Changing our iPad provision

For some years we have had a staggered approach to the provision of iPads in our school, with college owned shared iPads from Kindergarten to Year 2, college owned 1-to-1 iPads in Year 3 (all college owned have stayed on campus and not gone home with students) and BYO iPads in Years 4-6 which have travelled between home and school.

Since 2022, we have also had BYO iPads in Years 7 and 8, having moved away from a mixed BYO laptop environment to leverage the additional functions of iPad, particularly with the camera and pencil and a range of apps that we believe add great value.

In 2024, we have made a significant shift in our model of provision, moving from BYO iPads in Year 4 to college owned 1-to-1 provision that are allowed home with students. We are planning extension of this rollout to Year 7 next year, so that by 2026, our previous BYO iPad space will all be using college provided iPads.

Already we are seeing the value that this change is providing for our Year 4 learners. The provision of a managed Apple ID includes a substantial iCloud storage and allows us to foster collaborative learning experiences for and with students through the iWorks applications.

We are able to maximise our use of Classwork (Schoolwork) and Classroom, creating seamless workflows and easy access to content, as well as offering great scaffolding for students to build their self-management skills in using their iPad.

Our delivery of applications through our MDM provides a carefully curated set of apps, about which I have previously posted (see this link). We have used our MDM to remove some of the apps that our students don't need for learning at school (including things like Stocks, the App Store and Messages), to help streamline a learning oriented environment for the student use of iPad.

We're looking forward to the completion of this rollout and feel confident it is the right fit for our school. Thoughts and questions are welcome if your story resonates or you have other ideas to share.