BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)

A guide to having your own device at Matamata College

BYOD

We are a BYOD school, and we believe that having access to a device that is used thoughtfully can enhance a student’s learning, allowing them to be connected, resilient, lifelong learners. Please refer to our school policies and procedures. From 2025 Matamata College is a ‘BYOD’ school. We expect all students to have a device for learning (Laptop or Chromebook) at school each day.
School Policies and Procedures

Recommended Devices

Junior Students

For Junior students, our recommended device is a Chromebook. Chromebooks are well-suited to school use, being rugged, compact, priced around $400 and able to access the web-based applications and services that we will use with Junior classes.

Chromebook Specifications

  • Large screen (11.6” is adequate, but 14” is ideal)
  • At least 4GB of memory (8GB will help apps to run faster and feel ‘snappier’
  • At least 32GB of storage

Senior Students

For Senior students, our recommended device depends on which courses a student opts for. In many cases, a Chromebook will be suitable. However, some courses make use of specialist software (e.g. Adobe applications such as Photoshop) and a Windows laptop is required for these. Students should seek the advice of teachers and refer to the course descriptions.

Chromebook Specifications

  • Intel i3 Processor (or higher)
  • Large screen (13” or greater)
  • At least 8GB of memory (16GB is preferred, especially for apps like Photoshop)
  • At least 128GB of SSD storage (more is preferred, especially if working with large files)

Device Suppliers

We have obtained preferential pricing from select suppliers, both local and online:

Noel Leeming, Matamata – in store and online
PB Tech – online – Matamata College – PBTech.co.nz

Access to Devices

We are aware that not all families are able or willing to purchase a device. Students are likely to be more productive with their own device, configured the way they prefer to support their learning. They can also make use of a personal device outside of the classroom. However, if students do not have a device, the school has a limited supply of devices to provide access if needed, and able to assist families to obtain devices through external applications.

For further information or questions please email [email protected]

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