Parents/Carers BYOD Information
The Tenison Woods College BYOD Approach
Since 2014 we have extended an invitation to families/students in Years 8-12 to bring their own device to school. In the past, the BYOD approach has been an invitation only, however in 2018, BYOD became compulsory for students in Years 10-12 and in 2019, BYOD will become an expectation for students in Years 8 and 9.
In the Senior School (Years 10, 11 and 12) from 2018
Senior School students will bring their own laptop from the commencement of 2018. There will be a limited number of devices available for day loan in the Library/resource hub and Pam Ronan Centre admin area to accommodate temporary student ICT needs and issues. This small pool of loan devices will not be available for long-term use.
Year 8 and 9 students from 2019
In 2019, students in Years 8 and 9 are required to commence the year with their own laptop. There will be a limited number of devices available for day loan in the Library/resource hub to accommodate temporary student ICT needs and issues. This small pool of loan devices will not be available for long-term use.
We urge families for whom this approach will cause significant hardship to contact Mr Neal Turley, Business Manager, to discuss your individual circumstance and how the College can support your family in this approach.
Year 6 and 7 Students
With an expansion of the program during 2018, Year 6 and 7 teachers may also ask students in their classes if they wish to participate.
Benefits of the BYOD Program
BYOD encourages students to develop responsibility in the care and use of their own laptop. It is an expectation that when laptops are not being used in class, they will be stored securely by the students in their locker or a locked area. While all care will be taken, the College is not able to take any responsibility for the laptops brought into school. We will ensure that students are offered the safest possible environment for their laptop and welcome feedback in this regard from families.
- BYOD enables us to consider new possibilities for our student’s personal learning journey.
- BYOD promotes individual, self-directed learners who can find solutions to education problems.
- BYOD provides an engaging learning environment for students to discover and explore their own learning journey.
- BYOD supports anytime, anywhere collaborative learning environments.
- BYOD is another way to improve student engagement, to interact with peers, to improve communication and to extend the place and time of learning, not restricting learning to the classroom.
Select the document below to view the full invitation and answers to common questions.
Minimum requirements and checklist
The BYOD program at Tenison Woods College requires that devices must meet minimum specifications and the below link provides a list of these requirements. Devices that do not have these capabilities will be unsuitable for use at school.
A checklist for parents to help choose a device is available at the 'Device Checklist' link.
Purchasing a device
Students can bring their current device if it meets the minimum requirements, or parents can choose to purchase a device from any retailer.
In either case, Microsoft Office does not require purchase and is available for free via the Portal@TWC page.
A Parent purchase portal is available through Grangeburn IT in Hamilton and local stores Green Triangle Electronics and Harvey Norman have also provided flyers with recommended devices.
​Select the 'BYOD Purchase Portal' link for more information.
Further questions and support?
If you have any further questions about the BYOD program, please email the ICT department at byod@tenison.catholic.edu.au or phone the front office on 08 8725 5455.