The Hutchins School Surface Laptop Go upgrade transforms the classroom experience

The Hutchins School in Hobart has achieved Microsoft Gold School status for transforming the use of technology in education, after upgrading to Surface laptops for its middle school students.

The Anglican boys’ school switched from Google Chromebooks to Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Go at the start of 2022 for years 6 to 8. As a result, those students can easily access industry-standard software and services – the kind they will eventually be using in the workplace.

Hutchins is a day and boarding school, with over 1100 boys enrolled from Pre-Kindergarten to Year 12.

“The new laptops have enhanced what the students can do in the classroom, using a range of tools and applications in the Microsoft Education ecosystem,” says William Lelong, Head of ICT.

“The teachers wanted students to be able to use things like Adobe Photoshop and the more creative tools for graphics and video that were limited by the Chromebook device,” says Lelong.

One-device program is freeing up time in the classroom

With teachers and students collaborating and using the same devices and software, there is no need for the time-consuming workarounds that can hold up a class as they tackle device compatibility issues.

Students appreciate having access to the software they need and want, rather than having to constantly look for alternatives. They are also becoming accustomed to solving problems by themselves.

This result, on its own, has freed up time for the five-person school IT team. “The students have been able to work out how to do things themselves,” says Lelong.

When student laptops are loaded with the creative tools they require, other efficiencies emerge: Hutchins no longer has to run a separate media lab to provide access to some of the creative software. The lab has now been converted to a room of screens –­ which the school already owned – so that students can connect their laptops and work from their own devices.

“We don’t need a whole other set of desktops for them to operate. So now they can go home and continue that media work at home – if they would like to,” says Lelong.

Cutting the cost of repairs also takes care of the environment

Another saving has been the cost of repairs – in terms of money and time wasted out of the classroom.

“Under the previous device program, breakages were common and, after the Chromebooks’ one-year warranty had expired, the repair cost was such that it was cheaper to buy new ones,” says Patrick Dalton, ICT Service Desk Technician

An ongoing education program now encourages students to take care of their new laptops and families are now charged a $99 excess fee if the device is damaged. As a result, repair costs have diminished significantly.

The sustainability of the school devices is an essential factor: 88 per cent of the 4 million computers and 3 million TVs purchased in Australia every year will end up in landfill, according to Clean Up Australia.

The device repair and replacement program has also been streamlined – the school bought an extra ten laptops to be used in a “hot swap” arrangement, which means that damaged devices can be immediately exchanged, while the old one gets sent away to be fixed.

The repair turnaround time is only two to three days, compared with two to six weeks under the previous program. “From a teaching and learning point of view, there isn’t that downtime,” adds Dalton.

Power up the device and it’s ready to go

Students do not waste time waiting for their devices to be fixed before returning to work. A significant factor in the success of the hot swap program is Windows Autopilot (a collection of technologies used to set up and pre-configure new devices). “We pretty much turn the laptop on, put in a couple of settings and then, within 20 minutes or so, it’s ready to be given to a student,” says Dalton.

Windows Autopilot has also streamlined the school’s process of getting new computers ready for the start of the year.

Previously, it would have taken up to two weeks to set up all the new devices manually. However, this year, with Windows Autopilot, the school set up more than 150 devices in just two days.

“This was a massive improvement on what we could do before,” says Lelong.

Preparing students for the jobs of tomorrow

By upgrading to Surface laptops and the Microsoft Education ecosystem, The Hutchins School is preparing students for future workplace demands, while revolutionising the classroom experience and allowing teachers and students to collaborate seamlessly. Savings have been made, including cutting the cost of repairs, and the device program has improved sustainability.