For many years now, we have operated a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) programme for High School and Year 6 students. Having taken time to collect feedback from students, teachers and parents on the impact of the programme, we’ve found that the overall message is very positive. Students enjoy having their own device which they can personalise and which is always available. They say it has enabled more group work and led to more efficient use of their time in lessons. They also value the environmental benefits, with less paper being consumed.
We have purposefully kept the device specifications as broad as possible. This is in recognition of the fact that different students prefer different devices, and also to enable the use of devices that families already have; we do not want parents to purchase a new device for the BYOD programme.
Year 6
For Year 6 Primary School students, we ask that they bring a tablet-style device, ideally an iPad. Whilst an Android tablet is an acceptable alternative, bringing an iPad has a number of advantages. The teachers use iPads, and so students will be more easily able to follow along with any demonstrations on the whiteboard. Other students will be using iPads, and so group work will be more effective. And since we use iPads lower down the school, your child will be most familiar with the iPad as a device used in the context of a lesson. Finally, we are able to offer full device management, including installation of apps (with the school covering the cost of any paid apps), content filtering and safeguarding controls for iPads that apply to use both at school and at home.
For Year 6 tablets, we’ve kept the requirements broad so that hopefully there should be no need to purchase a new device. Note that any Year 6 device will be suitable for use at school until at least Year 9 (see full High School BYOD details below). Suitable iPad models include:
• iPad - 6th generation or above
• iPad Air - 3rd generation or above
• 32GB storage minimum (64GB or above preferred)
• iPad Minis are not appropriate due to the screen size, and iPad Pros are not recommended
High School (Year 7 to Year 13)
Hybrid devices
We’ve noticed that some of the most effective use of technology has been demonstrated by students who use a device that allows stylus input in addition to keyboard typing. Examples include the Microsoft Surface, the iPad Pro or stylus-capable iPad, and the Android equivalents. For such devices, our minimum system requirements are:
• Must support the latest version of the relevant Operating System (iOS 17, Android 14, Windows 11)
• 4GB RAM
• Minimum of 64GB storage (students with 32GB devices will find they have to frequently delete work)
• Display size 11 inches or greater
• Keyboard attachment for extended typing tasks
• 802.11ac Wi-Fi capability
Windows laptops
As a school, we almost exclusively use Windows PCs on the High School campus, and this would be a natural choice for a laptop to be used in lessons. For Windows devices, our minimum system requirements are:
• Windows 10 or 11
• 6th generation Intel Core i5 or 7th generation Intel Core i3 (or equivalent)
• 4 GB RAM, 1600MHz
• 250 GB HDD
• Screen size of 12 inches or above
• 802.11ac WiFi capability
• Built-in camera and microphone
Apple MacBooks
We understand that some students may already own a MacBook or MacBook Air, and this is an acceptable BYOD option. Please note that for certain technical subjects (e.g. DT or Computer Science) the students may be required to use a dual-boot option to install Windows-specific software on a MacBook. For Macs, our minimum system requirements are:
• 1.3 GHz dual-core Intel 6th Gen Core i5 processor Turbo Boost up to 2.6 GHz or
• 1.1GHZ dual-core Intel 10th Gen Core i3 processor Turbo Boost up to 3 GHz or M1/M2 chip
• 4 GB RAM
• 250 GB HDD
• 802.11ac WiFi capability
• For dual-boot, the Windows partition should be 80-120 GB
Tablet devices (iPads and equivalents) for Year 9 and below
For students in Key Stage 3 (Years 7 to 9), a tablet-style device such as an iPad would make a sensible BYOD choice, given the advantages of low weight and long battery life. For older students who will spend more time on extended writing tasks, we require a laptop or hybrid device (see above) rather than a tablet.
• Must support the latest version of the relevant Operating System (iOS 16, Android 13)
• 4GB RAM
• Minimum of 64GB storage (students with 32GB devices will find they have to frequently delete work)
• Display size 11 inches or greater
• Keyboard attachment for extended typing tasks
• 802.11ac WiFi capability
High School - Chromebooks for Key Stage 3
For students in Key Stage 3, Chromebooks are acceptable, and provide the advantages of quick boot-up times and relatively low weight.
• Must be able to run the latest version of the Chrome Operating System (version 127+)
• 4GB RAM
• Min 1.6 GHz Intel Celeron or equivalent
• Minimum of 64GB storage (256GB preferred)
• Display size 11 inches or greater
• 802.11ac WiFi capability
Software
The school will provide a full Microsoft Office 365 license (Word, Excel, etc.) including desktop apps and full access to Google Workspace applications to all students.
