Home School Agreement
Laptop Donation Scheme
To help ensure that your child gets the most educational value from their laptop, we would like you to commit to the principles outlined in this agreement. As a federation, we are prepared to provide the support, resources and training to ensure pupils receive a high-quality experience but we also require full commitment of parents and pupils.
Please could you read through the summaries of the school, pupil and parental commitments required to make the scheme a success and click the button to acknowledge that you and your child will fulfil the expectations in the agreement and help us ensure the scheme is a success.
Thank you for your support.
Mr M White
Executive Headteacher
The school will:
- provide a laptop, protective bag and internet access in school for use by your child(ren) for the length of the programme.
- make sure the laptop is working and that repairs are dealt with as quickly and effectively as possible.
- ensure that the laptop is covered by insurance against theft or accidental damage for use in and out of school for study purposes. Reasonable care is to be taken to prevent damage.
- take the necessary precautions to ensure the laptop is protected against viruses as far as is possible.
- give parents and pupils guidance to support them in using and caring for the laptop.
- teach pupils to use the device safely and monitor its use around school.
- ensure the device is enrolled on our network and uses our software to help to safeguard pupils.
- apply some controls to restrict the use of laptops to educational purposes only.
At home we will:
- ensure that our child understands how to care for and protect their laptop.
- report any loss, damage (including accidental) and faults in hardware straight away to the school administrator.
- ensure the laptop is not used for illegal or anti-social purposes, including access to inappropriate websites.
- ensure our child does not load inappropriate material on to their laptop and understand that it may be removed if it happens.
- ensure that the laptop is returned to school at the appropriate time. (e.g. If my child leaves the school or when requested to by a member of staff.)
- ensure the device is not removed from the school’s network/tenancy.
As a learner I will:
- look after my laptop very carefully, at all times and ensure that it’s transported in the bag provided.
- bring it into school every day, fully charged.
- take care when the laptop is transported that it is as secure as possible, e.g. not left unattended.
- only use my laptop for educational purposes in school.
- ensure I do not behave in a way that may cause damage to the laptop.
- ensure I do not decorate or customise the laptop or its bag in any way.
- not use my laptop for any form of bullying or sending, accessing or distributing insulting, threatening, pornographic, violent or obscene material.
- take precautions to prevent the introduction of viruses and report any concerns I have immediately to an adult in school before connecting it to the school network.
- not take photos or videos without the permission of an adult in school.
- understand that staff may access my laptop at any time and remove any inappropriate materials.
- ensure I do not attempt to access another person's device or interfere with their work or files.
- ensure I report any damage or other problems to an adult in school straight away.
- not install, use or configure any third-party proxy or VPN systems to bypass internet filtering or monitoring systems.
Terms and Conditions
- Failure to take reasonable care of the device or abide by the agreements in this document may result in the laptop being reclaimed. In such cases, the school also reserves the right to claim financial recompense and may also prohibit the pupil from re-joining a school laptop scheme for the remainder of their education at any school in the federation.
- Where the federation deems the damage to the device has been caused by wilful damage (not accidental) parents may be asked to pay for the repair as wilful damage is not covered by insurance.
- The device remains the property of the Synergy Schools Federation until the end of the scheme and will be completely managed by school during that period, including restrictions to the apps available. We offer the offer the opportunity to purchase the device, at market value, at the end of the scheme or if a pupil leaves the school earlier.
- When a laptop no longer belongs to the school i.e. when ownership transfers from school to parent, such as at the end of the scheme, the laptop will be wiped, installed with a clean version of the Windows operating system and returned to the pupil for home use only.
- The laptop will be covered for accidental damage and theft only. Lost laptops are not covered and parents will be asked to pay for a replacement device. In all cases of loss or damage caused by lack of care, the security deposit will be retained by the school. Families may be asked to pay further sums towards the cost of replacement or repair caused by inappropriate use or lack of care.
- In the case of theft, it is the parent’s responsibility to report the crime to the police and obtain a crime reference number.
- laptops with faults will normally be repaired free of charge or replaced with a similar device.
- The laptop should be charged at home overnight and brought to school fully charged. The school is not responsible for electricity costs incurred.
- Exclusions apply to malicious or accidental damage and the theft of any laptop. Please see the Protocol for laptop use on our website for full details.
