IT PROVISION 2026
Over the past few years, the role and use of technology in learning has evolved rapidly and we are now comfortable that well specified and well used technology offers major benefits for pupils through their school life
At Claremont we see three different elements of this: the availability to all pupils of a consistent, reliable and high-quality laptop; the use of the Microsoft Teams environment throughout their learning both in school and at home; and the presence of fully interactive screens in all our learning spaces for use by both teachers and pupils.
These are underpinned by continual investment in our infrastructure and in skills and training
MICROSOFT TEAMS AND ONENOTE
At the heart of pupils learning is the Microsoft Teams environment Pupils and their teachers are connected by the Teams and through this work is set, shared, discussed, reviewed and assessed Teachers will set exercises and assignments and pupils will respond with handwritten or typed responses, sketches or comments which are visible immediately to the teacher who can guide, coach and comment in real time but leaving a permanent record for reflection and revision. OneNote provides the structure and tools for this, and the pupils' laptop and stylus enable them to engage easily and in a way which suits them As the year progresses this OneNote builds up into a combined, comprehensive electronic record which brings together the "exercise book", the teacher's materials, the workings and the assignments -together with all of the pupil's reflections and teacher's comment and review
When all of this is combined with increasing use of on-line resources and on-line texts, we expect to see those cumbersome and heavy rucksacks full of books much reduced!
INTERACTIVE CLASSROOMS
Traditional projectors and screens in classrooms have been 'one way' - they transmit from teacher to pupil. The interactive screens we've installed provide two major advances over this traditional technology Firstly, teachers and pupils can write, sketch or draw on the screen directly for the whole class But more importantly our wireless connections allow any of the pupils to connect to the screen This enables small groups to work together around a screen, allows individual pupils to showcase their work and allows a teacher or pupil to project from anywhere in the room All of this supports a far more collaborative and reflective approach to learning which is so important in preparing pupils for the world of work
INTRODUCTION TO THE DEVICE PURCHASE SCHEME - YEAR 3
In 2023, following extensive work with pupils, teachers and informed by visits to other schools, we took the decision to standardise on the 'convertible' style laptop as the preferred device for all pupils in Junior School (Years 3-6) These devices are cost effective, manageable size and weight, reliable and have excellent writing and drawing support This supports our objectives to continually transform and improve teaching and learning through considered use of the Microsoft Teams environment and in particular the OneNote 'digital exercise book' approach
Pupils will need their laptop from the start of Year 3 This will give the children access to an up-to-date device at home and at school from the start of Prep years. We anticipate a single device will serve the children well throughout their Year 3-6 journey. We should point out that these young children will not switch to learning in a totally digital environment. We will continue to utilise a range of teaching and learning methods, of which the digital environment will be one, to ensure the children's broad and balanced educational experience
The convertible laptop which operates either as a conventional laptop with keyboard or as a tablet is important to support both formal use (writing, researching topics) but also interactive use where materials are annotated, modified, shared and projected in a dynamic and flexible classroom or learning space We know that many pupils entering Year 3 may be considered 'digital natives' but still have very limited exposure to keyboards and in particular to the MS Office suite During Year 3 pupils will be steadily introduced to their devices, its power and functions - not only doing 'real work' during Year 3 but also preparing them for later years in school.
We consider it essential for effective classroom learning that pupils have consistent devices at this age and that those devices are of sufficient quality It is also essential that they are configured with the correct software, that they operate seamlessly with the school network, and that they carry the right tools for maintaining security and controlling access to internet resources in line with our safeguarding processes
The school is currently tendering for a suitably qualified partner to operate a scheme for parent purchase of these devices This scheme will:
Meet the specification agreed as appropriate for our classroom use and for use at home and away - including a tablet format to enable easy writing and sketching
Be configured to connect to the school's network and our safety and security systems
Have all of the software required for learning pre-installed and ready to go.
Be configured with management software which allow us to easily deploy new software as requirements change over time.
Be covered by full warranty for repair for the duration of the rental period.
