At Avanti Grange we are proud to be a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) school. Technology is an important part of how the school delivers lesson materials and information to our students. All students at Avanti Grange are expected to have their own electronic device with a fixed keyboard, tablets are not permitted. Approximately one-third of the lessons at Avanti Grange have an element of IT, as a result it is vital that your child arrives to school each day with a fully charged and working device which allows them to access the school systems.
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)
Before you bring your device into school:
You will need to install a security certificate before using your device in school. This certificate will help us to keep you safe online while you are in school but will not affect the way your device works outside of school at all.
Certificates are available for Windows, MacOS and Chrome devices. To install the certificate, please follow the instructions here: https://www.securly.com/ssl. You will not be able to access the Internet in school without this certificate.
Using your device in school:
You will be given the password to the student WiFi. Once connected, you will need your school email address and password to log on to Office 365. You will be given your school email address and the default password when you first start at Avanti Grange. You will need to set your own secure password when you first log on.
Your school email address comes with a full license for Office 365, so you do not need to purchase any special software, or install anything on your device before you come to school. You will be able to use Office 365 and Teams online, however if you are using a Windows or Mac device you can choose to download and install the Teams app to your device if you wish – Teams is available to download here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/microsoft-teams/download-app
Device recommendations:
As with most technology, the lowest price-point offering may not last as long, nor have as good resale value as a higher-spec device. Investing in a more expensive device may reduce the need to purchase another so soon. Please bear in mind that charging the device at school may not always be possible, so be mindful of expected battery life when purchasing a new device. We would recommend a battery life of 10 hours to minimise disruption. Any device you purchase should have a fixed keyboard, i.e. not a tablet device.
Under £400: A Chromebook. Avoid Windows laptops at this price point as they will be of a poor specification and may not perform well. Chromebooks provide excellent value for money and are particularly well-suited to educational use. Our recommendation: A Chromebook from a reputable brand, such as HP, Acer, Lenovo, etc.
£400-800: A Windows-based laptop with minimum Core i3 (recommend i5), AMD Ryzen 3 (recommend Ryzen 5) or Pentium Silver processor, minimum 8GB RAM. Our recommendation: Microsoft 12.5″ Surface Laptop Go with Intel Core i5, 128 GB SSD
£800+: Any premium Windows-based laptop, such as a Microsoft Surface Laptop, or a MacBook Air M1. Our recommendation: Apple MacBook Air M1