Recommended Devices
Why BYOT?
The Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT) program at SCAS has been established to improve learning outcomes with educational technology and is reviewed as technology and the needs of teaching and learning shifts. The ubiquitous nature of technology and the learning opportunities provided for students makes a laptop an important learning tool. Much of the student work on devices in both Primary and Secondary School involves using the Google suite of products.
Each student in Years 5 to 12 is expected to bring a device each day and to maintain it as their own property. Students in Years 3 and 4 are also able to bring a personal device to school but it is in no way an expectation.
Laptop Recommendations
PRIMARY
Since 2020, we have brought Stage 3 (Year 5 and 6) closer to our secondary school recommendations by removing tablets and requiring devices to have a full keyboard. As such any Windows, Mac or Chromebook laptop will suit the purposes for Stage 3.
Please note that some of the Secondary School software is not supported on Chromebooks and parents may wish to consider how they future proof their investment so their chosen device has a desirable lifespan for the duration of Primary and Secondary School.
SECONDARY/STAFF
In Secondary School we have identified that laptops (not including Chromebooks) allow students to install the full range of software available. Students in Secondary will use the Adobe suite and specialist software and hardware required by faculties such as Technology, HSIE and Music.
SCAS does have a limited number of higher-end school devices available for specialist use (e.g. 3D printing, intensive Adobe video editing software and specialist music software). These are generally shared among several classes and may not be available in all circumstances, which may limit a student’s ability to fully engage in some tasks.
A functional and suitable BYOT laptop is both a requirement and a wise investment to ensure uninterrupted learning at home and school.
BYOT Device Specifications for Secondary Students/Staff
Processor should be Intel Core i5 and above or AMD Ryzen 5000 series and above
Hard drive 128 GB+ SSD minimum (256 GB recommended). eMMC hard disks should be avoided
RAM 8Gb is recommended as the minimum
Battery life should be usable for a full day
Wifi must support 5Ghz connections, dual band is acceptable
Screen size of 13" is preferred but any size from 11"-17" is OK
USB-C charging recommended
Operating systems supported are Windows 10 & 11, and Mac OS 12 & 13
For reasoning behind these specifications and further information, the full device policy can be found here.
Example Devices
Here are a few recommended devices that can be purchased online, similar models may be found locally also:
(There are many other devices that may be suitable for use at SCAS. In general, gamming laptops are not suitable due to their high power requirements and poor battery life while running on the internal battery. If you are having trouble deciding if a laptop will be suitable for use, please contact us for assistance.)
Acer Aspire 5 15" i5 13th Gen
Acer TravelMate Spin P4 Core i5 14"
HP 15s-fq5213TU 15.6" Full HD Laptop (Intel i7)
MacBook Air 13" M2/M3
MacBook Pro 14" M2/M3
Cases and Protective Devices
Once you have selected a suitable BYOT device, protecting your investment from accidental damage can be a wise decision.
There are two general types of protection of laptop/notebook devices:
1) Protective carry cases - these are padded carry cases designed to contain the devices while in transit. These can be purchases at the time of purchase, but will rely on your child to put the device back into the carry case. These should be padded, and allow the device to be transported inside their school bag.
2) Protective shells that are attached to the BYOT devices - these are device specific cases and need to be purchases separately to the BYOT device.
Examples of these include Gumdrop cases, or Casetify impact cases provide a protective casing to impacts from accidental dropping of the device. these cases are important to provide protection against devices being dropped, or impacts while they are inside school bags or carry cases.
BYOT P&F Parent Connect Session (2024 Term 4)
In Term 4, 2024, the SCAS P&F hosted a morning Parent Connect session regarding the SCAS Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT) program. In the Parent Connect session parents heard from our Acting Director of STEAM, Mr Dan Zavone, and Mr John Imison, IT Manager.
Below are the slide packs from Mr Zavone and Mr Imison along with a recording of the session.
Recording: TBD
Mr Zavone's slide pack: TBD
Mr Imision's slide pack: TBD