Be covered by an appropriate level of insurance for damage, loss and theft
All devices will come as a complete package include stylus, keyboard, full waterproof case, configuration and warranty and support
Full details of the scheme will be published early in April and will include outright purchase and rental options Indicative costs will be around £8-900 for outright purchase and £18-20 per month for rental, including full support, warranty, insurance and configuration of software for the school environment
INTRODUCTION TO THE DEVICE PURCHASE SCHEME – SENIOR SCHOOL
In 2023, following extensive work with pupils, teachers and informed by visits to other schools, we took the decision to standardise on the Microsoft Surface Pro as the preferred the device for all pupils in Senior School (Years 7-11) The device is high performance, reliable and has excellent writing and drawing support This supports our objectives to continually transform and improve teaching and learning through considered use of the Microsoft Teams environment and in particular the OneNote ‘digital exercise book’ approach
Whilst we continue to consider the Microsoft Surface Pro to be an excellent tool for students, the price of these devices has continued to rise, and a number of competing products have become available We have therefore taken the decision to offer an alternate in addition to the Surface.The key difference between these devices is that the Surface has a detachable keyboard whilst the alternate is ‘convertible’ – both can therefore be used in the critical tablet mode for note taking, sketching and annotating.
The school is currently tendering for a partner to operate the scheme and to provide you, the pupils and the school with excellent support throughout the purchase, delivery and subsequent support of the device Both devices can be considered relatively ‘high-end’ (or professional standard) devices, but we continue to believe that this is most appropriate The ability to operate both as a laptop and a tablet is important to support both formal use (essay writing, spreadsheet modelling) but also interactive use where materials are annotated, modified, shared and projected in a dynamic and flexible classroom or learning space
We consider it essential for effective classroom learning that pupils have consistent devices at this age and that those devices are of sufficient quality. It is also essential that they are configured with the correct software, that they operate seamlessly with the school network, and that they carry the right tools for maintaining security and controlling access to internet resources in line with our safeguarding processes
The scheme will allow you to purchase or rent a device for your child which will:
Meet the specification agreed as appropriate for our classroom use and for use at home and away – including a tablet format to enable easy writing and sketching
Be configured to connect to the school’s network and our safety and security systems.
Have all of the software required for learning pre-installed and ready to go.
Be configured with management software which allow us to easily deploy new software as requirements change over time.
Be covered by full warranty for repair for the duration of the rental period
Be covered by an appropriate level of insurance for damage, loss and theft
All devices will come as a complete package include stylus, keyboard, full folio case, configuration and warranty and support Full details of the scheme will be available in April Purchase and rental options have been developed and tailored to suit our families’ differing circumstances such as the number of years remaining before a child leaves the school. Indicative prices are from £1200 to £1700 for outright purchase or from £30 / month for rental, including all warranty, support, insurance and software configured for school use.
INTRODUCTION TO DEVICES FOR 6 FORM STUDENTS TH
Pupils in the sixth form will continue to need a device both in school and away However, we believe that pupils at this stage in their education should be encouraged to take ownership of the choice of technology which suits them and their learning – and aspirations for life after school
To this end we operate a full ‘bring your own device’ scheme. Pupils should choose their own device and bring that into school. The choice of device might be guided by the subject they study – many students studying Art, Media or similar subjects might choose Apple products, those studying computing or DT might choose very high-end devices, those studying humanities might choose lightweight but simple laptops Some may choose to use a tablet in school and a desktop at home
We do consider it essential, however, that the device chosen includes a tablet and pen mode – our styles of teaching will continue to require students to annotate and write on documents on screens and maintain their handwriting as well as keyboard skills
GENERAL NOTES
All pupil use of IT, including these devices, is subject to the school's acceptable use policy
The safeguarding of our pupils is critically important. To this end we make no apologies that the school, under our IT acceptable use policies, provides filtered and monitored internet access on site and is able to monitor internet uses from school devices wherever they are connected to the internet We also insist on and provide appropriate anti-virus and anti-malware systems to protect both the pupils and us
As part of the Microsoft Teams environment all pupils have access to substantial OneDrive cloud storage and should use this to store all of their work to ensure that it is accessible from anywhere and that it is securely backed up
Pupils will receive appropriate training in the use of their devices and will also get guidance on safe use of technology, staying safe online, and encouragement to look after their devices as an essential tool for their learning.
The school’s approach to the use of AI by teachers and by pupils of different ages is defined in our ‘AI Policy document’
