Chromebooks

If your child is going into Year 7, 8 or 9 you can choose to spread the payments over 12, 24 or 36 months. For Year 10, you can choose 24 months. For Year 11, you can choose 12 months.
For all Year Groups, you can make a single up-front payment if you prefer not to spread the cost

The benefits of using a leasing scheme are:

• A lower monthly payment is available as you can pay for the device over a longer period of time.
• Device cover, protecting the device against theft or accidental damage with no excess and unlimited number of claims.
• Excellent customer service, including a replacement device provided within 24 hours during any period of repair.
• Improved brand quality offered through Lenovo.
• Full ownership of the device once final payment is made

No, everyone is approved.

Payments will be made via Direct Debit using an online portal provided and administered by Freedom Tech. You will also have the ability to pay a single one off payment if you would prefer not to spread the cost.

For children who are entitled to free school meals, the school will subsidise the cost of the Chromebook. There will be a small monthly contribution required but we have worked to make this affordable for low income families.

A letter will be sent to eligible families with the details of how to access this discount. Do not place your order via the main portal.
If you are interested in the scheme but are experiencing financial hardship, please get in touch with the school for a conversation in confidence, and we will explore what support we can provide.

You must return the device to the school, or alternatively pay the outstanding payments to take ownership of the device.

You will be provided with information on how to make a claim. The school will be able to lend a Chromebook to the student whilst the Chromebook is being repaired or replaced. This is a big benefit as it means the student will always have access to the technology.

Orders need to be placed by 10th July at the latest. Your first direct debit will be collected on 25th July and the Chromebook will be delivered to school for collection in September 2023.

Yes. Chromebooks are designed with multiple layers of security to keep them safe from viruses and malware without any additional security software. A full 10% of boot time is dedicated to re-verifying that the device has not been tampered with, so every time you power on a Chromebook, your security is checked. Google also adheres to all data policies including GDPR and does not share data with any third parties.

The following are examples of how students` learning will be enhanced:

• Create, share and collaborate using the Google suite tools to increase the potential of peer assessment and collaborative learning approaches
• Organise Homework and classwork through Google Classroom allowing easy access
• Use excellent learning resources from our web based tools, including up to date and relevant e-textbooks, where appropriate.
• Use digital tools to support research and writing. For example, academic bibliography and citation tools, read aloud and voice recognition tools to promote independent learning.
• Think and behave creatively across their subjects using Cloud Apps for design, planning, animation, mind-mapping, image editing, sound editing, video recording, etc.
• Use subject related Apps in the classroom and at home
• Greater opportunities for differentiation within the class to meet students’ needs
• Effective assessment for learning in and out of the lesson to both redirect the lesson and aid long term planning based on students` learning

Most definitely not! Traditional methods of learning and teaching still have an important place in education and will continue in our school. Chromebooks should be seen as an additional educational tool, a tool to enhance learning rather than replace these methods. This will ensure students` handwriting skills continue to be developed.

There is a wide range of tablet and laptop-style devices available on the market. We have conducted extensive research when considering the type of device that would be best suited to students in our school.
A Chromebook looks like a laptop in appearance, but operates in a very different way with students accessing services and Apps online. The Chromebook operating system is produced by Google, who provide a wealth of Apps and services specifically designed to support students in education. Chromebook devices boot-up in a matter of seconds and have a battery life that lasts up to eight hours, dependent on use. Chromebook devices will be managed by Freedom Tech to ensure that access is safe and secure.

Yes! We have spoken to a range of schools who are using the Google suite tools and Chromebooks to great effect. They believe the quality of feedback, ability to collaborate, assessment of students learning and the ease of differentiation are some of the greatest benefits to students learning that they have experienced.

Yes, your child should treat the Chromebook as their own when at home. A big part of the success of this scheme will rely on students valuing the Chromebook as part of their wider life and therefore taking care of it, charging it and bringing it to school every day. Therefore, students are able to download non-educational Apps to enjoy at home provided they are appropriate in content.

Unfortunately, no other devices will be allowed. The specification available on the High St is not the same as the commercial specification that is being offered here. The offer may look similar, but there is a ruggedization to a high standard on the Chromebooks we are offering, to ensure that they are fit for purpose and can withstand being in school. Therefore, Chromebooks purchased elsewhere which do not meet this specification may not be suitable for school.
As part of our Safeguarding processes and procedures, we need to ensure we can enrol the device on to our system for security and management. We would need to deploy the Google Management Software to all devices. These Apps allow us to manage the student’s device whilst in school and log any incidents of inappropriate behaviour.
Finally, it would not be appropriate for us to add external devices (such as Chromebooks purchased elsewhere) to our system as we could not feasibly manage a range of different model of devices effectively. A mixed model would mean different devices and set-ups and a host of potential issues that would have implications for the workload of staff at school. For example: teachers trying to teach students who are using multiple devices which may all work slightly differently, thus affecting the pace of learning and making teaching more complex; requests for the IT team to offer technical support to a wide range of devices; some devices having accidental damage and theft protection through the scheme but not all devices (and managing what happens in school if a device got damaged); or peer pressure if some students had superior models affecting student behaviour and learning. These sorts of logistical issues could affect the efficient running of the school. Our focus is on delivering a creative and engaging curriculum and supporting your child to achieve their best outcomes.

The device belongs to Freedom Tech whilst the device is subject to a payment plan. The student will be able to use the device 24/7. The student will own the device once the final payment has been made.

We truly believe the introduction of Chromebooks and the use of Google suite tools will enhance learning and teaching. It will enable teachers to really utilise technology to benefit students’ learning and therefore ultimately their progress. That said, if you do not want to be involved in the scheme, we will ensure that students who do not have a Chromebook are not disadvantaged. It is for you to decide if this purchase is right for your family.

Please contact Student Services and we will do our best to help you.