We are a BYOD school and strongly encourage all of our students to bring their own device.

Minimum Specifications

E-learning uses digital devices to support and enhance learning, therefore we are not recommending any one specific device.  However, we do recommend certain capabilities that a device should have in order to be the most effective in the classroom.  Sacred Heart College is a Microsoft school. Chromebooks will support most Microsoft functions. Ipads are sufficient for Year 9 and 10 but extra applications need to be installed at home to support Office 365 at school (OneNote, Teams). Office365 can be downloaded (free) onto student laptops at the beginning of the school year.

It is not realistic to expect teachers to know how to use all of the devices students bring into their classes.  Therefore it is important that your daughter knows the basics about her device use. Some of the larger retailers offer free training as part of the purchase package.

PB Technologies for BYOD devices

Click here to access PB Technologies' offers.  The code to unlock special prices at PBTech is SHCLHBYOD.

Our Operating System

The college uses Microsoft Office 365 as its student Learning Management System which students can access from school and home. All classes use Microsoft Teams to share  resources and communicate with each other. Each students' license gives students free licences to download office products on up to 5 Windows devices.

Who will support students with their devices?  (ie connect to the network etc)

The device is each student's own responsibility.  They will be expected to know the basics of using their particular device for example turning on and off, volume control, locating and saving files.  It is not the teacher's responsibility to know how to use every type of device available, however teachers would be able to help with skills such as file management.

All students are encouraged to bring their own device to use in school to support E-learning in classes.  Smaller devices such as cellphones, Ipad minis etc have a place for quick reference or to take photos but should not be the main device for use in a classroom.  Generally teachers have found laptops are better than other devices for students to use in classrooms.

Your daughter will be required to sign a new digital citizenship agreement with the school and teachers will take every opportunity to talk with students about what this means.  The agreements are published on the school website for parents to view.  The deans and form teachers hold an initial workshop for the girls at the start of the year.

When students bring a device to school they are responsible for its care and safety.  The device should be with the student or in a locked locker at ALL TIMES.  Every department in the school will be encouraged to use student devices as a tool to enhance learning.  This means the devices may not be used in every lesson all of the time.

The school has upgraded its network so that it has improved ability to monitor the use of all devices connected to it.  If your daughter has access to the internet via her own data plan and is not accessing the internet via the school wireless network then she can go to any website that she chooses.  Parents should discuss safe internet usage with their daughter.

We would welcome any questions/comments/suggestions from parents.  This can be done via the website or email Mrs Maria Kerr: [email protected].