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Chromebooks for Students

Portal Login Details

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WICK1-1

At Wickersley School and Sports College we are committed to providing the best education possible for our students. This includes access to resources that will support learning and develop skills useful for employment and further education.

From the start of the academic year, we are continuing to launch our “Chromebook for Students” Scheme. We will be giving parents the opportunity to purchase a Chromebook laptop for their child to use in lessons and at home.

A Chromebook is quick to start, resilient to computer viruses, cheaper than a standard laptop and is capable of surviving a whole school day on a single charge.  We have also chosen to introduce Chromebooks because students have shown that they really enjoy working with Google for Education suite via Google Classrooms and Google Drive.

We must stress, however, that the scheme is voluntary.  Special provision will be made for those who choose not to join it, to ensure no-one is disadvantaged should they be used in lessons.

With every student possessing their own Chromebook, it provides us with a wealth of opportunities for developing teaching and learning further.  Lessons can become even more personalised for students, allow access to a wide variety of different resources and facilitate collaborative working in and out of the classroom.  From using Chromebooks, we hope to enable our students to be more independent, innovative and access materials they may need, whenever and wherever.

We hope that you will agree with us and can see the ways that this new way of learning will enhance our pupils’ attainment, and that you will support your child in this.

There will be one purchase portal open during this summer.  The purchase portal is now open and will close at 5pm on Monday 31st July 2023.  Devices purchased during this portal window should be distributed to students in mid-September.

At Wickersley, digital technology has been at the heart of our approach to home learning, with Google classroom, videos and live lessons very much central to how we set work for home learning. Chromebooks will be a valuable resource for pupils to access this work, and send it directly to their teachers.

The Acer Chromebook 311

The Acer Chromebook 311’s certified-durable design, school-friendly features, and powerful battery make it a suitable choice for learners of all ages. This rugged Chromebook withstands daily wear and tear, with a reinforced design protecting it from drops as high as 122cm and up to 60kg of downward force. Experience all-day battery life that lasts throughout the school day, ensuring uninterrupted productivity and learning.

Pricing 2023

12 Months – £29.22 / Month

24 Months – £15.60 / Month

36 Months – £11.01 / Month

Cash Option – £328.46

Parents enter into fixed monthly payments based on the term, with the following benefits (an option to pay in full is also available):

  • Spread payment with no personal credit check
  • Includes Case
  • Fully warrantied for internal failure for three years
  • Fully insured for accidental damage and theft (ADT) for three years
  • Upon your final payment, the device becomes yours at no extra cost

How technology supports students’ learning

Studies have shown that access to personal devices, such as laptops or tablets, can enhance student engagement, collaboration, and information retention. It can also promote digital literacy and critical thinking skills. Moreover, personalised learning experiences facilitated by personal devices can cater to individual student needs and preferences, resulting in improved academic performance and motivation.

How to order

Visit our online ordering portal above. If you experience any difficulty logging in please contact the Edde Education support team on 01494 611 465 or email hello@edde.education.

Contact Us

For more information or if you have any questions, please contact the school at chromebooks@wickersley.net

 

Key Details

Portal Opens:
NOW OPEN
Ordering Deadline:
31st July 2023
First Direct Debit is taken:
1st September 2023
Delivered and Distributed to Students:
Mid-September

Chromebook FAQs

A Chromebook is a small notebook style computer, which operates with minimal software installed on the device. It is designed to use software and information from the internet to perform tasks, rather than have a lot of internal processing power and storage.

As a school, we have chosen to introduce Chromebooks because our students have shown they really enjoy working with the Google for Education suite which has brought a new dimension to our students’ learning experience.

Unlike traditional laptops, Chromebooks have the advantage of being able to survive a whole day at school without charging, they are extremely quick to start up and are completely resilient to viruses.

Students will have their Chromebooks issued in Mid September.

Our IT Support Service will be able to help resolve many technical issues but one of the major advantages of the Chromebook is that it rarely goes wrong. We are going to be running a weekly Chromebook surgery for students to come to with any problems or questions they have.

