Blended Learning

Welcome to our Blended Learning home page.

Blended Learning 

From September 2025 all students in Year 7, 8, 9 and 10 must have a Chromebook device.

The online ordering portal is now open and devices can be purchased here.  If your child joins Ridgeway within the year you will receive an information pack with a Blended Learning booklet explaining how you can purchase a device.

RIDGEWAY Bring Your Own Device – Chromebooks 2025 Guide for Parents and Carers

Loan devices can be taken from Student Services between 8.15am – 8.25am.

 Equipping Your Child

Please read the information booklet on the home dropdown above for information as well as the FAQs section.  Deadline for purchasing through the portal is Saturday 21st June 2025.  If you qualify for Free School Meals support please contact Rossingtonl@ridgeway.aetrust.uk.  Equality of access is a key goal of the scheme and no child should be disadvantaged by this programme.

It is expected your child brings their device to school each day and that it is fully charged, this is part of their daily equipment.  If your child’s device is broken or in for repair, please provide them with a note explaining the current situation and when you expect the device to be repaired or replaced by. The school only has the capacity to loan devices on a short term basis.

Loan devices can be taken from Student Services between 8.15am – 8.30am each day, but must be returned after registration at 3.10pm.  No school devices should leave the site.

You can now book your lockers for September from https://www.ilsschools.co.uk/book-locker

FAQs

Please ensure you have read the information booklet alongside these FAQs

Q: What are the benefits of Blended Learning?
A: Research shows improvements in student engagement, independent learning and collaboration. There are increased opportunities for personalisation of learning and extension of learning beyond the classroom.

Q: Why Chromebooks?
A: Chromebooks work seamlessly with G-Suite for Education, which is the backbone of our current use of ICT within the school. Chromebooks take less than 8 seconds to boot up, which means no learning time is lost. They have a long battery life, with the devices we are providing through Albion lasting up to 12 hours. The technology is simple, but allows for excellent collaboration between students and teachers, as well as peer to peer collaboration. They are compact and robust, with the school designed device having gone through military grade testing to ensure the best compatibility for school life.

Q: What are the benefits of buying the device through Albion?
A: By purchasing the CR1104, you will be buying a device that meets all the requirements set out by us as non-negotiable for a device. It has been engineered to withstand knocks, bumps, drops and spills without damage.

Q: Can we order later than the deadline given?
A: This may be a possibility in the future, however the cut-off date we have been given for a September delivery is the date shared with parents.

Q: Where can I find more information about the finance plan?
A: More information about the finance plan provided through Albion is available here

Q: Is there financial support for those other than those in receipt of Free School Meals?
A: There is no school payment plan on offer.  If you are unable to access the finance through Albion, please contact finance@ridgeway.aetrust.uk no later than 30th May 2025.

Q: What are the details of the accidental damage cover?
A: Information about ADC and warranty provided by Albion can be found here

Q: Can we purchase our own device separate and not through Albion?
A: Yes, however we do stipulate the following; the device must be ASUS with the same appearance, it must have 4GB of memory, touchscreen, flipscreen and universal camera. Although we have allowed more autonomy with where you purchase the device, it is important to us that all students have the same learning experience with their use of devices. We strongly advise purchasing a device through Albion with a form of cover to give you peace of mind in the event of any damage.

Q: Can we avoid the VAT if we purchase devices through the school?
A: We as a school are not purchasing the devices for students, the expectation is that parents purchase the devices either through the Albion platform or an alternative retailer as long as it meets the specification set out. Therefore, VAT will apply.

Q: What about theft or breakages?
A: Sturdy covers and school bags should be used. It should be noted that the loss, damage or breakage of a personal device is not covered under school insurance. As such, we highly recommend that devices are covered by insurance (check household policies before buying from a specialist such as protectyourbubble.com). Students are encouraged to store their devices in lockers, particularly during lunchtimes and PE lessons.

Q: Our children already at the school were loaned a Chromebook for home learning in lockdown due to lack of devices in the home. Is this something the school could accommodate again?
A: This is a different scheme which is a development of teaching and learning in the school. The scheme was a loan scheme to support children during online learning. This was partially funded by the DfE, which is no longer available.

