Laptops and devices in high school

[quirkyfruit]

We are moving to the UK from overseas, and my DDs (12+14) are starting the local state high school in Cheshire this September. In their current British international school they have always used laptops and/or iPads daily. Their new school however do not use any such devices. Is this usual with English state high schools? Thanks for any advice / experience you can share.

Not usual in any secondaries where I am, what do they do all pen and paper?

Do they mean the school don't provide the devices? That is normal.

It varies. Some schools provide a device for all pupils, but I know some parents question whether this is a good use of limited funds.

State schools that don't provide devices won't assume that all pupils have them so wouldn't use them on a regular basis.

I would add that a lot of kids will have their own devices and use them, but the school wouldn't operate on the assumption that that's the case iyswim.

In my dd's sixth form, all of the kids have a laptop or tablet and I think the school provides equipment for those who can't afford it, but this wasn't the case in the younger years.

It does vary. Our local state comp all kids have to use a Chromebook.

I would find that highly unusual, in my authority all children from Y3 up have their own iPad.

It's usual In international schools very unusual in British secondary schools

When we had a chat with the Dep Head he said that "they" found not using electronic devices better equipped students to sit, and write for 2hr exams (GCSEs). I understand that aspect of it, but wondered how students in class do research etc. on a day-to-day basis.

I think research tasks were often set as homework for dd. Or they just used their phones.

Thanks all for your replies and experiences. It seems it varies across LEAs and schools. I guess we will have to wait and see how we (or rather my kids) get on.

I didn't even know that providing devices in UK schools was a "thing", it certainly isn't where I live in Yorkshire. This is why our education system is so messed up. It's a postcode lottery as to the kind of education you'll get. DS will sometimes use his phone is class, but more often than not, if they aren't in a computer science class, or composing in music, it's a device free zone.

My dd's school didn't do it, but a few of the other local schools did. Mostly ipads, I think. And mostly less popular schools that were part of big academy chains...I suspect they saw it as good marketing!

Most of the parents I know were unimpressed, not least because they has to sign something to say that they would be responsible for the device and paying to replace it if it was lost or damaged!!

Neither of the schools my teenagers go to use devices in lessons.
Pens, paper, workbooks

In lessons mainly pen and paper. Workbooks are collected by the teachers for checking on a regular basis. For languages they use computers for practicing listening/talking. For art they use sometimes the school computers to work with photo editing.

Research is done as part of homework and the school does expect that the family has a device they can use or the pupils can use the school computers in the library after school. For certain GCSE and A-Level subjects a laptop and specialist software is required.

After the first lockdown the school set up a scheme to buy laptops as they feared - rightly - another virtual learning term. They also sourced second hand devices donated by local companies who updated their stock.

Pen and paper here, with phones in y10-11. Laptops at home.

They might have computer rooms that the teachers will take them to when they need to use them for research. Or a trolley of laptops for the same purpose.

As you can see it varies widely. I've NEVER heard of primary school kids having their own devices provided by school, unless @thelittlestrhino you're talking about ones owned by the school they use in class not ones they bring home.

In our state grammar secondary they require everyone to buy a Chromebook linked to the school network. In cases of hardship I think they help out, and they have a small number of school owned devices kids can borrow if they lose or forget theirs. They cost around £300 including the insurance and getting them set up on the school network.

My dc went to school in another country and we had to but them a specific laptop for school. There was no 'oh, we can't afford it'. You had to buy it or your child would just be sitting there in the lesson while everyone else worked.

In the UK, dc have laptops and iPads that they use for school, but they keep them at home.

State Grammar here, they use pen and paper. Sometimes their phone but nobody uses laptops/tablets. Only use PC at home for homework.