for dealing with such incidents.

There is no evidence that student iPad schemes have led to a rise in thefts / muggings etc. The reality now is that iPads and iPhones running the latest iOS are less of a target as Apple have implemented technology that prevents them being used by anyone else while there is an account attached to the device. Each device can also be tracked and disabled by the College if stolen. A large number of our students currently carry expensive smart phones to school and are not under threat because of this.

As passionate as we are about the opportunities that iPads offer, we are also keen to ensure that other important traditional skills such as writing, sketching and group discussions continue. The role of iPads is to enhance and extend learning opportunities rather than replace those currently being used.

We will educate the students to think about the quality of their screen time. We hope that our projects encourage a larger proportion of purposeful, quality screen time. Young people need to learn positive digital behaviours and habits, and schools are well placed to encourage this and give the right pointers and encouragement.

The iPad is intended to be another part of the Teaching and Learning toolkit and not to replace the currently diverse methods of teaching that our students enjoy.  It will not be used in every lesson, all lesson.

Students will still be expected to handwrite work in most subjects. There will be no need to word process all their work, and much will still be completed in exercise books. However, there are many advantages to word processing some work on the iPad using an app such as Word or Pages. Students can spell-check their work, look up definitions, add electronic notes and email work to their teacher for faster feedback. However, there is an argument, in terms of sustainability, that work stored electronically would reduce paper wastage.

Students will have access to their Office 365 account where work saved on school computers can be accessed on the iPad. This access is cross-platform, enabling students to access saved work using PCs and iPads.

The iPad will be an invaluable tool to support home learning, giving simple access to a variety of apps and internet resources. All homework assignments are set electronically and can be accessed with ease using the iPad.

A device that can be used both at school and at home can improve continuity of learning, with all the resources needed available in one place. Parents/Carers can play a greater part in supporting and understanding the work that students are doing in class. We anticipate that homework tasks can have much greater depth and use a much wider range of media than conventional paper-based homework.

Practice exams and essays will still be handwritten. If these would benefit from electronic marking then they can be photographed and emailed to the teacher, consequently providing an electronic backup of the work.

We are rigorous in our approaches to assessment at all key stages, across all subject areas. Regular assessment that is consistent year on year will provide some data on the impact of iPads; however, we are aware of the challenges in linking this data solely to iPad use. More meaningful information will be gathered during our current school self-evaluation procedures, which include regular lesson observations, learning walks, work scrutiny and student voice surveys.

Yes, we are keen to promote learning beyond the school gates so taking the iPad home is a key part of this scheme. Students will use their iPad to access and complete homework assignments. It will be the students’ responsibility to ensure the iPad is fully charged for the next school day, there will not be facilities to charge the iPad in school.

We are keen to get the balance right in terms of students accessing technology. We are committed to ensuring that students do not become dependent on technology and can develop their interpersonal and social skills. In light of this, students’ must not use their iPad during breaks and lunchtimes.

Initially only apps approved by the College can be used on the iPad; however, this is something we may reconsider in the future.

This will vary from lesson to lesson. In some lessons the iPads may be used extensively, but in other lessons use of the iPad may not be relevant or appropriate. Likewise, some lessons may use the iPad for a brief starter, or at the end for a plenary. iPads will not replace good teaching; iPads will be used to diversify the range of effective learning and teaching strategies available to the teacher.

Effective classroom management is just as important as ever when iPads are being used. When iPads are not in use, they will be left face down on the table and in view of the teacher.

Yes. The school has upgraded its wireless network to provide full wireless coverage across the College.

It is expected that students ensure their iPads are fully charged at the beginning of each school day. 

All you are required to provide is a suitable school bag for the iPad to be stored in. Many apps and features of the iPad work without Wi-Fi. Having Wi-Fi at home, however, will give access to additional features including the internet.

Yes. They will need to take it home to make sure it is charged ready for the next day. It is also very likely that they will have homework to complete that will require access to the iPad.

We recognise that, in order to fully support your son/daughter’s learning, it is also important that as a parent/carer you also feel confident using the iPad. Over the coming year we will aim to host a number of iPad training sessions for parents/carers that will focus on specific issues, such as: an introduction to Office 365 including the use of OneDrive and OneNote; how to use iPads creatively; how to set up safety features; and e-safety.

No. The iPad scheme is solely for educational use and students will not be able to download apps for social media, video streaming or gaming.

Of course some accidents happen and accidental damage is covered in our iPad scheme.