Laptop Program (BYOD)

Cheltenham Secondary College is dedicated to preparing our students for a future that demands ever-increasing technological capacities. To fully participate as capable, ethical and highly competent digital citizens, a laptop is not only a device to support learning, but an important tool to build 21st-century skills for work and study beyond college.

All students who attend Cheltenham Secondary College from 7 to 12 are encouraged to have their own laptop computer to support their learning at home and at school.

Cheltenham Secondary College is a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) school. This means students are to provide their own laptop of their choosing, provided it meets the colleges minimum requirements.

To assist students and parents/guardians, we have carefully curated a choice of laptops that can be purchased through Edunet. Laptops purchased through Edunet will be provided with onsite support by the College's IT department. The IT department will assist with and fix software related issues and also organise warranty and insurance claims on behalf of the student. Warranty and insurance claims will be completed by certified Lenovo and Apple technicians onsite at the college for student convenience. All devices purchased will come with a three-year warranty as standard. Accidental damage insurance and carry bags are available at the time of purchase and are recommended.

Read more from Edunet on devices offered to Cheltenham Secondary College students.

    Who needs a laptop?

    All students are encouraged to have access to a laptop computer to support their learning. This ensures students have access to additional support via digital classroom activities, our online communication systems, as well as timetables and homework information.

    How does the college laptop program work?

    The college runs a managed Bring Your Own Device program (BYOD). There is a range of devices and price points to choose from. All devices will come with a standard three-year warranty. Parents may choose to add insurance to the device at the time of purchase, which strongly is recommended by the college. The outright purchase price ranges from approximately $700 to $2000 per device**.

    **Subject to price and AUD fluctuations.

    Can you help me decide which laptop to buy?

    Yes, to assist students and parents, we have carefully curated a choice of laptops for parents that can be purchased through Edunet.

    What support will the college provide if I purchase an Edunet device?

    The college, along with our project partner Edunet, provides onsite service and repairs for all devices logged with our IT Technicians. All warranty and insurance jobs will be completed by an authorised Lenovo or Apple technician at the college.

    Hardware diagnosis and full software support will be provided by the college’s onsite technicians when buying a device from our managed BYOD program. If something goes wrong with the operating system eg. viruses or malware, college technicians will be available to return the machine to its proper working order (as often as necessary).

    What software and administration access will be available?

    On a device purchased via the managed BYOD program, students will have full access to Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Cloud, Google's G Workspace (cloud productivity suite and education tools) and a range of software provided at no extra cost by the Department of Education & Training. As you will own the device, students will have full administration rights to their device, which will allow for the installation of home printers and software.

    Why do they need a specific device if it's BYOD?

    The college runs a managed BYOD program. As a minimum requirement students must choose a laptop that has:

    • Screen resolution: 11" (1366 x 768) screen minimum (13" [1920 x 1200] recommended)
    • 4GB of RAM (8GB recommended)
    •  If using Windows: Windows 10 22H2 or Windows 11 22H2. Windows 11 SE is not supported.
       If using Mac: macOS 11 (Big Sur or greater).
    • A USB port
    • A connected keyboard
    • No less than 8 hours of battery life

    This allows for consistency across the college in every classroom which provides both teachers and students with a consistent and reliable experience for teaching and learning. It also allows for fast and efficient support, should problems such as viruses and accidental damage arise. Please note: the college does not support Apple iPads, Android tablets or Google Chromebooks.

    When do I need to purchase a device?

    Ideally, students will have access to a laptop as soon as they commence at the college. The online purchase portal is open 24 hours a day and parents/guardians will be able to order the device and optional insurance and extras, such as carry bags, that suit them via this service.

    Where do I pick up the device from?

    Devices purchased through Edunet will be delivered to your home address or you are able to arrange collection from Edunet’s Mornington location.

    What payment options are there?

    Parents have the option to pay upfront for the device. Or 12-month interest-free payment plans are available.

    Parents who do not qualify for finance are then referred to NILS with Brotherhood of St Lawrence. If you have questions about payment, please contact Edunet.

    I already have a laptop that meets the minimum requirements, can I use it?

    Yes, as long as the laptop meets the minimum requirements,  we are happy for you to use it, however, please be aware the IT Technicians will only connect you to the college WiFi and printers. No additional support will be offered. If something goes wrong with the device you will need to seek assistance from a third party or speak to the laptop manufacturer.

    We have the laptop and it is working well. What do we do now?

    The College provides an ICT Guides page that your child can access using their college Google account. It contains important information, such as how to connect the laptop to the college network, and how to keep the laptop up to date.

    If you choose to purchase your own device, outside of the Edunet portal, please be aware that this device will have limited access to IT department support and all warranty and insurance claims must be handled by the family, external to the college. If a student is without a device for these reasons, a limited number of rental devices will be available for the duration of the school day. In order for your device to be connected to our school network, it must meet the minimum specifications:

    • Screen resolution: 11" (1366 x 768) screen minimum (13" [1920 x 1200] recommended)
    • 4GB of RAM (8GB recommended)
    • Windows 10 x64 (21H1+) or Apple macOS 11 (Big Sur or greater)
    • A USB port
    • A connected keyboard
    • No less than 8 hours of battery life.

    Please note: 

    • if students would like to do media or visual communication subjects then extensive use of the Adobe CS suite will be required. please refer to this minimum specification guide from Adobe: https://helpx.adobe.com/au/cre...
    • the college does not support Apple iPads, Android tablets or Google Chromebooks.
    • students may charge their laptops at the IT Office, however, not all laptops are supported. For any laptops not purchased via Edunet, it is recommended the laptop support USB-C charging.

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