FAQs

Why do we use one-to-one devices?

Giving every student their own device opens up many innovative learning opportunities and has a very positive impact on learning and teaching at Tiffin. Every classroom becomes an IT suite in which all students can access, in a supervised environment, the widest possible range of resources. It allows students to learn in the the way that they learn best and prepares them for the modern world. We increasingly use electronic textbooks in lessons alongside a wide range of other apps and tools.  Moreover, the use of Chromebooks facilitated very successful home learning during lockdown, enabling students to engage with online lessons, maintain their academic progress and stay connected with teachers and peers.

Why do we use Chromebooks?

There are a wide range of tablet and laptop-style devices available on the market and Tiffin School conducted several pilot schemes over the last two or three years, and extensive research when considering the type of device which would be best suited to students in our school.

A Chromebook looks like a laptop in appearance but operates in a very different way with students accessing services and apps online. The Chromebook operating system is produced by Google who provide a wealth of apps and services which are specifically designed to support students in education. Chromebook devices boot-up in a matter of seconds and have a battery life that lasts up to 8 hours, dependent on use. Chromebook devices are managed centrally by our IT Support Team to ensure that access is safe and secure. Internet content is filtered for inappropriate content to ensure students can access everything they need for their school work.

Why do we use the ASUS CR1100FKA Flip?

The ASUS CR1100FKA is particularly well suited to the educational environment. It is rugged and robust and has sufficient memory and processing power. It also has a touch, flip screen so it can be used both as a laptop and a tablet. Young people increasingly default to touch-screen operation (which is not found on the cheaper models) so this significantly enhances the usability of the device.  The device also comes with a stylus. As we expect the overwhelming majority of students to be using this model we will be better able to support it and to offer it an extremely discounted price.

Can my child use other models of Chromebook?

We are encouraging all students to purchase the CR1100FKA so that we can use, support and manage all Chromebooks uniformly. In lessons this means that every boy will have the same functionality which facilitates teachers using the Chromebook.

However, if students have other Chromebooks they particularly wish to use in place of the standard Tiffin model they can contact Mrs O'Connell. If their model is suitable, a separate payment of £26 will be arranged for the Chrome Management License which will connect their Chromebook to the school’s network. This license will restrict the permissions on the device making the permissions identical to the Asus CR1100FKA Flip.   Please note: if you decide to use your own device, it must not have reached its ‘auto expiration date’ as during the process of adding the GoGuardian software the device will be returned to its factory settings, in other words ‘wiped’.

Can my child use a laptop in place of a Chromebook?

No, the Chrome Management License can only be installed on Chromebooks and therefore the School’s ability to ‘push’ apps to devices will not work with laptops.

How do I know this represents good value for money?

All our research suggests that this model is being sold by other suppliers for a significantly higher price. There are some older models on the market with less functionality that may be slightly cheaper or indeed some second hand models. The model Tiffin is offering has a three year warranty and exceptional functionality and so you can be confident the investment you are making represents excellent value for money and will equip your son for at least three years. Spread over three years the investment represents an expenditure of less than £7.50 per month.

How can my child reduce the risk of this device being lost?

We will be encouraging students to take good care of their Chromebooks. Under normal circumstances, we ensure that all students in Years 7-11 have access to a locker that they can use to lock their device. We have installed additional lockers in the Sports Hall and at Grists.  Studentscan also keep their devices in their bags in designated areas.  All devices will be named.  

The school has a licence for GoGuardian a software package that (among other things) uses wireless to track devices. This is not GPS but will track a device if it tries to connect to a wireless network.

How can my child reduce the risk of this device being stolen?

We will encourage boys to take good care of their Chromebooks and to keep them out of sight on their journeys to and from school.

If the Chromebook is stolen the Chrome Management Licence enables Tiffin IT to remotely shut down the Chromebook making it useless to any thief until it is unlocked. The Chromebook will still be identifiable so that it can be returned to Tiffin School. If a boy thinks his Chromebook might have been stolen he should report it to IT immediately.

The school has a licence for GoGuardian a software package that (among other things) uses wireless to track devices. This is not GPS but will track a device if it tries to connect to a wireless network.

How can my child reduce the risk of this device being damaged?

In order to protect your son's device, we recommend a case.  There are hard-shell covers  available on Amazon and other sellers at different price points.  They provide good protect in transit against scratches and accidental damage and may prevent a broken screen.  A replacement screen is £96.

What happens if the Chromebook breaks or stops working?

