Digital Learning at Dauntsey's

Introduction

At Dauntsey’s we educate our pupils for the future - giving them the skills, confidence and resilience to be successful in whatever they choose to do. We recognise the central role that technology will play in the future lives of our pupils and take responsibility for preparing them to take full advantage of this. Interactive and digital technology can enhance pupils’ everyday learning experiences and we are determined that our pupils will benefit from this.

Over recent years the school has made great progress in terms of our digital learning. All teachers and pupils are now well established on Microsoft 365 and its associated products and apps, all classrooms are equipped with high quality interactive boards and an increasing amount of teaching uses digital technology.

As a next step, in September 2023, Dauntsey’s will introduce the use of one-to-one digital devices across the school, building on the great progress made in recent years in the use of technology to support teaching and learning in the classroom. The information included here is a summary of the key elements of this programme. More information will be made available during the Summer Term.

David Noble, Deputy Head (Academic)

An important and valuable change

TECHNOLOGY AS PART OF EVERYDAY LIFE

Enabling and supporting pupils in developing the information and communications technology skills they will need in the world beyond school is central to our educational provision.

With one-to-one devices, this will be ‘taught’ and weaved into all lessons as well as other aspects of the pupils’ day-to-day school experience.

CREATIVITY

Creativity is key to this move – for both pupils and teachers. The option to utilise audio notes and clips, video recordings, pictures, websites and educational apps within a lesson opens up a world of possibilities.

The recommended devices will allow pupils to draw, write and type, and annotate to a very high quality in addition to being able to capture and store images of any work that they do on paper.

ORGANISATION OF RESOURCES AND INDEPENDENT LEARNING

Using Teams, OneNote and SharePoint, means all notes, work, resources and communications will be stored, manipulated and shared in and from the same online space – this will be powerful for both teachers and pupils.

Pupils will take away from lessons links to key websites and revision activities, video and audio recordings of key points, working with a reliable and user-friendly platform that will encourage them to share ideas.

FEEDBACK, COLLABORATION AND COMMUNICATION

Devices allow for more seamless interaction between pupil and teacher – either in the lesson or beyond it.

Likewise, through OneNote, Teams and SharePoint – as well as via a number of interactive educational apps – there is potential to modernise and diversify the ways in which pupils collaborate on a task, working together inside or outside of the classroom.

“Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting the kids working together & motivating them, the teacher is the most important.”

- Bill Gates

Our recommended devices

DEVICE SPECIFICATION

For some time, Dauntsey’s has been a ‘Microsoft School’ and our choice of one-to-one devices for pupils reflects that. The school will be using Windows 11 as its operating system and Microsoft 365 and Teams to provide the core product suite. Teachers all use Microsoft Surface Pro devices as these provide the best platform to run the software.

We strongly recommend that where possible, pupils should have either a Microsoft Surface Pro or Surface Go device. These are designed for education and are widely used in schools.

KEY FEATURES

MICROSOFT SURFACE PRO

Recommended for pupils in Upper School.

• More powerful and feature-rich compared to the Surface Go 3, it can handle more power consuming programs e.g. Adobe suite.

• The battery life of the Surface Pro 9 is up to 16 hours.

• 13” PixelSense™ Flow Display.

• Budget-friendly option that is still highly portable and versatile.

• It has a smaller 10.5-inch PixelSense touchscreen display.

MICROSOFT SURFACE GO

Recommended for pupils in Lower School.

ALTERNATIVE DEVICES

• The battery life of the Surface Go 3 is up to 11 hours.

• The Surface Go 3 is lighter and far more portable than the Surface Pro 9.

• The Go benefits from a headphone jack whilst the Surface Pro 9 will require an adapter.

The school is able to support pupils who already have an iPad or another high quality device, provided that it meets the minimum specification necessary to access the teaching and the curriculum. This is particularly important with regard to inking.

ALL DEVICES MUST:

• be able to quickly and reliably connect to the school’s internet

• be able to access and run Microsoft 365 products

• have a keyboard or keyboard function

• be capable of accurate on-screen inking

• have a high quality camera

• have a battery lifetime of at least six hours

• have a “standby to operational” time of less than 30 seconds

• be able to connect to a discrete set of headphones

A key feature of the Surface Pro and Surface Go is the ability to complete high quality on-screen inking. Inkability allows the devices to be used as an effective replacement for paper, making possible the creation and storage of handwritten notes and diagrams on screen. A device that can blend written and typed information opens the way for a multitude of applications in the classroom. Therefore, a stylus or pen becomes of huge benefit to learning, especially in subjects such as Maths, Art, Chemistry, Physics and DT where a standard keyboard simply isn’t an appropriate or natural way to interact with the materials.

