Do your Lab/DT Technicians have laptops? Ours is P/T and insisting that she should. I told her if there were any spare when I had carried out the current replacement programme then I would see what could be done. She then told me the IT Curriculum Leader had said she could have one. Which he denies and it isn't his decision where admin laptops go. I could possibly find an old one that works ok but with no battery life but I know that won't be good enough and I will be at her beck and call for the slightest thing.
She claims that Lab Techs are entitled to laptops so I would be interested in what happens at other schools.
Thanks
We dont let any of our Lab or DT techs have a laptop here, though they all have access to a desktop if they need to use a computer for any reason.
Only Teachers get Laptops, part-timers/Technicians don't need them. Everyone has access to Desktop machines.
Our Science Tech has her own laptop but that is because she does some teaching, it was the old head of sciences laptop that i just passed down to her. She also uses it for stock takes in there science store room.
Old DT Tech had one but that was because he was Health and Safety rep for whole school, new one has nothing.
Our Science techs don't have nor do they want laptops, even though they run courses here for other schools science techs. They are happy using the desktops.
There is no 'entitlement' for anyone to be issued with a personal laptop, unless directed by the LEA, Governors or HT.
Ditto here.Originally Posted by marco84
Unless it's an SLT policy they get one - they have no "entitlement" to one. She's talking out of her ****.
A few do here but only because thats what they requested in their rooms. They dont get personal laptops as such
They're about the only ones though, any member of staff seems to get given one here!
It's obviously up to each school to make its own decisions about how much to spend on PCs/laptops/anything else in the school so what happens in one school isn't really much help in another.
The thing that I try to use as a guide is the relative cost of a computer (or laptop) and the member of staff's salary. If you pay (say) £400 for a PC which lasts 4 years then that's effectively £100 per year. That's a tiny fraction of salary costs (1% of minimum wage!) and probably is justifiable for pretty much everyone who has reasonable need for access to a PC
Of course, if a school doesn't have even £400 to spare then the picture is different (and there are always going to be priorities - if the technician gets a laptop does that mean the science labs can't have a new projector and so on!)
Ours don't, though if they asked (especially with the Engineering Diploma stuff, which our DT tech will be delivering a sizeable proportion of) they would get one if there was sufficient need.
Priorities are classroom teachers, Heads of Department, Leadership Team, HLTAs, Curriculum Technicians (and this is where lab techs fit in) then LSAs.
Exceptions are available but it is my decision and is based on whether it is needed for creation of resources to move on T&L, to move administration away from teachers or related to CPD (ie if they are doing a Uni course and have no access to reliable IT elsewhere).
Full-time get priority over part-time in all areas and but we do not make part-time teachers share machines ... finally got rid of that stupid problem which caused so many problems with teachers completing work (preparing lessons, completing reports, etc).
Of course ... the technical support team get what they need to do their job. :-)
Teachers get laptops as standard, and only teachers.
Everyone else only gets one if it is deemed they need it for their job (i.e. the 2 SEN workers have 1 laptop each for the pupil/s they work with all day to use).
No TA's or any of the Admin staff have a laptop.
And yes, no-one is "entitled" to a laptop unless the HT / SMT / LEA / Governers say so.
Even the techie and I have to share 1 laptop between us!
but then anyone can get access to a desktop, and there are more than enough to go around when they are needed.
Our senior science tech used to have one, but he asked for a desktop to replace it when it was stolen.
The only tehnician with a Laptop is me, and that's only because it's 4 years old and the battery is gone. If we were to reissue it we'd have to replace the battery.
Sounds like someone is after a freeby, does she have a child who's starting uni soon?
Who gets laptops is decided by my manager and ultimately the head. I specifically stay out of it, as the politics involved can be complex.
But as it stands at the moment, teachers all get laptops (every room has an IWB and projector and staff all use them), SMT all have them (the head has a tablet), our kitchen manager has one, as does one of our admin team (they sometimes work from home), the SEN team have one each for the managers. And I have one. LSA's and the junior science tech (the head science tech is also a teacher) don't get them.
It comes down to need I think - do they need access to their own machine? If so, then I don't think my boss has any trouble saying they can have one. The issue only causes problems when a staff member thinks they have a need but realistically doesn't.
If it was my decision I wouldn't let anyone have a laptop after the state I've seen them
As NM I have a say in who has laptops.
Basic position teachers all have laptops and most of the CA's. In fact were close to most staff having laptops, except admin. Every staff member has access to a desktop either thier own or a shared one.
If someone 'thinks' they need one I ask for a written justification that, if necessary, I'll forward to the head, as he'll have to OK the expenditure. This means that any decission is final and there is then no debate.
Anyone without a laptop at the moment would get an older staff one when its replaced on our 3 year replacement schedule.
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