Chromebooks
Because we use Google Classroom at Stoke Damerel Community College it is helpful for students to have access to an electronic device at home. As a school we recommend the use of Chromebooks as such a device that is most suitable to access their school work.
You may ask, as the parents/guardians, “Can I use my home computer or other devices at home to access Google Classroom?”
The simple answer is “Yes”, any device that has the Chrome browser installed on it can access the Google Classroom, which can be downloaded from:
https://www.google.com/chrome/
Internet Safeguarding For The Home
A recommended safeguarding solution for the home is to connect a piece of hardware to your router, this will protect all the devices that connect to your home network, please read the manufacturers details and check compatibility, if you are not sure contact your Internet Service Provider, we are happy to provide advice but ultimately the responsibility belongs to the parent/guardian as we are unable to provide support outside of the school.
This will protect all your devices on the network, especially as most children these days will have at least two devices. Please view the following sites to get an idea of devices currently available for the home.
https://www.haandle.com/#product
https://koalasafe.com/compare.html
The sites provided are the manufacturer sites and therefore look to purchase the device of your preference from any well known online UK supplier.
Where to purchase a Chromebook:
The school has no recommended supplier; companies will update their products regularly so it is very difficult to provide detailed information. The best advice we can give is:
If the product has been labelled for Education then the case is rubberised or tested to a specific standard and can withstand bumps and scrapes, but these devices will come at an extra cost.
Some products have touch screens and can assist with creativity, they will normally come with a pen. These are great for drawing, but again come with an extra cost.
Chromebooks can be purchased from any number of companies, the following are just a few examples. We understand that these items are expensive, budget ranges are available and will still be suitable to access your child's school work, but the build quality and performance will be much lower.
As a school we see a wide range of issues that occur with mobile devices, if the equipment is cared for, the device should last throughout the education of your child. As we have seen even the hardiest of devices if not looked after will eventually break.
The IT team will be happy to provide information on request on makes and models that are used by the school, but we will not be held responsible for any final decisions.
Parents
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