Ordering and setting up your device

The choice of device and how to provide it rests with parents, but all devices must be configured for school use. Before lessons start in September, IT services will need to install certificates and software so that pupils can reliably and safely access our WiFi, printing and other facilities. Devices will also need to be set up to access Microsoft 365, Teams and OneNote through the pupil’s school account. Please note, all pupils are eligible to download and install Microsoft 365 packages, free of charge, on up to five personal devices whilst they are a Dauntsey’s pupil.

A piece of software (SENSO) will also be installed on pupils’ devices. This will allow (during lessons only) the teacher to view what each pupil is doing on their device, from the teacher’s screen.

Devices are ultimately owned by pupils and parents. We expect that they are intended primarily for educational use, and the internet filtering and safeguarding software is designed to prevent access to inappropriate content whilst at school. However this does not negate parents setting clear boundaries and expectations for use at home in the normal way.

ORDERING PORTAL

For a fully managed service, the school will be setting up a bespoke portal with an external supplier, through which parents can buy one of a small selection of recommended devices. The devices can also be purchased as part of a bundle that can include the following recommended items:

• Protective case

• Stylus or pen

• Insurance or extended warranty

The products will be delivered to school and will be available from the IT department shortly before term starts, with the relevant software installed to enable access to the school’s network. It will be possible to spread the cost of the new devices through monthly payments. Alternatively, devices bought through a different route will need to be brought to school towards the end of the summer holidays so that the same software can be installed ‘while you wait’.

INSURANCE

It is strongly recommended that devices are insured against damage, loss or theft, as parents will be responsible for the repair. The school will carry some spare devices to ensure that children’s education can continue regardless, but this can only be while devices are being fixed. Without insurance, repairs for liquid damage, screen repair or battery replacement can quickly exceed £200-300.

Frequently asked questions

WILL ALL LESSONS BE TAUGHT USING A DEVICE?

Not necessarily. Devices are not a substitute for great teaching, but they will complement teaching in a multitude of ways. The extent to which devices are used in lessons will vary from one lesson to the next, but there will be positive ways for all subjects to regularly incorporate devices into lessons.

HOW WILL DEVICES BE CHARGED?

Pupils will be expected to bring a fully charged device to school every day. The Surface Pro and Go have batteries that will last for the day, if used only in lessons. There will be charging stations around school and in houses so that pupils can top up their charge during lunch and break times.

IS AMOUNT OF SCREEN TIME GOING TO BE AN ISSUE?

Pupils will not spend all day looking at a screen. Teaching pupils responsible use of technology is essential. We will encourage pupils to use devices positively and for productive reasons, not excessively. Our pastoral care system continues to address e-safety issues in addition to topics such as screen time, managing the pressures of social media and emotional health and general wellbeing. In terms of physical wellbeing, it is important that we educate staff and students on the importance of posture and eye health and on the effects of screens on mental health and sleep.

WHAT IF WE ALREADY OWN A DEVICE BUT IT ISN’T ON THE LIST? (I.E. IT ISN’T A SURFACE PRO OR GO)

We strongly recommend the Surface Pro and Surface Go devices – they are designed for education and are well tested in schools. Other devices are possible and our IT Support team will be able to support them so long as they comply with criteria listed. If in doubt, please contact the IT Support team.

WHERE DO MOBILE PHONES FEATURE IN THIS?

We will be reviewing the mobile phone policy with a view to restricting their use around school. This is consistent with the narrative around encouraging productive use of technology during the school day.

HOW WILL THIS AFFECT PUBLIC EXAMINATIONS?

At present, examinations are handwritten and we will continue to prepare pupils for this. There are, however, an increasing number of pupils typing exams and universities use this as standard practice. Inking is inevitably going to be considered for examinations in time and our pupils will be prepared for this.

Next Steps

APRIL

Further information provided on how to use the school portal to purchase devices and associated bundles along with a more detailed list of required software and accessories.

JULY

Last date to purchase devices via the portal in time for the new school year.

AUGUST

Pupils entering the First, Second, Third or Fourth Form, or the Lower Sixth, will be required to ensure that their device has been set up by the IT department and configured to provide access to the school network.

SEPTEMBER

During the first few days of the term, pupils will be shown how best to use their devices and access the materials provided in lessons.