Disadvantaged children across England are set to receive laptops and tablets

[mb2k01]

We haven't received the invitation either... but a load of devices has turned up today at different schools within our MAT.

 

I am so confused.

 

Edit: one of the deliveries I am told was dropped off by the fire service. I am starting to question my own sanity.

 

Ha! Meldrew, long time no talk!

The ones that turned up to you via that method are the ones that Cornwall LA were in direct communication with schools about.

They are the ones that have been awarded for children with social care in years 1-10, but excluding Year 10 disadvantaged for which the school or Trust needed to work direct with the DfE for.

[Ditto]

Ha! Meldrew, long time no talk!

The ones that turned up to you via that method are the ones that Cornwall LA were in direct communication with schools about.

They are the ones that have been awarded for children with social care in years 1-10, but excluding Year 10 disadvantaged for which the school or Trust needed to work direct with the DfE for.

Having seen the last few posts, it's looking like the Edenred project wasn't so bad after all...

[PrimaryNetMan]

Having seen the last few posts, it's looking like the Edenred project wasn't so bad after all...

No it was, it really was.

[pete]

I've sort of got caught in the middle of this, are they mean to be assigned to certain pupils or for schools direction

 

Social care laptops (what should be the first batch) must be assigned to specific named students.

 

Y10 laptops (second batch) are assigned to Y10 students without access to a device at home. MAT/School determines who's in greatest need (since you're unlikely to be allocated enough laptops to cover demand).

[Jobos]

I was told yesterday we would be getting 10 laptops that will arrive Monday. Didn’t know we were getting any till then.

[kennysarmy]

I've sort of got caught in the middle of this, are they mean to be assigned to certain pupils or for schools direction

 

My line manager has told me to image them as per school laptops and they will be distributed perhaps on a termly basis to whichever students need them the most.

He's just done the order for 5 no.

[Dave_O]

My timeline so far:-

 

1. Told about scheme

2. Waited god know low long for details

3. Got several waste of time emails over the intervening weeks

4. Got log into site last Sunday night

5. Placed order on Monday morning (delivery 5 working days)

6. Told everyone at schools to be ready for Monday next week

7. Laptops and routers delivered to one school Wednesday all strewn around in the back of the van so will likely have a percentage that are DOA

8. LA told schools they need to draw up an agreement with parents about the LA devices. I told LA, they are your devices, you draw up an agreement.

9. LA asked what we were going to do about software on the LA devices. I replied "no idea, what are you doing about the software on your devices?"

10. LA asked what we were going to do about supporting the students with setting up and using the devices. See 9. above for similar response.

12. Drew up an agreement for Y10 laptops and routers explaining that we can't help with hardware (that's the government) and software support will be minimal as we don't have the staffing to support an ill conceived, ridiculous, unsustainable initiative from a government that shows no regard for human life and treats the general populous with utter contempt.

 

FYI - We will not be wasting time re-imaging the devices. If the LA want theirs back from students, then they can get them back themselves. I was involved in a similar scheme years ago of the 94 laptops that went out 5 came back the rest were either sold on (we thought you'd given them to us to keep - despite being shown the signed agreement which clearly stated it was not theirs) lost or destroyed.

 

I have no expectation that any of the laptops will come back and I have no intention of wasting my time trying to get them back. Other than that it's a great idea well done Boris on a job well done

[Dave_O]

I wouldn't if I were you unless you have your own cloud based web filtering solution that works off site and you have a load of time on your hands. You'll have to unlock each machine on a one by one basis prior to imaging. Here's an extract from the email detailing how to do this. Enjoy:-

 

Dear Sad, Bitter and Twisted Old Man

 

We’ve received a number of queries around mobile device management (MDM), and how to reset Microsoft devices to install your own software. This email provides information about the options available to you.

 

If you have distributed devices to schools, please make sure that they receive this information.

Computacenter will send all Microsoft Windows laptops and tablets to you with pre-installed web filtering, Cisco Umbrella, and settings configured and managed by the Department for Education (DfE) using Microsoft Intune.