Q: Would you consider a trade-in on our existing device?
A: We are currently not planning any trade-ins for devices already owned.

Q: Will the device be expected in school every day?
A: Yes. Devices will be expected to be in school every day, fully charged to be used in lessons. Unless students are specifically asked to not bring devices in for an alternative learning experience, the assumption should be made that the devices should be in school.

Q: Do devices in the classroom mean less verbal communication and feedback in the lesson from the teacher?
A: All current feedback policies and practices remain in place. This includes, questioning, verbal feedback and explanation. The only difference being that comments may be uploaded to Google Classroom for home-based learning tasks, or comments left on tasks where devices are used.

Q: What about distractions?
A: This is a classroom management issue, to be dealt with in a similar way to doodling or staring out the window. We will have an additional consequence to deal with misuse of devices in lessons, and teachers will have the full discretion to require students to put the devices away. Mobile phones must not be used during school time and notifications from social media are blocked by the school filtering systems.

Q: What about eSafety?
A: All students will be required to use the school filtered internet (3G/4G/5G must be switched off during normal school times). Access to social networking will be blocked. All students will need to sign an Acceptable Use Policy that governs appropriate use of the devices and breaches of this will be dealt with using the school Consequences system.

Q: How will they be used in the classroom?
A: Students may be asked to conduct a piece of independent learning through research or consolidation work. Students may also be asked to collaborate on a piece of work located in a central point on the Google Drive; teachers will then be able to track the work completed by each student. This is an especially good technique for pair and group work. We are continuing to build our teaching and learning resources to make sure we will make the most of devices in the classroom where appropriate. Devices will be used in a number of appropriate ways; however, some lessons may not use devices at all.

Q: When a child is without a laptop, what happens?
A: This depends on why the child does not have a laptop. If the device is being repaired and there is no appropriate alternative, students will be provided with a loan device on a temporary basis. However, this device will need to be returned at the end of the day and will not be allowed to go home. If a child simply has forgotten their device, or the device does not have sufficient charge to last the day, they will be issued a consequence in line with the behaviour policy, however they will also be loaded a device for the day.

Q: How will devices be used to support more able students and those that need additional support?
A: As we build our library of resources and teaching techniques, our ability to support and enable all students will grow. Currently we would use devices to adapt to the needs of students with additional needs by providing additional and more supportive materials and software in order for them to access content and curriculum. More able students would be supported in a similar way, to broaden their knowledge and skills in certain topics that would be a part of the current point of their scheme of learning.

Q: My child already spends enough time on their device! Won’t their written work suffer?
A: Ridgeway Academy is committed to developing student’s literacy, numeracy and writing/speaking skills. It is a fact that most exams are still written, and certain work will be required to be handwritten. Teachers may decide not to use the devices in certain lessons or not at all if no relevant learning opportunity exists to use the technology. However, the devices will allow access to the wealth of online learning resources and result in a powerful, blended learning approach.

Q: What happens after 3 years? With technological development will they need new laptops for year 10?
A: The devices provided by ASUS through the school are specifically designed with education in mind. Providing they are looked after well, they can last the duration of the time the child is at school. We see no need for a change of device in 3 years unless parents wish to do so.

Q: How much do Ridgeway Academy make from working with Albion?
A: Nothing, this is purely non-profit for Ridgeway, and also no risk to school finances as parents are responsible for purchasing the devices. When going to tender over 3rd party providers, Albion were the most transparent in their costs and were willing to work directly with ASUS to provide the specially designed devices for our trust.

Further Information

The Educational Endowment Foundation conduct research into the effect of various approaches to teaching and learning. Their research toolkit is an online tool that gathers together a wide range of evidence for increases in educational attainment. We believe that our Blended Learning scheme will not only address using technology for learning, but also have benefits for Independent Learning, Homework, Collaboration and Meta-Cognition (being aware of your own learning). This provides much more detail on the methodology, the constituent research and the limitations of the data.

Teaching and Learning Toolkit | EEF