SCAS
laptops

Recommended Devices

The Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT) program at SCAS has been established to improve learning outcomes with educational technology and is reviewed as technology and the needs of teaching and learning shifts. The ubiquitous nature of technology and the learning opportunities provided for students makes a laptop an important learning tool. Much of the student work on devices in both Primary and Secondary School involves using the Google suite of products.

Each student in Years 5 to 12 is expected to bring a device each day and to maintain it as their own property. Students in Years 3 and 4 are also able to bring a personal device to school but it is in no way an expectation.

BYOT Laptop Recommendations Primary School

 

Stage 3 (Year 5 and 6) has been aligned closer to our secondary school recommendations by removing tablets and requiring devices to have a full keyboard. As such any Windows, Mac or Chromebook laptop will suit the purposes for Stage 3. Please note that some of the Secondary School software is not supported on Chromebooks and parents may wish to consider how they future proof their investment so their chosen device has a desirable lifespan for the duration of Primary and Secondary School.

BYOT Laptop Recommendations Secondary School/Staff

 

In Secondary School we have identified that laptops (not including Chromebooks) allow students to install the full range of software available. Students in Secondary will use the Adobe suite and specialist software and hardware required by faculties such as Technology, HSIE and Music. SCAS does have a limited number of higher-end school devices available for specialist use (e.g. 3D printing, intensive Adobe video editing software and specialist music software). These are generally shared among several classes and may not be available in all circumstances, which may limit a student’s ability to fully engage in some tasks. A functional and suitable BYOT laptop is both a requirement and a wise investment to ensure uninterrupted learning at home and school.

BYOT Device Specifications for Secondary Students/Staff

 
 

  • Processor should be Intel Core i7 and above or AMD Ryzen 3000 series and above

  • Hard drive 128 GB+ SSD minimum (256 GB recommended) eMMC hard disks should be avoided

  • RAM 8Gb is recommended as the minimum

  • Battery life should be usable for a full day

  • Wifi must support 5Ghz connections, dual band is acceptable

  • Screen size of 13" is preferred but any size from 11"-17" is OK

  • USB-C charging recommended if possible

  • Operating systems supported are Windows 10 and Mac OS 10

For information regarding Apple laptops with new M1 processors, please review the following information.

For reasoning behind these specifications and further information, the full device policy can be found here.