The Chromebook comes with a three year warranty - if a Chromebook breaks or stops working it should be taken to IT Support who will issue a replacement Chromebook while the original is repaired. If the repair is covered by warranty (e.g. the processor stops working) then this will be free of charge. If the repair is not covered by warranty (e.g. the screen has been cracked) then a charge will be made for the repair - a list of prices is displayed on this site. Once payment has been received, repairs will usually be completed within a couple of days and will be undertaken by our Asus accredited repair team.  

Does Tiffin School provide insurance for Chromebooks?

No, however if you want to insure the Chromebook you can do this yourself. Often the best way to insure the Chromebook is under your household contents insurance. Alternatively some companies offer separate item insurance. The best rate we have investigated so far is £4.49 a month withinsurancetogo.com . Although parents can use this, given the excess and the requirement for the Chromebooks to be sent away for repair, we are not formally recommending this policy.  Tiffin School is unable to accept liability for the loss, damage or theft of Chromebooks.

I may struggle to pay for the device in one lump sum.  What can the School do to help?

If parents are astruggling to find the funds, they should contact Mrs O'Connell (choconnell@tiffin.kingston.sch.uk) in confidence explaining their circumstances.  We might be able to offer the opportunity to pay by installments.

Pupils on Free School Meals receive their child's device for free.  Those parents are written to separately with details.  

Pupils on FSM are also entitled to one replacement screen; all additional repairs thereafter are charged at 50%.

Am I eligible for the ‘Free School Meals’ Discount?

Parents who apply for free school meals help the school enormously as central government not only provides funding for the meals but also significant additional funding for the school. A boy qualifies if either parent is eligible and the criteria can be found here. Parents who find that their child qualifies for free School Meals and is not already claiming them, should contact the school.

Is there technical Support for Students?

Tiffin IT Support will be able to help resolve many technical issues but one of the major advantages of the Chromebook is that it rarely goes wrong.

How is the inappropriate use of Chromebooks dealt with?

Students, with the support of their parents, are required to sign up to a set of ‘Chromebook Rules’ which set out some simple rules to make things go smoothly. These rules can be found on the 'Rules for use' tab of this site. Some of the rules are about management (e.g. ‘Students will bring the Chromebook to school every day, charged’) and some are about classroom behaviour (e.g. ‘Students will stop using the Chromebook when their teacher asks them to’), with the overall intention of creating a way of operating that all students, parents and staff understand and agree with.

Can Parents install Parental Controls on the Chromebook?

While the Chromebook is being used at school, the School’s content filtering automatically restricts the use of the Chromebook and prevent unsuitable sites from being accessed.  The Go Guardian software also restricts how the Chromebook can be used at home. Although GoGuardian is the market leading supplier of filtering software for Chromebooks,  it is not impenetrable and parents are encouraged to ensure that they have appropriate settings on their home wifi and maintain a level of visibility over what how the Chromebook is being used. One good way to do this is using the GoGuardian Parent app which provides parents with full, real time browsing history for their son's Chromebook. This app is available without charge to all Tiffin Parents.  Wireless routers can be used to set different time limits and web access control for different devices (identifying each using it's unique MAC address). An article that explains how to do this can be found here: https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/4-ways-to-manage-your-kids-internet-use-with-your-router/. 

The School will not monitor nor accept responsibility for Chromebook misuse outside of school.

Can I use Microsoft Office Programs such as Word, Excel and Powerpoint?

Office online (including Word, PowerPoint and Excel) is available to all Tiffin students and this can be used very effectively with Chromebooks.

Can my child put their own content on the Chromebook (music, video, apps)?

App download is controlled by Tiffin and some apps are ‘pushed’ onto the Chromebook while other optional apps are made available for students to download via the 'Tiffin Store'. When students have finished their final GCSE exam all restrictions on app download and school facilitated content control will be removed and responsibility for administrating Chromebooks will pass back to parents. Parents will be notified of this by email.

Cloud storage space is provided via the Google domain that Tiffin School own and will be unlimited so students can store movies, music etc. and still have ample space for school-provided apps and content. Students who use their school domain to store personal data, music, videos etc. will need to remember to move them to a personal account before leaving the school.

When are the Chromebooks issued?

 They will be issued during the first two days of the Autumn term for current Year 6.

Should I be concerned about my child’s data being stored with Google? 

Google's contract is rigorous and has a section on privacy. Both Google and Tiffin school are committed to protecting your data. For a more detailed answer follow this link:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1t_PxfYPdDfDWOR1V6oS-mVEkW-O0T-l33leM4BgyPRY/edit?usp=sharing