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Laptops/iPads

    The school operates a campus-wide network and pupils are encouraged to purchase and use Apple laptops, although PC laptops can be used within the school. Mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets are becoming increasingly useful and relevant as educational tools. The school supports iOS and Android smartphones with access to storage, the internet and printing services.

    From the Director of Technology: Laptop Policy explanation

    It is still possible to negotiate a successful route through the secondary years of education without using a laptop or iPad. But that requires considerable ingenuity.

    Most academic activities are substantially enhanced by access to the internet and the online resources provided by the school. The ability to store and retrieve work can increase the efficiency of the process. Increasingly, teachers present their subjects in a style that uses electronic communication as currency.

    The school provides a significant supply of computers and the necessary infrastructure to sustain the network that operates across the campus. It expects to continue to do this. It has an extensive wireless network to supplement the cabled network covering all teaching and boarding areas of the school.

    All pupils are provided with access to Office 365. This includes the ability to download the Office applications. As part of this, pupils will be taught and encouraged to use OneDrive as their default storage for documents and schoolwork.

    Mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets are becoming increasingly useful and relevant as educational tools. The school supports Apple iOS smartphones and iPads with access to storage, the internet and printing services.

    Those wishing to use tablets are encouraged to bring an iPad. The school is investing both time and resources in the development of teaching around these devices. It must be said however at this point that pupils need to adapt some of their working practices to suit the way the devices store and print documents, and they will be given support to do this.

    There are downsides to personal computing devices and, as with all aspects of education at this stage, the scope for misuse offsets the undoubted advantages of having a personal device. There are two aspects we wish to bring to your attention:

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    1. Experience to date suggests that pupils can be rather casual with personal devices. We therefore require all devices to be marked with the pupil's name and postcode. The school will provide the means to do this.

    2. Network access issues tend to be educational: accessing inappropriate sites, pretending to work whilst really watching a film, generating unsuitable material through digital cameras and so on. In addition to being potentially hazardous from the point of view of the individual, such inappropriate usage risks damaging the network for other users. We therefore require agreement to the installation of anti-virus and remote client software on all machines to allow a degree of protection for all users.

    In both these aspects, the school believes it has a responsibility to ensure that pupils are educated in the appropriate fashion. Mobile computers, be they laptops through to smartphones, are a useful tool. They are to be treated as a valuable asset and their use can at times detract from the focus of a particular task. Pupils can expect to be guided in this area.

    The school operates a predominately Apple computer based network although PC laptops can be used within the school. Details of the school's Apple laptop supplier can be found below.

    For those wishing to purchase an iPad or MacBook for September the school recommends the package available through Solutions Inc www.solutions-inc.co.uk.  iPads sourced from other suppliers can still be added to the school system at the start of term.

    Details of how to set up an iTunes account, including a step-by-step video guide, can be found below.

    IT Support

    Once at Bryanston only computers operating the following systems will be permitted to join the school network

    iPad

    Hardware: iPad, with case.
    Software: any iPad which supports iOS 11 or greater.
    AppleCare+ for iPad or TotalCare advisable.
    Applications: School list published.

     

    Mac

    Hardware: MacBook Air or MacBook Pro with case.
    Software: OS X 10.12 Sierra or greater (preferably 10.13).
    Avast AV & Malwarebytes (both available as free downloads).
    AppleCare or TotalCare advisable.
    Applications: Microsoft Office 365 is available free of charge from the school.

    PC

    No hardware support offered in school.
    Software: Windows 10 or greater
    Applications: Microsoft Office 365 is available free of charge from the school.
    An up-to-date anitvirus package. 

     

    Purchasing and Support Packages

    Purchasing and support packages

     

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    Need further help?

    If you need any further help or have any questions, please contact us on ithelp@bryanston.co.uk.