To choose a secondary school that uses iPads

[Abneyandteal19]

DS is starting to look at secondary schools. We have 3DS but he's the oldest so first to move up.
Two secondaries in our area- broadly similar sizes and very similar results. Got a good feeling for both when we visited. Both ofsted good.

School A is an Apple Distinguished school. All kids have an iPad. It's fully controlled by school. They can't download apps/no App Store no YouTube and serious filters on even when at home. They can't even change the Lock Screen. Still use pen and paper for English and maths and use the iPad like a 'textbook' teacher send slides and question to it. Has lots of accessibility features such as changing background colour/font size etc.
however it will mean significant 'screen time' each day.

School B- standard pen paper/ textbook scenario. Use iPads and laptops as part of curriculum but not like school A. Some homework online so kids need access at home. Luckily this isn't an issue for us could afford a laptop for homework.

I'm unsure on whether I think it's too much screen time or if it's the way of the world/ prepare them for working life etc.

Does anyone have experience of an Apple school? Positives/negatives??

What would you do? Thanks

I worked in a school that transitioned from have no screens to every child having a Chromebook.

The transition was very bumpy.

Lots of kids didn't charge them so as a teacher you couldn't really plan to use them in the lessons very much. They were useful for the sixth formers - I taught maths and there's quite a few online calculators so when they forgot their calculators they could just use the online ones.

It took a big effort to move our resources over to digital.

There was a push from slt to set homework online and get students to do it online which was fine if it was self marking (eg Dr Frost or similar) but it's actually harder as a teacher to mark photos of handwritten homework.

We had a "trial" class of year 7s who had the Chromebooks and they did worse than the other classes. Nonetheless, leadership wanted it so it happened.

If I was looking at a school that had this I'd want to be very sure it was well
Integrated into the curriculum and wasn't just wasting teachers time. iPads are just a delivery mechanism and if teachers are grappling with using them the quality of teaching dips.

My eldest is in an ipad school. He has settled in well (2nd year) and the ipad seems to work well. Although he still has a tonne of books too. As others said, they are locked down so he doesn't use it outside of schoolwork.
My only bugbear is that it's apple. We're an android house and it's the only ithing in it. And that's the way it'll stay, except for his brother getting one next year when he starts.

Good thing my kids school uses laptops and MS 365 then!
Though I doubt your post - most organizations use the cloud for transferring files these days and ban USB sticks as they are a virus nitemare. Sounds like your university needs to get with the times.

I'm not convinced by the argument that it will better prepare them for adult life. It takes the average adult about 10 minutes to figure out how to use an iPad. Even the people who invented the iPad didn't grow up with screens at home (not even massive clunky desktop computers). On the flip side of the coin, I don't think it's far fetched to say that some children who grow up doing everything on an iPad will be incapable of writing properly with a pen.

I think there are studies which suggest that you're far more likely to recall the content of notes you write by hand than notes you type.

I hadn’t heard of Apple schools prior to reading this. I wonder if there are any Independent schools which use screens to this extent.

Been around for years….my DN is 22 …..she started high school with an iPad at 11…..there’s schemes for low income families….we are in the NW

It's quite ironic that a company that uses child sweat-shops to manufacture their devices are keen to put them in front of other children where such work practices are banned.

I'd be more worried about sending my child to a school that wasn't up to date with technology to be honest. I'd wonder why the school wasn't taking steps to modernise itself.

I have primary and secondary age children. My secondary school child was handed a Chromebook on day one. They use Google classroom and it's been great. Even at primary they had their own school tablet from year 4. They shared them from reception.

It's moving with the time and how the world is nowadays. I hadn't realised other schools weren't working the same way.

Someone up post mentioned that it was problematic as the Chromebooks were often not charged. That hasn't been an issue since in our schools as uncharged Chromebook is automatic detention. So the occasional one would sit near the plug with the charger. But vast majority are charged fine. The primary children are not responsible for charging tablets.

Neither of which negates my point that iPads are about as much use in getting students familiar with the world of IT as a pocket calculator would be.

Well yes is agree…..but being on an iPad and reading from a book takes the same toll on eyes…,as in eye strain

I really hate the iPads in school. Even my daughter has one in Year 2. I think it's a complete waste of time academically and teaches them nothing. Great for Apple though.

There's a difference between iPad screens and books and that's glare. This is part of the reason why kindles are so popular. The glare-free screen is much easier on the eyes.

I’m of the thinking everyone uses screens in their lives anyway but the difference is those of us over 30 remember a world where screens didn’t take up so much time and space in the everyday, we still have some decent social skills and can do things ‘analog’ without a meltdown. I’d rather children learn things the old fashioned way and know life off screens is far more interesting but perhaps it’s a futile mentality?

Dc went to a private school where all work was done on a tablet. We had to buy it though! It worked very well for dc.

I spend more time on my phone than reading books (sad but true) and have no eye strain. I wear glasses though.

Mine are at an independent school where all children from Y3 up have a school iPad. They are provided, school property and locked down to an extreme degree - far more than most parents would manage.

I’ve seen real benefits from this, particularly for my dyslexic son, but my younger daughter also. They still do a lot of work pen and paper based and have plenty of non-screen time.

Now in later years the presentations, CAD and programming they can do is well above my expectations although I admit I don’t have a direct comparison with a non-iPad school as a local state also uses them!

An ‘Apple’ school? Goodness, is this a thing. I have no issue with some use of targeted tech, but naming it after a major corporation? Yuk. I am surprised it’s allowed.

iPads are very easy to use. What I find is that kids are not used to email. So in the workplace, they struggle to master even functions like ‘reply all’ and cc!

My youngest has just started uni this Sept. At primary, the school tried to bring in iPads for everyone. This was a private school
and there was uproar and most parents said they didn’t want their kids doing all their work on an iPad. So the idea was dropped. No harm was done by not teaching young kids with tech.

Not that extreme! Society will look back and think we were crazy allowing our kids on the amount they currently are.

Screens themselves aren't the issue, it's wasting time on social media and dopamine hits that the problem. Like us on mumsnet!

I chose schools with hardline no phone policies, committed to books rather than iPads. The research so far is not supportive of screens in education. Children’s reading comprehension is significantly lower on screens than paper texts for instance.

mental health issues in children escalated worldwide with the introduction of smartphones. It’s a massive issue.

It’s frustrating that educational institutions aren’t researching this properly before adopting iPads in the classroom .

iPads aren’t IT 😂

I'd just choose the one that has the best sports facilities and not give a monkeys about screen time. As adults we are all on screens replying on mumsnet.

I run a design business my whole life is on macs and screens, it's great to get them ready for the real world. I have a Commodore 64 at 10, we've all grown up with computers.

I think screen time at home, mealtimes and just lazy parenting is an issue but screens in school as homework is great and forward thinking.

My eldest is in his second last secondary year, Irish system. He has his iPad all throughout. Hands up I was dubious but loved the school so went with it.

I am delighted I did. He goes off everyday with a light school bag which to me is a big improvement. He has new versions of materials all the time. Children with access issues are on an event platform.

He has some books at home for particular subjects, his choice. He associates iPad with work. Doesn't engage in a lot of external screen time.

His digital skills are very high. But they do significant amounts of writing as the exams are in that format. They use them as a tool. Honestly I am sending my second child to the same school a lot more comfortable with them.

Anecdotal- dd had a phone from aged 12 and I spoke to her about safety. She decided to leave it downstairs at night so after that I didn't police it. She had an iPad at school from year 9 which she did all her work on. She watches a lot of movies and stuff on YouTube and tv shows. She just got 2 x A* and an A at A level.