 

Who can request passwords and programs to reset devices

Local admin passwords are needed to reset devices and install new software. An executable program is required to unlock BIOS settings.

 

For security reasons only the nominated technical contact of the organisation that ordered the devices is able to request this information.

That means:

• the technical contact at a local authority (LA) or multi-academy trust needs to request these and share them with schools

• the technical contact at a single-academy trust can request this information directly

 

Please see the ‘Request your local admin passwords and BIOS program’ section below to find out how to do this.

 

About Cisco Umbrella and Microsoft Intune

Cisco Umbrella is a web-filtering solution pre-installed on devices that prevents users from accessing illegal or inappropriate content. Microsoft Intune is a mobile device management solution installed on devices to prevent users from making changes, such as removing security settings and installing software.

It‘s not possible to tailor the pre-installed settings to meet local needs. You may find you can make changes, such as installing additional software, but these changes may be overwritten by Intune when it next updates the device.

 

The only way you can add your own long-term settings to the device is by restoring it to its original state, removing Microsoft Intune and Cisco Umbrella.

Bitlocker encryption has not been enabled on the devices to make it easier for you to reimage them. We recommend adding these settings when you reset devices to protect the data that users store on devices.

 

If you remove the pre-installed settings provided by DfE, it’s your responsibility to set up alternative safeguarding measures to avoid risks to the children and young people in your care.

How to reset Microsoft devices so you can add your own software and settings

 

To install your own software or replace Cisco Umbrella and Microsoft Intune you’ll need to restore factory settings on the device. This will remove all of the security and protection features on the device.

You’ll need to do this for each device individually. If schools want to reset the devices you send them, please share this guidance with them.

 

1. Request your local admin passwords and BIOS program

 

As the technical contact, you must request these from the XMA support desk before you can reset your devices. For security, schools cannot request these themselves unless you’re a single academy trust that ordered devices directly from Computacenter.

 

You need to email [email protected] and provide the serial numbers for any devices you want to reset. Serial numbers were provided with the email Computacenter sent you when they dispatched your devices.

2. Restore your device’s factory settings

You must ensure the device is connected to power throughout this process.

1. Boot the device and login to the local admin account

a. Device boots into localuser

b. Logout of localuser

c. Login as the local admin user:.\localadmin

d. Enter the local admin password for that device, supplied by the XMA support desk

2. Enable the recovery partition

a. Run the cmd application “as administrator”

b. Enable the recovery partition using the command: reagentc /enable

c. The output should say: “Operation Successful”

d. Check the partition status using the command: reagentc /info

e. The partition should now be: “Enabled”

3. Unlock the device BIOS

a. Follow the instructions provided by XMA which will be correct for your device type. This usually includes running a program “as administrator” which removes password protection from the BIOS and enables network and USB boot options, but please refer to instructions from the XMA support team.

4. Logout with “change user” to get to the login screen

a. Hold and click on the power icon and then “restart”

b. The device should enter a “Troubleshoot” menu

c. Select “reset this PC”

d. Select “remove everything”

e. If the above sequence doesn’t work then you should be able to enter recovery mode using the relevant key combination for the device manufacturer at boot

HP: press F9 key

ASUS: press F9 key “continuously”

Lenovo: press FN+F11 keys at the same time

Dynabook (Toshiba): press and hold 0 (zero) key

5. The device should reboot into “Reset this PC”

a. Select “No – remove provisioning packages...”

b. Select “Clean the drive fully”

c. Select “reset” to confirm

3. Install your own software

You can install your own software, settings and MDM once the device has been reset. If you need help setting up your MDM, please contact the XMA service desk by emailing [email protected].

If you have any questions, please email [email protected].

Regards,

The Digital Infrastructure Team

Edited June 12, 2020 by Dave_O

[AJWhite1970]

Got two 14” i3 4gb 60gb storage laptops arriving next week for our two identified y10 students.

 

Glad to see they have overspec’d them so they will last a few years....

