St Edward's Parents' Handbook 2025-2026

17 ST EDWARD’S, OXFORD PARENT HANDBOOK

Laptops and Digital Devices at St Edward’s

Sixth Form entry For Sixth Form entry, there is more choice in the devices available through Easy4U, to reflect the shorter time that pupils will be at St Edward’s and therefore the value for money in the different options. For September 2025, pupils can choose between: • Lenovo Yoga 13w: 13.3” touch screen, Intel Core i5 1334U processor • Apple MacBook Air: 13.3” non-touch screen, Apple M4 processor • Microsoft Surface Pro 11: 13” touch screen, Intel Core Ultra 5 236V processor, including stylus Any of these would be suitable for all pupils, although we would recommend the MacBook for any pupil who is studying A Level Music Technology, and the Surface Pro for any pupil who is studying Computer Science. Please watch this video for full details of the costs and services provided by Easy4U for our Sixth Form options. St Edward’s aims to provide pupils with the best environment and most up to date knowledge to help them balance the many benefits, social and educational, of digital devices against the associated risks and impacts. We teach digital citizenship to pupils – including the legal and social responsibilities pupils have to themselves and each other – and give pupils gradated access to digital devices, increasing as the pupils mature and need to manage their own approach to our digital world. In addition to restricted physical access to devices, St Edward’s has digital controls and monitoring across the School’s network. We strongly recommend parents also put controls on all devices used by their children. Digital devices and citizenship

In order to provide the best learning environment and to safeguard all our pupils, at St Edward’s, all pupils must use a school issued device. This means teachers can set work and provide resources knowing that all pupils will be able fully to access and use the same information and applications. The devices are also all monitored and managed to make sure that they are used to best effect in lessons and in prep, whilst minimising distractions. In addition, and most importantly, this meets the requirement that we filter and monitor the use of technology at school in line with government safeguarding regulations. For this reason, pupils are not permitted to bring additional devices to school. Easy4U, our provider, supplies fully configured devices (delivered to the school) with repair, loan and replacement services as part of the contract parents. There are different options for pupils, depending on the year of entry, and the list is updated annually. Lower School entry (Shell, Fourth and Fifth Form) For those joining the Lower School in September 2025 pupils need to lease or buy through Easy4U a Microsoft Surface Pro 11 with the latest Intel Core Ultra processor (Series 2) and 16GB RAM, with the Type Cover, a stylus and a protective case. We expect that for most pupils they will be able to use the device throughout their time at St Edward’s, and when pupils leave the School, the device becomes unmanaged and all restrictions are lifted. Please watch a short video for full details of the costs and services provided by Easy4U for here .

Younger pupils have very restricted access to mobile phones. Access increases gradually for the older years. By the Upper Sixth, pupils are expected to take full responsibility for managing their use of devices during the day and hand devices in overnight.