Complete Expression Of Interest

Information Technology

Laptops and 1 to 1 programme

Students from Years 5 to 12 are required to bring their own device (BYOD) in order to participate in learning at Kingsway.  The College has invested heavily and assured all software, infrastructure, and systems are implemented so that they provide optimal performance, are compatible with a maximum number of devices, and allows parents to be price conscious when purchasing laptops for their children.  In order to balance these three requirements all devices need to be able to use and support Microsoft Windows 10 (Home, Pro, Enterprise, and Education).

Issues which fed into this decision:

  • The variety of devices (pricing ranging from $400-$4000)
  • The proportion of operating systems. according to netmarketshare.com the Windows operating system accounts for approximately 87.56% of all desktop/laptops with MacOS at 9.54%.
  • The compatibility and functionality of software (most developers write for Windows then MacOS)
  • Licensing arrangements which the College has entered into (100% of software works on Windows 10 for BYOD devices)
  • Availability of technical support for staff, as well as training (i.e. for teachers)

The information manual contains the majority of information relating to computer selection, use of internet filtering, cyber security, Copyright and plagiarism, and acceptable use. 

One-to-One Information for Parents

Issues and logging tickets

The College utilises a ticketing system to log and manage all tickets (incidents and requests).  Staff, students, and parents can raise a ticket via email or webpage 24/7.  Chat, phone and walk-ins are available during the school term and appointments may be arranged during breaks. 

Device Recommendations

Outside of specific technical specification, we have found that the following points are generally important/useful:

  • Is lightweight and sturdy (gorilla glass preferred)
  • Is in a properly fitted protective carry case (ill fitting is ineffective)
  • Has at least 5 hours of battery power in normal use
  • Is able to fast charge (80% in approximately 1 hour)
  • Storage is expandable via microSD or replaceable hard drive
  • Touch enabled, preferably with pen input

Device Guidance

The following information is in the Information Brochure for Parents and is expanded with other considerations:

Component

Minimum

Recommended

Processor

AMD or Intel (AMD64)

Within 3 years Old

AMD or Intel (AMD64)

RAM

4 GB

8GB

Hard Drive

128GB SSD

256GB SSD

Operating System

Windows 10

Windows 10

Display

10”

Touch Enabled

Wireless

802.11ac

802.11ac

Battery

5 hours

12 hours

 

The following suggestions come from the difficulties or challenges previous students have experienced:

Do Nots/Do Not Buy:

  • Laptops running Windows 10S
  • Laptops with 30GB or less of hard disk space
  • Laptops with ARM or IA64 processors (eg, Asus NovaGo, HP Envy X2, Microsoft Surface Pro X, Apple iPad, Samsung Tab, Apple Silicon)
  • Laptops with the largest screen such as 17” or larger, they are heavy and cumbersome to carry and do not fit very well on the desks
  • Chromebook, of any kind
  • Laptops designed for
    • gaming (high performance GPU), such as Alienware, Acer Predator, MSI Stealth series
    • waterproof/intrinsically safe (MIL-STD-810G style like Panasonic Toughbook, Dell Latitude 14 Rugged, Getac B300/T800EX)

Purchasing Portal

Devices which meet the technical and non-technical elements have been chosen and uploaded into a portal for the Kingsway community.  We have worked with JB HiFi to create the simplest mechanism for purchasing a suitable device.  Essentially, pick a format (tablet or laptop), warranty, and any accessories (optional) and proceed to payment.  JB HiFi will liaise directly with you to arrange pickup (typically at one of their many stores, which you get to choose the closest to you).  Kingsway has arranged for the portal to be available between November and August so parents wishing to purchase a device prior to Christmas or replace a device in the middle of year are able to. 

Kingsway has also arranged with our provider to extend the ability to purchase to family members, so that there is greater benefit to the whole Kingsway community.  The offers listed on the portal are slightly different to traditional consumer pricing and offerings and so you will not be able to purchase from the store directly.  The College community benefits by aggregating purchases for buying power. 

To access this purchasing option go to:https://www.jbeducation.com.au/byod/?code=KingswayBYOD2021

FamilyZone

The College utilises filtering software from FamilyZone and this software is designed to work both at home and at the College.  For outside of school hours support or issues connecting to your home network please contact FamilyZone.

For help with FamilyZone

Visit: www.familyzone.com
Email: support@familyzone.com

Call us
From Aus: 1300 398 326 (local call)
From NZ: 0800 444 907
From overseas: +613 4000 0044

Support hours
8am to 8pm local time Mon-Fri
9am to 5pm local time Sat-Sun

Book a call to help set up FamilyZone.

FAQ

Troubleshooting problems that are preventing you from carrying out your studies.

  • Most students need help with installing and configuring OneDrive, Office 365, FamilyZone and Adobe Creative Cloud (only for media students).
  • Configuring the wireless network to work whilst on campus.
  • Remove Chrome extensions.
  1. The IT team will complete an initial investigation of hardware issues and advise the student (or parent) of the recommendation. Sometimes this requires replacement of the device, but in most cases return for warranty repair. 
  2. FamilyZone is appropriately configured according to the family rules. Between 08:30-15:30 on school days the College’s FamilyZone server provides the filtering rules.  Outside of this time the family settings apply.  For some families the filtering is highly restrictive, and others relaxed.  Please discuss as a family what level of filtering is appropriate for the student’s age, situation, and maturity.
  1. Laptops are similar to homework/uniforms in that it is the responsibility of the student to ensure they are prepared, ready, and maintained ready for use that day. IT&L does not carry any spare chargers and does not have the room to hold devices whilst charging .
  2. Consider purchasing a device which enables rapid charging (80% within an hour) as this will help on those odd days which the student forgets.
  3. Some classrooms (not all) have GPOs which, with permission from the teacher, may be used to provide some charge.

learn more about enrolling at Kingsway college.

We invite families to have a conversation with us about their children’s educational needs, so that together, we can decide whether Kingsway is the right College with which to partner.

Complete Expression of Interest

157 Kingsway
Darch WA 6065

(08) 9302 8777