iPad Scheme

As you would expect we are continuously looking to improve the quality of Teaching and Learning at DMA and we have provided staff and students with an exciting array of opportunities to develop their practice. A focus on skills as well as knowledge alongside access to resources are key contributors to our teaching and learning. We believe the use of the iPad will contribute to allowing students to access these higher types of learning.

At its core we believe that spend on technology by parents and the school is inevitable and as such we must ensure that the money we invest makes the biggest difference.

We fundamentally believe that engaging and challenging traditional teaching with written outcomes contribute to the greatest progress and that clever and innovative technology can be used to support these aims. The quality of written work and homework will improve by replacing word processors (school computer rooms and home laptops) with devices that can facilitate traditional functionality, but importantly progress to much better supporting the knowledge and comprehension that goes into written work the results have been seen in sustained outstanding outcomes at Chesterton Community College and we believe will support DMA in the next stage of acheiving outstanding results

We also understand that over reliance on technology could risk having the adverse effect and that with the technology itself comes more than just access to resources. A robust continuous eSafety program, technological solutions and tiered approach to family support all work to ensure that children use the devices sensibly and safely. Central to the success of any school initiative is to link home and school life harmoniously and this is why we allow email and filtered internet access alongside age appropriate access to Apps for personal use. We find working with students and families on their online life and safety is more effective than sweeping issues under the carpet.

How the scheme works

Year 7

In Year 7, the school looks to provide all students with an iPad with restrictions on that enable students to develop their understanding of how to use iPads effectively in the classroom.

We know that effective use of the iPad can effectively support learning where: students are adept at using them for learning; they are used to bridge the gap between the teacher / textbook and the writing; support resources are accessible and where students feel the device is their own.

More information is available on the links on this page and towards the bottom of the page you will find the support we offer to parents.

Please see the list of apps for year 7 below.

Financing Scheme

For the scheme to run we need the majority of parents to contribute donations for the program to be viable. We appreciate some families will be unable to contribute 10 each month but may like to make a smaller donation. We are very appreciative of the support families can give.

Option 1 – 10 monthly contributions to be made towards funding the scheme

Option 2 – If you would prefer to make a one-off contribution, we ask for a donation of 100 for every year of attendance. Year 7 we would ask for a donation of 500, year 8 400, year 9 300 and year 10 200

Option 3  I am unable / unwilling to contribute to the scheme.

We know that some parents are on low incomes, even though their child is not entitled to Free School Meals. If there is a genuine hardship issue and you are concerned about your ability to pay the full amount, please contact finance@downhammarketacademy.co.uk

Helpful Documents

Internet Filtering

At DMA we use a filtering service provided by the Cambridgeshire County Council ICT Service.

This provides internet filtering at home and at school, this allows you to have peace of mind that that your children are always safe on the web. Unfortunately the way the filtering works means that sometimes perfectly safe websites or images get blocked. If you find a website that you think should be unblocked please contact any member of the ICT Department via the staff contacts list on this website. Unfortunately we do not have the ability to unblock images.

We also provide to option to elevate the filtering after school so your child can access some popular social media websites. If you would like this you, the parent, would need to contact the IT Department

All iPads that are purchased with the school come with this filtering service as standard and can not be removed for the safety of your child. We do encourage Parents to be aware of VPN Apps which can be used to try to circumnavigate the security on any device and network.

Insurance, Warranty and Theft Claims

The first step would be to send the Student to the IT office at 8.30 in school. We can evaluate if: its warranty; insurance; or a theft claim. Please make sure that when any damage occurs it is reported to IT in a timely manner as your safety is paramount and for some claims we cannot process claims older than a week.

If a student has lost their iPad or believes it to be stolen they need to contact IT straight away, the sooner we know the easier it is to find it. Please make sure that the student has also checked with their teachers and in the classrooms that they had been in the day of losing the device. I crime reference number is required for stolen iPads, this would require you to phone the non-emergency police line 101

The student will have to fill out a form so we can send it off to the insurance company.

Things to remember:

• The Case must be on the device at all time, if not the insurance claim is denied.
• We dont mind how the device was broken so please give a truthful and accurate account of how the device was damaged, we cant process the claim without a valid reason.
• The insurance claim must be reported and claimed within a week of damage.
• A Student may be able to borrow a loan iPad while the device insurance process is carried out (this is dependent on stock and we can not guarantee a loan device).
• Time taken to authorise claim, arrange collection, repair and sent back to the School may take up to three weeks but during non busy periods this may only take one week.
• Tablet chargers, cables and accessories are not covered by the insurance or warranty, you can purchase these from the school finance office at a discounted rate.
• If you choose to purchase your own iPad you need to purchase your own insurance as it will not be covered by the school.

Parent Support

We understand that on some occasions we are: asking for a device to be placed in the home where they might not have been one before; asking students to use technology that parents may be unfamiliar with; or needing to provide support to ensure the scheme is successful for your child.

As such, we offer a wide ranging and age appropriate pastoral and academic curriculum for students on safe and effective use, but we also offer parents tiered support as set out below. If you would like support from the school in managing the iPad use, we can offer:

• To talk to your child about their iPad use.
• To restrict the internet filters to include, or not, Social Media
• To restrict the hours the iPad can connect to the internet
• To restrict access to the App Store
• To leave the iPad at school overnight

If you have any queries about the above please do contact any member of the IT Department using the staff list contacts on this website who will be happy to assist or pass to on to the relevant member of staff.

If you are a participating member and have any financial queries or want to change options please contact finance@downhammarketacademy.co.uk