Wimbledon High School is a Microsoft Showcase School, and we were delighted to win the TES Independent Schools Award for Best Use of Technology in February 2020. We are leaders in our sector in the way we use digital technology for teaching and learning.
We take seriously the responsibility of introducing this technology into your homes and your daughter's life.
We are very much aware that technology is a powerful tool for effective and inspiring teaching and learning, but that it can be a less positive influence in the lives of young people. Our excellent PSHE (GROW) lessons on all things digital address not only e-safety, but topics such as screentime and managing the pressures of online life. We prioritise attention to online behaviour and appropriate use of technology, highlighting the negative impact that poor choices can have on friendships and family harmony.
All students sign the GDST IT Acceptable Use Agreement and an extended Bring Your Own Device Policy which sets out our rules and expectations. We provide parents with these documents and ask for your agreement about BYOD. Students are regularly reminded about our Digital & Tech Etiquette (with copies in every classroom and every student’s planner), the most important rule being: Pay more attention to the humans in the room than the technology.
We offer guidance to parents in using digital solutions for managing their daughter’s device and home internet usage: you can find this on our E-safety Firefly pages for New Parents. You can reach out to our team for help at any time via a dedicated email support service for parents.
Contact the Digital & IT Team
Support email: digital@wim.gdst.net
What device to bring?
We ask parents to provide a Windows laptop/tablet for their daughter, which allows for drawing and writing with a stylus as well as typing on a keyboard. We have selected this type of device because we find it offers the best support for learning. You can access all the specification details including a printable guide on the Firefly BYOD section. We’ll write to you in August with details of how to prepare the device for BYOD and when your daughter should bring the device to school for the first time.
Digital Induction Programme
All Year 7 students participate in our Digital Induction Programme during September. This covers e-safety, appropriate use, using their device and school systems, and how to work effectively with Microsoft Teams and OneNote. The programme includes pastoral and practical sessions, and drop-in help opportunities and is delivered by Mrs Evans, Form Tutors and a group of experienced teachers. Your daughter won’t use her laptop in class until the second week of term. We like to settle the students in to school life without too much tech, wherever possible. We believe this approach sets the right tone for your daughter’s school career – that BYOD is a helpful tool for learning but not an end in itself.
Using Teams and OneNote for lessons and learning
Our core apps for learning are key to the way teachers and students manage lesson materials, resources, and some classwork and homework. During the Digital Induction Programme, your daughter will learn about our digital workflow and the skills she needs to use these apps successfully. Lessons here are lively and human-centred, with technology used when it’s necessary and appropriate – so certainly not all the time. Teachers of Year 7 take a hybrid approach and there is still a great deal of work with exercise books and printed resources. When we expect a digital homework, it will be set in Teams Assignments and you will know, from your daughter’s planner, how long she should be spending online, as we are very aware of concerns about screentime.
You can download the BYOD Induction Workbook we use with the students here.