Digital literacy – Chromebook devices for Year 7s

We provide every child joining in Year with a Chromebook device that is theirs to use both as directed in lessons, and to support with home learning. Each child is assigned a Chromebook that they bring to school each day and take home at night.

We know that digital literacy is a critical skill to learn to ensure our young people are future-ready, and that regular use of technology not only enhances their skills but lesson content too. 

In school Year 7 students may use their Chromebooks, as directed by teachers, in a variety of ways, including: 

  • PE - students can undertake footwork analysis of physical activity, understanding the science behind the action. Using the Chromebook adds theoretical learning to their practical lessons. 
  • Maths – digital learning of some maths topics can make it much more visual and therefore engaging, helping students to grasp concepts. Quite simply, it can bring some topics to life more than it can on paper!
  • History – Students use their Chromebook to search up sources for referencing in their work, gaining skills they’ll need for coursework later in their educational journey.
  • Geography – one of the Year 7 topics is weather and having the ability to look at charts and graphs that illustrate weather changes, can further engage students in their learning. 

Having a Chromebook for use at home, also has its benefits: 

  • When teachers set homework online for students, having their own device means it’s so much easier to complete for those students who don’t otherwise have a device or share with siblings. 

Other benefits also mean:

  • Students can directly access resources on their screen while being discussed in lessons. They can zoom in to understand the content being discussed, in greater depth.
  • We can offer an inclusive and adaptive curriculum for students with additional learning needs to ensure learning is accessible to all. This may be changing a colour background, increasing font size or playing audio descriptions.
  • Teachers can carry out assessments online (typically quizzes on Teams), in real time, allowing them to adapt lessons quickly to the needs of the students if there are topic areas that need going back over. 

Our school started a pilot project in 2024-25 academic year, supplying Chromebooks to all Year 7s, and are thrilled to be able to continue this offer thanks to the funding from Lionheart Educational Trust.  

We’re pleased at its success so far and even found that students started to undertake follow up learning of their own choosing, because they were able to continue exploring topics at home after lessons!