Educational Endowment Fund
We are delighted to introduce our 1:2:1 IT Learning Scheme starting in September 2024. This strategy will further improve the outstanding education that students at Bentley Wood High School receive and ensure that all students have equal access to digital technology both at school and at home.
Over the past year the school has invested significantly in its IT infrastructure and associated teacher training to prepare fully for our move to a blended learning scheme – a model which has been widely and successfully adopted over the globe in the most aspirational education systems. Introducing this scheme will have several benefits for our students including helping to build their digital resilience, independent learning skills, creativity and collaboration.
Bentley Wood High School 1:2:1 IT Learning Scheme Please complete the online form at https://forms.office.com/e/gHdKF2v8Qd
Device:
Students at Bentley Wood High School will have the Surface Go 4, this can be used as both a tablet and laptop providing excellent flexibility in lessons and at home. Additionally, students will have a Microsoft Go 4 keyboard and strong case. Students in our sixth form will also have an interactive pen.
Parent contribution:
Those families in receipt of FSM will be supported further with their contributions.
Online safety
Digital wellbeing and safety remains our priority. The Surface Go 4 will be set up in such a way to promote staying safe online. We have invested in content filtering which blocks inappropriate websites. We also monitor student interactions and what they search online. Both filtering and monitoring take place on the device in school as well as at home; 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. As the internet evolves rapidly and new unwanted content appears daily, the filter is updated routinely to ensure maximum safety for our students.
To order your daughter’s device please use the following link and enter the code you received the separate email/letter you received regarding your daughter’s 1:2:1 laptop device:
https://www.cpu.co.uk/CINT/MobileLearning/selectSchool.asp
Why Surface Go 4? We believe that the Surface Go 4 is the device that best meets the needs of Bentley Wood High School learners now and into the future. Bentley Wood High School is fully integrated into Microsoft 365, as the Surface Go 4 is a Microsoft device it will integrate well into this digital system.
Why does my daughter need their own Surface Go 4? Having good IT skills is becoming a basic requirement of any employer. Children need to be prepared for an increasingly digital world. Research has confirmed that good home access to technology has a positive impact on a child’s educational achievements; it often motivates them to do schoolwork by providing more interesting and engaging ways to learn, their work is better presented so their self-esteem grows, and they can explore subjects that interest them in their own time.
Why can’t the school provide these for free to all students? The cost of the Surface Go 4 has been significantly subsidised for every student, however the school would not be able to afford to run the scheme if it paid for it in full. This is why we are asking families to contribute.
If your daughter is entitled to the Pupil Premium grant and/or on free school meals, an additional subsidy will be applied to your order.
Who owns the Surface Go 4? The device is rented rather than purchased and so will remain the property of CHG Meridian (the financing company supporting the school with this initiative).
I’ve already got a laptop at home, can my daughter use this? Unfortunately, your own laptop can’t be used within school for several reasons including, safeguarding, functionality and the need to charge them frequently.
I have just bought my child a laptop, can this be used in school instead of Surface Go 4? Unfortunately, your own laptop can’t be used within school for several reasons including safeguarding, functionality and the need to charge them frequently. We understand that for those parents who have already purchased laptops, the Surface Go 4 will be an additional expense. To mitigate against this, we will have a limited number of loan Surface Go 4 available within school which can be used during lessons for those pupils who haven’t got access to their own Surface Go 4 via the scheme.
What is covered within the monthly contribution? The monthly contribution will cover the rental of the Surface Go 4, keyboard, case, accidental Damage & Theft protection, applications, a warranty and Surface Go 4 technical support. The Surface Go 4 will also come with a warranty for the length of the contribution agreement which will cover any device faults.
How do I order? A portal will be set up to order the Surface Go 4
When will contributions begin to be collected? Contributions will begin the month after you receive your Surface Go 4. You will receive notification of the date at least 10 working days prior to the first collection. You will be able to choose the date the direct debit will be collected from your account on either the 5th, 15th or 25th of every month.
Why is the price more than buying straight from Microsoft? The package comes with comprehensive protection with accidental damage & theft covered and Technical Support.
My daughter receives free school meals. How much will the school be subsidising the cost of the Surface Go 4 If your daughter is in receipt of free school meals, then the Surface Go 4 will additionally subsidised beyond the subsidies already provided. The subsidy will not affect your means-tested household income for any state benefits you may receive.
I have more than one child. Will there be any sibling discount offered?
When will I receive the Surface Go 4? If you place your order before the deadline dates, your child will receive their Surface Go 4 during the first term, ready for the Teaching and Learning launch. The Surface Go 4 will be delivered directly to school, setup and distributed. The device will be assigned directly to your daughter and will be their responsibility to keep safe.
I’m concerned about the additional screen time that my daughter will be spending on a device during school time. How long will this be? We don’t envisage that any child will be using a Surface Go 4 for the whole day, every day. The Surface Go 4 will be used when the teacher feels that their use will enhance learning for the students. We are very mindful of the impact of additional screen time and will monitor this regularly.
Will the Surface Go 4 replace books? Absolutely not. The Surface Go 4 is a support to learning as an additional learning tool, not a replacement for any books or written work. We are passionate about the opportunities that devices and technology offer, but important traditional skills such as writing, sketching and group discussions will continue. The roll out of the Surface Go 4s is to enhance and extend learning opportunities.
Will we need to buy any other equipment? No further equipment will be needed, and ideally every student should have access to the internet at home. The devices are managed by the school which prevents students from adding additional programs or software.
What happens if my child leaves Bentley Wood High School before I have finished the contributions? We will look at each case individually and the circumstances surrounding the decision to leave. We will reach a resolution on a case-by-case basis with parents.
What happens if the Surface Go 4 gets damaged or stolen? The Surface Go 4 will be insured for accidental damage and theft. All packages come with comprehensive protection with accidental damage covered with a £50 excess and no excess on theft. If a device is stolen, it cannot be used, repurposed, or reformatted by anyone else. It becomes useless. If your daughter is careless or damages the Surface Go 4 deliberately you will be asked to cover the cost of repair.
How do I make a claim on the Protection Service? Accidental Damage, Theft and Breakdown claims can be made either:
How many Accidental Damage, Theft and Breakdown claims can I make and what does the protection cover? There is no limit on the number of claims that you are able to make. You can find more information about the protection cover, what it covers and the level of cover on the portal.
Is there any excess to pay? There is a £50 excess to pay on any accidental damage claims, there is no excess on theft or breakdown claims.
Will I have to set up the Surface Go 4? No. We will be using the latest InTune Deployment from Microsoft. This minimises the setup time and process for the device and will ensure it has the necessary software for your daughter.
Will the Surface Go 4 be restricted? We use a secure management system to ensure that the Surface Go 4 are used safely and responsibly while in school. During the evenings, weekends, and holidays, the Surface Go 4 can be used freely, however our safeguarding filtering and monitoring software will continue to operate.
Will my daughter be safe if they have to carry the Surface Go 4 home? We all need to be aware of the risks that students could face on their way home. They should be kept in their bags out of sight whilst travelling to and from school. Surface Go 4 have the facility to be locked and any data removed remotely. In the unlikely circumstance that the Surface Go 4 is stolen, the protection service will cover a replacement if you provide them with a crime reference number which the police will give you when you report the crime.
My daughter’s device has been damaged, will there be a loan device available?
Should your daughter’s device require repair or is awaiting replacement, we have a small bank of loan Microsoft Surface Go 4 devices which can be used during the school day until their device is replaced.
