From the start of 2024 we are recommending that students bring their own laptop to school.  With the increasing use of devices for assessments, students need to be familiar with their device and school laptops do not make this possible. Phones are not suitable and not required at school, potentially they will be banned due to the change in government. The following is our thoughts to guide you.

What do we recommend?

• A Phone is not a suitable learning device
• A note on tablets: We find that tablets (e.g. iPads, Android Tablets) do not always offer the functionality that students need, even with a remote keyboard.
• Year 9 and 10: Chromebooks 
  • You do not install software on to them.
  • A good spec CHROMEBOOK will be suitable for school.
  • Senior students may prefer a device with software that supports their courses (e.g. Design, Computer Science).
• All year levels: Laptops, Notebooks, and MacBooks support all software that may be required in school.
• Getting ready for digital exams: This page provides the technical and digital examination support requirements from NZQA.

Minimum specifications

A good spec Chromebook is suitable for school in Years 9 – 10.

Laptops, Notebooks, and Macbooks are suitable for students of all years, and support all software that may be required in school. Below is a list of minimum specifications to think about when you decide to buy one of these devices. These are recommendations, not requirements.

• Processor: Intel i3 8^th Gen or better, AMD Ryzen 3 (or better)
• RAM: 8GB+
• Screen: 11″ or Bigger
• Battery: 5 Hours+
• Antivirus: Recommended, but is built into Windows 10/11
• Operating System: Windows 10 / MacOS 11 (or better)
• Hard Drive: 256GB+ SSD Recommended

Article added: Wednesday 01 November 2023