Welcome to the Kitebrook Chromebook Shop

Chromebooks have been used extensively across all of the Trust schools in recent years, proving themselves indispensable to pupils and teachers in the classroom because of their ease of use, reliability and performance.

Key Features

• Less than 8 seconds to boot up

• Zero maintenance required

• Automatic updates

• Super secure from online threats

• Long battery life (enough for a full day at school)

• Tried & tested rugged design

• Google Classroom for easy student-teacher workflow

• Large numbers of devices can be managed centrally

• Excellent collaboration tools

• Works seamlessly with Google Apps for Education and other cloud-based services which pupils and teachers already use extensively

The following are just a few examples of what students will be able to do with their own Chromebooks

• Create, share and collaborate using Google Apps for Educations (GafE)

• Use subject related apps in the classroom and at home during the holidays

• Collaborative learning

Traditional methods of learning and teaching still have an important place in education and will continue at all of the Trust schools. Chromebooks should be seen as an educational tool, not as a replacement for traditional methods. Teachers and pupils continue to receive training on how to use these devices productively and appropriately.

We want to keep consistency with what is used in class. Some lessons pupils will be required to take pictures or use the stylus to annotate work. If all have the same device it helps with planning.

This device is guaranteed to receive updates from Google until June 2033!

No, this will unfortunately not be possible. Other devices are not fully compatible with the Google Apps and add-ons that we will be using for teaching and learning:

• The battery may not last a full day on a single charge

• The device may not boot-up within 8 seconds from standby

• The managed Chrome extensions may not function

• The device will not be managed by the school, thereby reducing its effectiveness as a learning tool

From a school's perspective, there are two very important issues that make the Chromebook our device of choice:

The IT dept cannot support and fix multiple types of devices, nor can our teachers be expected to understand the different problems that they will present in the classroom. Chromebooks all run the latest version of Chrome OS, and all operate in the same way. In contrast, a Windows notebook operates differently from a Windows tablet, and Windows operating systems might be a mix of Windows 10 or 11.  Android is completely different from iOS, and huge differences exist between MacBooks and iPads. For example, if a student is struggling to connect to the wi-fi during a lesson, the go-to solution will differ greatly by device type and spec. But on Chromebooks, it's all so easy.

The other issue for us as a school is e-Safety and filtering controls. One of the apps we talk about is the Google Management Licence which we deploy to the Chromebooks when we enrol them onto our system. This is crucial for our internet filtering system, Securly, to function for all pupils at all times.

(please also see the question "Why Chromebooks" above)

Consistency is key here and we need to make sure that all children are on the same specification of device. If, your child already has a Chromebook, we can set it up to use at Kitebrook, but we will wipe anything that is already stored on it.

Yes of course. But, if you buy through the Trust, we would be able to provide a loan item if there are any if there are any warranty issues. We are unable to do this if purchased elsewhere.

Once registered with the Kitebrook system, only Kitebrook accounts can use the Chromebook. This means, if and when the older child moves onto their next school, their sibling at Kitebrook could use the Chromebook or we can deregister it from the system completely and it becomes a normal device. 

Yes, we have visited other schools running 1:1 iPad and laptop programmes and consulted in depth with our teachers. We have learned that iPads are great tools for consuming media but they are not as good for creating content and allowing pupils to work collaboratively. Whilst the range of applications available on iPads and Android is vast, many of the resources that teachers currently use in IT Suites would not be available.

We also looked at traditional Windows, Mac and Linux laptops. Although these devices are indeed more powerful, they are also more complex, more expensive and have poorer battery lifetimes. The simplicity of the Chromebook overcomes these barriers and means that we can really focus on the learning experience. All of our teaching staff use Chromebooks.

The plan is for pupils to bring their devices to school every day (fully charged) and take them with them to lessons and children will be supervised during these periods of use. It will be easy to monitor this as every device will be enrolled Securly which will continue to operate wherever the device is used, even at home on a different wifi network. Pupils will only be able to access these Chromebooks with their school accounts and all activity will put pupil protection and e-Safety first. This is one of the great advantages of the Chromebook - it can now serve as a proper device for work, free of other distractions.

Securly is the software we use to monitor and filter your child's Chromebook. We restrict the results that can be searched for meaning that your child is safe while they are online. Social Media, Gaming and other non-educational sites are blocked. This system is running at all times, meaning when using the Chromebook, they are protected. 

Parents have asked before about the ability to disable the whole Chromebook from working late at night. We now have the option to do this and propose that, for those who opt in, the Chromebooks will be disabled between the hours of 21:00 and 07:00, Monday to Sunday.

Those parents who wish their child’s device to be disabled during these times, please complete the below form.

https://forms.gle/fiGooLUiAExP5Lsa7