The iPad Program is for students from Years 7 to 12. Students are required to follow the BYOD Program Network User Policy (PDF, 308KB), which outlines how iPads should be used in class and around the school, along with information around cloud-based services used at Brisbane State High School.
All students are expected to have their iPad at school and charged, with enough space to save class work and install apps and books for classes. Students must abide by the standards in the school's Student Code of Conduct.
Brisbane State High School is an iPad school and our curriculum is heavily based around use of an iPad in the classroom. Due to the specialised apps required in our classroom environment, a laptop is not a suitable replacement for an iPad.
Current requirements
Technical specifications
- iPad, iPad Air or iPad Pro (must be compatible with Apple Pencil)
- Apple Pencil
The iPad Mini is not recommended due to the small screen size.
The iPad with Apple Pencil enables students to annotate on screen, take notes, sketch ideas, mark up documents and show working out and thinking.
Each student may have a 5G and Wi-Fi enabled device, however, they will be required to access resources and internet through the school's Wi-Fi network while at school. A Wi-Fi only model will also reduce the cost of the device without compromising the student's ability to complete school tasks.
We strongly encourage students to have a good quality protective case that can hold the Apple Pencil to protect the device.
The Terminology Guide (PDF, 31KB) defines some of the language used in the BYO iPad program.
Vendor Offerings
Vendors provide devices that meet the school's minimum specifications and also supply the required additional items. Vendors have sole responsibility for the offerings (which can be updated without notice) on their portals and online stores.
Parents/guardians need to ensure that minimum specifications and requirements for the BYOD program are met when considering purchasing items through any vendor.
Brisbane State High School takes no responsibility for any information outlined on the vendor portals which is provided as a service to parents/guardians.
JB Hi-Fi
Brisbane State High School has worked with JB Hi-Fi to provide our students with competitive education pricing, support, warranty and finance solutions.
JB Hi-Fi Portal Link –
https://byod.jbhifi.education/School Parent Access Code – BSHSCHOOLBYOD2025
Please note: the code will be active starting from Thursday 1 August 2024.Helpful resources for parents/guardians:
Apple
Apple offers education pricing.
Apple Education Link – https://www.apple.com/au-hed/store
Note: Parents/guardians are not required to purchase through these suppliers and can purchase from any retailer or use an existing device that meets the minimum specifications.
Textbooks and apps
We aim to have all resource books accessible on the iPad. Where possible, iBook textbooks will be used. These books have additional functionality for note-taking and interactive resources. Where a textbook is not available as an iBook, eBooks (PDF versions) will be used.
A list of apps is included in the school resource list, sent out in Term 4 for the following school year. Most will be free; however there may be some that will have a small cost. We will tell you if any new apps or books are required during the year.
Monitoring and cyber safety
We expect students to take responsibility for their use and their device. Web filtering has its benefits; however these systems are not foolproof and will never block 100% of inappropriate content. If you have any concerns, please talk to your child’s teacher.
Payment plans
Loan iPads are not available. If you are unable to afford an iPad, contact the school.
Insurance
We strongly recommend that all personal electronic devices are insured against accidental damage, loss and theft. You can either:
- include the iPad on your home and contents insurance
- contact an insurer that offers specific student device cover products.
Curriculum
Our goal is for students to use iPads as a tool to support key processes in learning. Teachers use them as an environment to facilitate deeper engagement in learning and higher-order thinking. The iPad has the varied functionality that will allow students to consume and produce information in a mobile form through:
- textbooks available on the iPad in iBook format
- a wide range of classroom apps and tools
- resources that are available 24/7.
Most documents will be transferred by the GoodReader app. During lessons, where visual media tools are being used (e.g. video recording a science experiment), students will be projecting work through air play systems such as Apple TV and AirServer.