The Stowe Laptop Scheme
Computers and ICT policy
A key part of our educational strategy at Stowe is to make extensive use of technology to enhance the education of Stoics. Our use of laptops has gone hand-in-hand with the development of a wireless network in classrooms and hard-wiring of all boarding Houses. All pupils have their own network socket in House. To complement this, we have been developing our network resources and integrating these in to the way we teach. Academic Departments have developed their sites on our Intranet which is now an important part of the teaching and delivery of material to pupils. That said, the use of IT is carefully managed in conjunction with more traditional teaching to fully engage the pupil in their studies.
There are over 350 computers at Stowe, about half of which are available for pupils to use in computer rooms, Academic Departments and Boarding Houses. These are on a server-based network allowing pupils to access their work, email and online resources, no matter which computer they are on. All pupils sign the School's acceptable usage policy on an annual basis to remind them of the need to use the School's network and computer systems in a responsible way. The policy informs them of what they are permitted to do and what they are not.
Stowe's Laptop Scheme
Laptops have become an essential part of a Stowe education and all pupils need one. The majority of laptops are now purchased through our Laptop Scheme, which is a non-profit making scheme that has been running for four years. It was set up for the benefit of Stowe pupils as it gives them access to most of the software they will need and enables our ICT Department to provide full support and deal with any problems that may occur. Laptops enable Stoics to utilise the full potential of the resources available to them, whether in class or working in their own study areas. We have also found that pupils without laptops find it harder to take full advantage of email and online notice boards.
Purchasing a laptop - 2011/2012:
Our non-profit making laptop scheme, launched in September 2004, was set up to give parents the chance to purchase a laptop that was fully supported by our ICT Department, taking full advantage of bulk purchase pricing and preferential school licensing agreements. Stowe's chosen partner is WStore, selected for their experience in this area, who provide good value for money, whilst maintaining high standards of service and support. Full details of the Scheme and the latest models on offer can be found in the Laptop Brochure 2011/2012.
Non-scheme or pre-existing laptops:
Stowe will, of course, do its best to help students with laptops not purchased through the scheme to connect to the School network. This is however only possible for laptops running an English version of Windows XP Professional as the operating system. Unfortunately, it will not be possible for our ICT Department to support computers that are not on the scheme and they will not be able to access all programs and resources available on scheme laptops. The full range of programmes provided with the Stowe Laptop Scheme and the online resources that are made available to Stoics will help to appreciate why we advise that Stoics should have a laptop, preferably one purchased through our scheme.
Should you have any further questions about the laptop scheme, please contact Wstore directly on +44 (0) 1252 745045; for questions about laptop non-scheme, please contact Stowe's ICT Department via our main School Reception telephone number: +44 (0) 1280 818000.
Remote Access
Pupils can remotely connect to the School's computer network from outside Stowe via the Internet. Remote access allows pupils to use their School email, the intranet and gives access to their "My Documents" stored on the network. The remote access portal link is given on the School's main website menu and can also be entered directly at https://remote.stowe.co.uk On entering the site, pupils log on with their network credentials to gain secure access to the network.