Yes, you have the option to pay the full total upfront or spread over 36 months. No matter which option you choose the Chromebook will have 3 years of accidental damage, warranty and theft protection.

Chromebooks use wireless to connect to a network, so you will need WiFi at home to use the Chromebook on the internet there. If you have WiFi, your network security key can be added to the Chromebook before login. If you don’t have WiFi at home, the Chromebook will still work for some apps, however, email and web browsing won’t be accessible until the Chromebook is back within the School network. Please talk to us if you do not have wifi at home by emailing chromebooks@wickersley.net

The device is fully insured against theft, you can claim accidental damage on the device 3 times over the 3 year period. The Chromebook also comes with a standard 3 year manufacturer’s warranty.

The responsibility in the case of loss lies with the parent and student, it isn’t covered by the insurance. We can use software to remotely track and disable any Chromebooks that go missing. We will be encouraging students to register their device on the police’s Immobilise database.

If the Chromebook needs to be sent away for repair your child will be loaned a Chromebook until it’s return.

No, sorry. There are several issues with students using other devices in school on mass. From a technical point of view, the batteries on some devices will not last the full school day, some devices are prone to computer viruses and to support a range of different devices is unrealistic for our IT team and teachers.

The other issue for us as a school is our responsibility to safeguarding. Chromebooks will be managed via the Google Management Software, this enables us to forcibly install software that can track a student online.

We will be bulk purchasing Chromebook models that we believe can offer good value for money. We will offer a device that will be robust and stand up well in a school setting, as well including the 3 years accidental and theft cover. We will be passing on all savings we make directly to you. There are other Chromebooks on the retail market and you are welcome to purchase one of these for yourself, but please be aware that these devices will not be covered by the 3 years accidental and theft insurance and you will be required to pay £45 to enroll the device with our Chrome management software.

Yes, very seriously. We spoke to other schools who offer similar iPad and laptop programs, as well as consulting our own students and teachers.

We came to the conclusion that Google Chromebooks are the best fit for us. No other device provided the value for money coupled with the functionality that the Chromebook did.

In order to achieve the economies of scale with a manufacturer which make this scheme most affordable, we cannot offer a diverse choice of devices, as the numbers taking up each option would be too low.

Chromebooks have a battery life of over 8 hours. This varies depending on what the Chromebook is being used for (e.g. web browsing is very different to using Youtube). As long as students charges the Chromebook overnight, it will last all day. Students are responsible for bringing their charged Chromebook to school.

The device will fully belong to the student.

With ever tightening budgets the school has a limited amount of funding for ICT in school, which primarily pays for the maintenance of our school network. The device will belong to the student and be able to be used outside of the school day.

No. The school will have no involvement with the purchase or lease of the Chromebooks, other than to signpost information to parents. The agreement will be between the supplier and the parent.

We will be maintaining our investment in the IT suites which run specialist software including our suites for Media, Computer Science, Music and Technology.

The Chromebook is always backed up, our students have unlimited storage space in the Google Cloud. This is already set up and associated with their school email address.

The school has a very effective web filtering system and all Chromebooks attached to our network go through this web filter. The school will be actively monitoring students’ Chromebooks while in school or at home. We will be able to look at web filter logs, should an issue become apparent.

We’ve spoken to lots of other schools who run similar schemes, experiences of a student being robbed on the way to school/home has never happened. However, it is sensible to reduce the risk of theft through some common sense measures; students should keep their Chromebook in their bag on the way to and from school, both for road safety and crime prevention reasons.

As a school, we are following DfE and ICO advice in this area.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cloud-software-services-and-the-data-protection-act

Yes, any child in the school can purchase a Chromebook via the portal, but we are only currently asking certain year groups to bring a Chromebook into school, those year groups will be notified by the school.

Students will be required to use earphones with their device from time to time. You may wish to buy a case or protective cover.

Chromebooks should be seen as an additional educational tool, not as a replacement for these methods.

The beauty of the Google environment is that there will be a decreasing need for the printing of work and as a school, we see that as a good thing. If a student does need to print anything off, they can do that at school. So there is no need to get a new printing solution at home.