new yr 7s - laptop or tablets necessary? Which?

DS is in y8. Supposedly in top sets. He never uses his ipad for homework. Does use the family desktop for some homework thing maybe once a month.

We receive a weekly report for each child with number of hours they've spent on the computer on each day, which websites they've accessed and what search terms they've entered

Is that the standard Windows parental control or some other software?

Ds (Yr 8) has a laptop which is kept downstairs at all times.

He types nearly all of his homework, but that's mainly due to his illegible handwriting.

Internet access is often needed for homework tasks but this is available at school if needed.

Ds does use a laptop at school because of the writing difficulties, but this is one that's been provided by the school and is stored there.

I just checked with the DSs what their school's policy is on flashdrives; no issues at all apparently. Some teachers get shirty if you attempt to give stuff in on the flashdrive rather than print it yourself but there's no restriction on taking it to the PCs in the library to print out there.

I should clarify actually. DSs have access to the family PC and a laptop, but DH and I both have our own laptops and no one touches mine on pain of painful things so there's never any clash with people using them.

I bought each of my DC a laptop for their first Christmas after starting year 7. I didn't want them to be using a small screen for long periods of study/homework so I wouldn't have compromised with a netbook and I didn't want to police who uses the family desk top when and for what.

DD1 has just finished year 11 and her laptop is past it's best but it has lasted her the 5 years which was the original plan.

They each have a USB stick and access to the wifi. I don't get involved with homework but I know that they've needed to use VLE/other sites to access homework and return it.

I hadn't thought of email. If each child has a school email account and their own home email account, then I can see how this could work quite well. Unless the files emailed from someone's home are corrupted by viruses...

Both DD started in Y7 with access to the home PC and my laptop if I was at home and not using it.
Now in Y9 and Y11 they both have there own laptops and tablets which they use constantly, as there are no restrictions on use here as I trust them. Certainly they need them daily to complete the work set a school and sharing would be impossible especially as we are now in GCSE revision.
They start on homework and research (or YouTube) as soon as they get in from school (well before DH or I get in) and will often be still working or playing at bedtime. Neither have TV in their rooms as they generally are studying or watching catch up on their devices.
Plus if they used my laptop how would I spend hours working on mumsnet every night?

"For those schools where no memory sticks or storage devices are allowed, how do the children move half-completed homework between home and school (Powerpoint presentations etc.)?"

Email.

DD's school don't want the pupils importing viruses onto the school's network, but it is difficult to police, and some teachers just turn a blind eye.

It's definitely a good idea to limit wifi access. DD keeps her laptop in the living room.

For those schools where no memory sticks or storage devices are allowed, how do the children move half-completed homework between home and school (Powerpoint presentations etc.)?

DS1 regularly needs to do tasks both at school (for example if working jointly with another child or two) and at home. The school provides a memory stick which the children are expected to bring to school with them every day.

Do other schools manage this by having some sort of online storage for children's half-completed work, so they can access it and update it from both home and school?

Sorry, all that was in answer to hardboiled's question.

We have two shared computers between the six of us; one desktop and one laptop. Both on the same network so anyone can access their stuff from either machine. Printer which can be used from either. Although we have wi-fi, all of the children (including the 13 year old) only use the computers in the study, which is open plan with the dining room.

Each child has to log in under their own account; all accounts have various restrictions except our (administrator) account.

We receive a weekly report for each child with number of hours they've spent on the computer on each day, which websites they've accessed and what search terms they've entered.

The 13 year old has a smartphone but it only gets internet access through wi-fi. He has restricted access to our wi-fi so he can use his phone to access the internet (with controls that we've set up) from anywhere in the house until 9pm.

JRY44 is right. Access to a laptop is better than a tablet due to software issues. DD is in year 8 and often uses Powerpoint as well as Word documents.

"He uses a memory stick to transport documents to and from school"

That is a no-no in most schools, so please don't assume you can do that. A lot of DD's homework uses the school's VLE (virtual learning environment) portal so whatever your DC uses be prepared to be able to access this.

Oh yes I like the no internet access in bedroom approach Mrsdmitry. Is that a rarity? Who else out there with dc is secondary has the same rule? OP sorry am I high jacking...I am in the same situation as you!

DS1 is coming to the end of Y8 and has managed fine with access to the family laptop and printer. He certainly doesn't need his own computer. He uses a memory stick to transport documents to and from school, but luckily no viruses yet.

DS1 is coming to the end of yr7 and has used the laptop loads for homework

Remember to get a memory stick as well..ICT home work required this and it is handy for putting research stuff on and not keep starting new files ....

Mind you I don't have any tablets just lap tops ...oh ds is here ......

Well he said "unless you are good at typing on a tablet laptops are easier "

But i would say ..not neccessarily he needs a lap top ..but a second one would make life easier for .

What a garbled mess !!!!

We've found access to a pc/laptop is sufficient. dd also has a Kindle Fire so can do some work via that. ds got a laptop in year 9 and has increasingly used it.

We bought DD a laptop, which she has used a lot, but she could have used the school equipment. She doesn't take it to school with her. She is in yr 9 now and would dearly love a tablet. She needs Internet access for quite a lot of homework.

It will vary considerably by school.

Ds just finished year 7 at an independent and their homework is very traditional, lots of writing and exercise book work, the same at the grammar I work in. Ds has needed computer for maybe 4 x internet research (though we do have lot of books) and maybe 2 x poster/powerpoint, plus quite a lot of online maths stuff (which they can do at school if they want to stay behind for 20 minutes).

At my neighbours' dc's comprehensive, though, they do a lot of word-processed stuff and powerpoint kind of things, though. They recommend child has their own laptop!

DC have access to a PC and a laptop, the internet and a printer; all of which are in the living room because I'm incredibly unfair and don't allow internet access in the bedrooms If they didn't have access at home though, they could use the computers/printers at school - it's just more convenient for them to do it at home. I think schools (good schools anyway) have to be aware that not all pupils will have access to technology (or quiet places to work)

The Dell outlet is a good place to look if you do go for a new laptop, btw. We buy all our stuff from there and have never had any problems.

We have a Dell netbook in our laptop arsenal - it's old and slow, but works just fine. We just use it when we go away, now, and it happily runs chrome and libero office.