[jmak]

I wouldn't if I were you unless you have your own cloud based web filtering solution that works off site and you have a load of time on your hands. You'll have to unlock each machine on a one by one basis prior to imaging. Here's an extract from the email detailing how to do this. Enjoy:-

 

Dear Sad, Bitter and Twisted Old Man

 

We’ve received a number of queries around mobile device management (MDM), and how to reset Microsoft devices to install your own software. This email provides information about the options available to you. [/Quote]

 

Chromebooks anyone?

[southhamster]

We've had an email informing us that 3 Chromebooks have been allocated but no idea what I have to do with them.

[mavhc]

I assume those people turning their nose up at free laptops already have a 1:1 scheme running

[3s-gtech]

I assume those companies that have managed to flog their awful spec gathering-dust laptops to the government for trade+50% prices are having a socially distanced staff party...

[SpaceInvader83]

We run a 1:1 scheme with Chromebooks already, received 21 Dell Chromebooks for our yr10 students , perfectly fine for what they're needed for so can't complain, we've got a further 9 coming from the LA, happy days.

 

We have a handful of windows devices coming for our primary schools , these are undoubtedly going to be pretty poor but they're free and they'll be fine for web browsing, I mean ideally iPads would have been much more useful for our primary kids. I'll be handing out the windows devices as is.

[coreykeeling]

I wouldn't if I were you unless you have your own cloud based web filtering solution that works off site and you have a load of time on your hands. You'll have to unlock each machine on a one by one basis prior to imaging. Here's an extract from the email detailing how to do this. Enjoy:-

 

Dear Sad, Bitter and Twisted Old Man

 

We’ve received a number of queries around mobile device management (MDM), and how to reset Microsoft devices to install your own software. This email provides information about the options available to you.

 

If you have distributed devices to schools, please make sure that they receive this information.

Computacenter will send all Microsoft Windows laptops and tablets to you with pre-installed web filtering, Cisco Umbrella, and settings configured and managed by the Department for Education (DfE) using Microsoft Intune.

 

Who can request passwords and programs to reset devices

Local admin passwords are needed to reset devices and install new software. An executable program is required to unlock BIOS settings.

 

For security reasons only the nominated technical contact of the organisation that ordered the devices is able to request this information.

That means:

• the technical contact at a local authority (LA) or multi-academy trust needs to request these and share them with schools

• the technical contact at a single-academy trust can request this information directly

 

Please see the ‘Request your local admin passwords and BIOS program’ section below to find out how to do this.

 

About Cisco Umbrella and Microsoft Intune

Cisco Umbrella is a web-filtering solution pre-installed on devices that prevents users from accessing illegal or inappropriate content. Microsoft Intune is a mobile device management solution installed on devices to prevent users from making changes, such as removing security settings and installing software.

It‘s not possible to tailor the pre-installed settings to meet local needs. You may find you can make changes, such as installing additional software, but these changes may be overwritten by Intune when it next updates the device.

 

The only way you can add your own long-term settings to the device is by restoring it to its original state, removing Microsoft Intune and Cisco Umbrella.

Bitlocker encryption has not been enabled on the devices to make it easier for you to reimage them. We recommend adding these settings when you reset devices to protect the data that users store on devices.

 

If you remove the pre-installed settings provided by DfE, it’s your responsibility to set up alternative safeguarding measures to avoid risks to the children and young people in your care.

How to reset Microsoft devices so you can add your own software and settings

 

To install your own software or replace Cisco Umbrella and Microsoft Intune you’ll need to restore factory settings on the device. This will remove all of the security and protection features on the device.

You’ll need to do this for each device individually. If schools want to reset the devices you send them, please share this guidance with them.

 

1. Request your local admin passwords and BIOS program

 

As the technical contact, you must request these from the XMA support desk before you can reset your devices. For security, schools cannot request these themselves unless you’re a single academy trust that ordered devices directly from Computacenter.

 

You need to email [email protected] and provide the serial numbers for any devices you want to reset. Serial numbers were provided with the email Computacenter sent you when they dispatched your devices.

2. Restore your device’s factory settings

You must ensure the device is connected to power throughout this process.

