Family FAQs

Midlothian Council provide a mixture of iPad and Chromebook devices.  Your child's school will be able to advise on which device will be provided.  iPads are supplied in a protective case and Chromebooks are supplied with a protective sleeve.

Midlothian Council's commitment is that every young person will have access to a device for learning until they leave formal education.  We may swap your child's device to provide a more up-to-date model.

Yes, the devices being provided aim to support young people with learning both in school and at home.  However, this is at the sole discretion of your child's Headteacher.  Additionally, schools may initially request that devices stay in school for a period of time to allow young people to be taught how to use the devices and look after them responsibly.

Devices should be charged only with the charging cable provided with the device.  These have undergone electrical testing or are within two years of manufacture.  All pupils will be given a charger when they are first given a device and it becomes their responsibility to look after this, along with the Chromebook or iPad. Wherever possible, devices should come to school everyday fully charged and ready for use in their protective case or sleeve.  Building this positive habit at home will be beneficial to your child's learning in the longer term. If your child loses their charger, a good quality 3rd party replacement can be sourced online. Chromebooks require a 45W USB-C Charger. iPads are 7th Generation and require a USB C or USB to lightning cable and suitable plug. Families who wish to purchase replacements may wish to consider good quality options, such as this Chromebook charger or this iPad cable and charging plug.  

While it is expected that young people will take appropriate measures to ensure that the device avoids damage, the maintenance and technical support of the device is the responsibility of Midlothian Council's Digital Inclusion & Learning Team.  Young people should not attempt to fix the device if it is not working and under no circumstances should you or your child remove screws or attempt to take the device apart.  Instead, you should report the problem directly to your child's school.

Where there is evidence of wilful damage to the device or negligence in caring for the device, the school will work with the young person and parent/carers in line with the school's approach to promoting positive behaviour and inclusion.  A replacement will be issued in most circumstances but this may not be the same make/model.

Devices are being provided to support your child’s learning.  Teachers will use digital resources to deliver the curriculum and will make use of learning platforms such as Google Workspace, Office 365 and/or Seesaw.  Additionally, your child may be required to access the internet to research information or use an application to showcase their knowledge in a creative way.  Midlothian Council also wish to provide a range of additional learning tools which require parent/carer consent.  A list of these tools is included in the Education Service’s Privacy Notice.

Young people will be given the necessary support required during school to learn the digital skills they need to make best use of their device. This forms part of Midlothian Council’s Digital Literacy curriculum.   You can find more information on how to support your child with their device in the Support for Families section of this website.

The use of digital devices on school grounds is at the discretion of school staff.  All young people must use their devices as directed by their teacher or any member of school staff.  The use of digital devices at home should be primarily for educational purposes. Digital devices should stay within the United Kingdom, unless permission is sought to support learning in specific circumstances.  A device management system tracks devices, identifies date and time of use, provides software updates and can be used to disable the device if it is lost or stolen.

All activity on the device, both in school and from any other location, is logged and catalogued by a software monitoring system.  This system is actively monitored by Midlothian Council’s Digital Inclusion & Learning Team and by senior school staff.  This data is treated as confidential and is managed by Midlothian Council in accordance with the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (‘GDPR’) and in line with Midlothian Council’s Privacy Policy.  Access to this confidential data is strictly limited and regularly reviewed.  All staff who have access to the system must first undergo training.  Midlothian Council does not use the device camera to capture images of your child.  Safeguarding reports may include an image of the windows visible on the device screen.  Any child protection concerns identified immediately trigger the school’s Child Protection and Safeguarding policy.  Young people are advised of the existence of this monitoring system through our Pupil Support Guides. 

In the majority of cases, this content will be blocked and recorded by internet filtering and safeguarding tools.  However, no guarantee can be given that this system will block all inappropriate content on the internet.   Where a young person comes across inappropriate online content that is distressing or illegal this should be immediately reported to the child’s school. Where there is a concern that viewed content is illegal, this should be reported to the police through CEOP. 

Where a young person is in persistent or serious breach of the appropriate use of the device, it will be recalled by the school.  If any activity is unlawful, this will be reported to the police.  Learners should be respectful and considerate in all forms of communication when using a school device.  Please contact your child’s school in the first instance if you have any concerns about this. 

It is a requirement for the Midlothian Council-issued device to be used in school, rather than a personal device.  This ensures an equitable experience for all young people and allows our staff to best support your child.