Tablet Scheme

As you would expect we are continuously looking to improve the quality of Teaching and Learning at Chesterton and we provided staff and students with an exciting array of opportunities to develop their practice.

We have been honoured to be recognised as a World Class High Performance Learning School. Recent results including two successive years of achieving a Progress 8 score above 1 means students at Chesterton on average receive a grade higher at Chesterton compared to the national average we are in the top 1% of schools nationally. A focus on skills as well as knowledge alongside access to resources are key contributors to our teaching and learning. We believe the use of the iPad has contributed in allowing students to access these higher types of learning.

At its core we believe that spend on technology by parents and the school is inevitable and as such we must ensure that the money we invest makes the biggest difference.

We fundamentally believe that engaging and challenging traditional teaching with written outcomes contribute to the greatest progress and that clever and innovative technology can be used to support these aims. The quality of written work and homework have vastly improved by replacing word processors (school computer rooms and home laptops) with devices that can facilitate traditional functionality, but importantly progress to much better supporting the knowledge and comprehension that goes into written work – we see the results of this in sustained outstanding outcomes.

Over the course of the last six academic years the College has, with sufficient support from parents & carers, introduced tablets as learning devices at Chesterton.

We also understand that over reliance on technology will risk having the adverse effect and that with the technology itself comes more than just access to resources. A robust continuous eSafety program, technological solutions and tiered approach to family support all work to ensure that children use the devices sensibly and safely. Central the success of any school initiative is to link home and school life harmoniously and this is why we allow email and filtered internet access alongside age appropriate access to Apps for personal use. We find working with students and families on their online life and safety is more effective than sweeping issues under the carpet.

How the scheme works

Year 7

In Year 7, the school looks to provide all students with an iPad with restrictions on that enable students to develop their understanding of how to use iPads effectively in the classroom.

We know that effective use of the iPad can effectively support learning where: students are adept at using them for learning; they are used to bridge the gap between the teacher / textbook and the writing; support resources are accessible and where students feel the device is their own.

More information is available on the links on this page and towards he bottom of the page you will find the support we offer to parents.

Please see the list of apps for year 7 below.

Year 8- 11

Option B1 – I will donate one lump sum of 400 to the school fund. I will pay this amount in full by Friday 12 July 2019. I expect the school to provide my child with a tablet for personal use for Years 8, 9, 10, and 11.

Option B2 – I will make a donation to the school fund, of the amount indicated below, each month. I understand that a donation of 10 per month covers the cost of one device. My donations will start in September 2019, with the last donation being made in April 2023 (i.e. the remainder of my childs time at Chesterton). I expect the school to provide my child with a tablet for personal use for Years 8, 9, 10, and 11.

Option C – I am unable / unwilling to contribute to the scheme.

We know that some parents are on low incomes, even though their child is not entitled to Free School Meals. If there is a genuine hardship issue and you are concerned about your ability to pay the full amount, please still tick your preferred box and return this form but also e-mail Martin Russell in confidence on mrussell@chesterton.cambs.sch.uk Alternatively, you can write to Martin Russell, Chesterton Community College, Gilbert Road, Cambridge CB4 3NY.

Helpful Documents

Internet Filtering

At Chesterton we use a filtering service provided by the “Cambridgeshire County Council ICT Service”.

This provides internet filtering at home and at school, this allows you to have peace of mind that that your children are always safe on the web. Unfortunately the way the filtering works means that sometimes perfectly safe websites or images get blocked. If you find a website that you think should be unblocked please contact any member of the ICT Department via the staff contacts list on this website. Unfortunately we do not have the ability to unblock images.

We also provide to option to elevate the filtering after school so your child can access some popular social media websites. If you would like this you, the parent, would need to contact the IT Department

All iPads that are purchased with the school come with this filtering service as standard and can not be removed for the safety of your child. We do encourage Parents to be aware of VPN Apps which can be used to try to circumnavigate the security on any device and network.

If you have not purchased a device through Chesterton, they will be filtered at school but not at home. If you would like our filtering service put on the device so they are filtered at home please contact the IT Department.

Insurance, Warranty and Theft Claims

The first step would be to send the Student to the IT office after school. We can evaluate if: it’s warranty; insurance; or a theft claim. Please make sure that when any damage occurs it is reported to IT in a timely manner as your safety is paramount and for some claims we cannot process claims older than a week.

If a student has lost their iPad or believes it to be stolen they need to contact IT straight away, the sooner we know the easier it is to find it. Please make sure that the student has also checked with their teachers and in the classrooms that they had been in the day of losing the device.

The student will have to fill out a form so we can send it off to the insurance company.

Things to remember:

• The Case / Screen Protector must be on the device at all time, if not – the insurance claim is denied.
• We don’t mind how the device was broken so please give a truthful and accurate account of how the device was damaged, we can’t process the claim without a valid reason.
• The insurance claim must be reported and claimed within a week of damage.
• A Student may be able to borrow a loan iPad while the device insurance process is carried out (this is dependent on stock and we can not guarantee a loan device).
• Time taken to authorise claim, arrange collection, repair and sent back to the School may take up to three weeks but during non busy periods this may only take one week.
• Tablet chargers, cables and accessories are not covered by the insurance or warranty, you can purchase these from the school finance office at a discounted rate.
• If you choose to purchase your own iPad you need to purchase your own insurance as it will not be coverd by the school.

Parent Support

We understand that on some occasions we are: asking for a device to be placed in the home where they might not have been one before; asking students to use technology that parents may be unfamiliar with; or needing to provide support to ensure the scheme is successful for your child.

As such, we offer a wide ranging and age appropriate pastoral and academic curriculum for students on safe and effective use, but we also offer parents tiered support as set out below. If you would like support from the school in managing the iPad use, we can offer:

• To talk to your child about their iPad use.
• To restrict the internet filters to include, or not, Social Media
• To restrict the hours the iPad can connect to the internet
• To restrict access to the App Store
• To leave the iPad at school overnight

If you have any queries about the above please do contact any member of the IT Department using the staff list contacts on this website who will be happy to assist or pass to on to the relevant member of staff.

If you are a participating member and have any financial queries or want to change options please contact finance@chesterton.cambs.sch.uk

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