Notice for parents of students Enrolling in 2024:
As apple has elected not to release a new entry level iPad this year, we’ve updated our JB purchase portal with the 10th generation iPad and 5th generation iPad air. For students in Years 10, 11 and 12 there are also purchase portal options for windows and mac laptops.
As always we recommend that you find the best deal available to you and purchase the device that is most appropriate to the students needs. Our JB-education purchase portal page is currently active and can be accessed through the following link: https://www.jbeducation.com.au/byod/?code=jcca2024
BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) Program:
In 2024, devices will be mandated for Years 7, 8, 9 and 10. For students in Years 11 and 12 a tablet or laptop is recommended, however there is no specific requirement in terms of brand or type.
We enrol devices into a Mobile Device Management system, JAMF. In previous years, devices were enrolled simply by purchasing them through our BYOD portal. Policy changes from Apple now require us to enrol devices onsite regardless of purchase method. You can book a time to bring your device in for enrolment on the BYOD Enrolment booking page.
Year 7-10 mandated device 2024
Students in Year 7, 8, 9 and 10* to bring an iPad (WiFi only preferred) capable of running at least iPadOS-16. We strongly encourage that the selected iPad have USB-C capabilities, however the 9th generation iPad remains the most affordable option where available.
*Students in year 10 may elect to bring a laptop instead of an iPad, there is no specific requirement on brand or type.
We recommend:
- Apple iPad 9th generation Wi-Fi only with 256GB of storage, OR a USB-C iPad such as the iPad Air 5th Generation / Apple iPad 10th Generation.
- A protective case, preferably with a keyboard attachment.
- A stylus such as an Apple Pencil.
Years 11-12 recommended device 2024
For students in Years 11-12 we recommend an iPad capable of running at least iPadOS-16 or a laptop (excluding chromebooks). As our media arts labs are mac oriented, students enrolled in that stream may find a macbook helpful. For other students, hardware requirements depend heavily on the needs of the individual and as such we suggest exercising your best judgement based on the students subject and field of interest.
Cases and Keyboards
We encourage the use of protective cases and keyboard peripherals for iPads. Our BYOD portal provides a choice of a keyboard case with an integrated battery, a keyboard case that is powered by the iPad itself and a sturdy protective case without an attached keyboard. Selecting the ‘accessories program’ option on the purchase portal under student programs will allow for the selection and purchase of peripherals separately from a device.
The College recommends keyboard-case combinations with sealed keyboards that run off the iPad’s internal power, such as the Logitech Rugged Folio Keyboard Case, shown below. This is not a hard requirement and there are a range of keyboard-case combinations on the market to suit different price points and availability, so please use your best judgement.
As the 9th generation iPad shares the 8th generation iPad’s dimensions, it will fit into any 8th generation case.
Storage
We recommend a device with either 128 or 256 gigabytes of storage. With diligence, a 64 gigabyte device can be used, but may experience issues if students are attempting to edit videos or do not clear large files when they are finished using them.
Pens
While there are third party Stylus options such as the Adonit note+ or Logitech Crayon which are suitable for handwriting, these frequently do not have full compatibility or functionality for features such as pressure sensitivity needed for brush strokes in drawing apps.
To avoid such issues, the Apple Pencil or Apple Pencil 2 is our recommended stylus for students invested in arts or design streams involving digital drawing. For students performing such tasks as part of enrichment units we are undergoing trials of classroom stylus sets which will hopefully allow participation without unnecessary expense.
Purchasing
When purchasing a device, we encourage you to shop around and look for the best deal you can get. Please consider the need for some form of extended warranty and accidental damage protection.
While we do not recommend one retailer over another, you can visit JB HiFi’s online purchasing portal using this link or our school code ‘jcca2024’, as they offer an educational discount and also provide guidelines on devices required for each year level.
If you can not afford a device please make contact with the College to discuss your options.
Repair
After enrolment, if a device is ever damaged and needs to be refurbished/replaced, please email [email protected] with the serial number of the new device and the student’s name. Apple will add the replacement device to our organisation automatically if the broken one is enrolled, but they will not inform us of who the owner is.