1. Boot the device and login to the local admin account

a. Device boots into localuser

b. Logout of localuser

c. Login as the local admin user:.\localadmin

d. Enter the local admin password for that device, supplied by the XMA support desk

2. Enable the recovery partition

a. Run the cmd application “as administrator”

b. Enable the recovery partition using the command: reagentc /enable

c. The output should say: “Operation Successful”

d. Check the partition status using the command: reagentc /info

e. The partition should now be: “Enabled”

3. Unlock the device BIOS

a. Follow the instructions provided by XMA which will be correct for your device type. This usually includes running a program “as administrator” which removes password protection from the BIOS and enables network and USB boot options, but please refer to instructions from the XMA support team.

4. Logout with “change user” to get to the login screen

a. Hold and click on the power icon and then “restart”

b. The device should enter a “Troubleshoot” menu

c. Select “reset this PC”

d. Select “remove everything”

e. If the above sequence doesn’t work then you should be able to enter recovery mode using the relevant key combination for the device manufacturer at boot

HP: press F9 key

ASUS: press F9 key “continuously”

Lenovo: press FN+F11 keys at the same time

Dynabook (Toshiba): press and hold 0 (zero) key

5. The device should reboot into “Reset this PC”

a. Select “No – remove provisioning packages...”

b. Select “Clean the drive fully”

c. Select “reset” to confirm

3. Install your own software

You can install your own software, settings and MDM once the device has been reset. If you need help setting up your MDM, please contact the XMA service desk by emailing [email protected].

If you have any questions, please email [email protected].

Regards,

The Digital Infrastructure Team

 

We contacted them as the instructions state but they wouldn't provide the password as we are not the key contact but the funny thing is neither is our headteacher. The LEA are now in talks with the DFE and the company to get these passwords. If anyone has the password for the HP model I would appropriate it as the laptops are currently collecting dust at both our schools.

[mavhc]

remove the drive, image it elsewhere, put the drive back in

[MYK-IT]

Finally received the email to register and order, at midnight over the weekend...

 

Attempted to login this morning (and I assume every other school currently is...) as the website is inaccessible... timing out!

[Andycat]

Finally received the email to register and order, at midnight over the weekend...

 

Attempted to login this morning (and I assume every other school currently is...) as the website is inaccessible... timing out!

 

No, not me. Still no email!

[DrCheese]

We contacted them as the instructions state but they wouldn't provide the password as we are not the key contact but the funny thing is neither is our headteacher. The LEA are now in talks with the DFE and the company to get these passwords. If anyone has the password for the HP model I would appropriate it as the laptops are currently collecting dust at both our schools.

 

You couldn't make it up.

 

I don't know why the LEA is the contact for LEA managed schools anyway - Whist they may be "Responsible" for us, they have very little to do day to day with the management of the school & zero say about our IT provision.

[pete]

Does anyone know if councils are proactively sending laptops to eligible looked-after-children that they're responsible for when the children currently live in another council's area?

[Andycat]

Does anyone know if councils are proactively sending laptops to eligible looked-after-children that they're responsible for when the children currently live in another council's area?

 

The only Laptop I've heard about so far coming to us (in Blackburn) is coming from Blackpool council, so I think yes.

[LeMarchand]

You are responsible for providing IT support to device users.

 

Joy.

 

So we have fairly locked down devices that we have all sorts of hoops to jump through to gain admin access to if we need it, but we're supposed to be providing support?

 

Should've known my dream of "check they work, send 'em out and reset if/when they're returned" being my part would be too easy.

[gmonks]

We've also got 7 of these HP laptops but cannot image them or install any software as we don't have the password.

[Aprice]

We had 6 delivered on Friday, HP 250 G7s Intel Celerons 4GB ram.

 

Pretty much what I expected to be honest.

 

Alex

[timbo343]

Our LAC are getting HP 255 G7 4gb Ram. Not sure about processor (i pressume AMD) or HDD/SSD but they have a 15.6" screen which was preferred over the Chromebook's 11" screen.

 

The devices will not be owned by the school and are on loan to the students.

Edited June 15, 2020 by timbo343