Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)
The Mitchell High School Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program supplements teaching and learning to increase student engagement. We encourage all students to have their own device that meets the school specifications. Tablets/iPads are not acceptable.
Years 7-12
Mitchell High School will be allowing students to bring their personally owned laptops to school. It is essential that these laptops are suitable for use at school. Please see the Mitchell High School Device Specifications list and the laptop must fulfil the Minimum System Requirements.
Before students are allowed to bring their own laptops, students and their parents/carers must read and sign this Mitchell High School BYOD Agreement and the Student Acceptable use of Technology Agreement. These forms need to be returned completed to the MHS Library office.
Download agreement forms:
Mitchell High School BYOD Agreement Form
Student Acceptable use of Technology Agreement Form
The school recommends purchasing a Chromebook, however, other devices such as Windows laptops and MacBooks are acceptable, as long as they support the following technical specifications.
Mitchell High School BYOD Minimum Specifications
Windows (All Rounder)
| Intel Core i3 (Core Ultra 3) or AMD Ryzen 3 |
| 8GB minimum |
| 256GB minimum |
| 8+ Hours |
| Windows 11 (25H2) or Newer |
| Wi-Fi 5 or Newer |
| Bluetooth 5.0 or Newer |
| 1920x1080 or Higher (13” inch or Larger) |
| Built-in webcam and microphone |
| 3.5mm Audio Out USB-C Charging Support TPM 2.0 |
| Intel N100/N200 or newer, or equivalent |
| 8GB recommended; 4GB minimum |
| 128GB minimum |
| 8+ Hours |
| ChromeOS 150 or Newer |
| Wi-Fi 5 or Newer |
| Bluetooth 5.0 or Newer |
| 1366 x 768 minimum (11” inch or Larger) |
| Built-in webcam and microphone |
| 3.5mm Audio Out USB-C Charging |
| Apple M1 or A18 or Newer |
| 8GB minimum |
| 256GB minimum |
| 8+ Hours |
| MacOS 26 Tahoe or Newer |
| Wi-Fi 5 or Newer |
| Bluetooth 5.0 or Newer |
| 2408x1506 or Higher (13” inch or Larger) |
| Built-in webcam and microphone |
| 3.5mm Audio Out USB-C Charging |
| Feature | Windows | Chromebook | MacBook |
| Positioning | All-rounder | Budget | Premium |
| General schoolwork | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent |
| Microsoft Office | Yes | Web versions | Yes |
| Google Classroom | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Specialist software | Broad support | More limited | Broad support |
| Offline working | Excellent | More limited | Excellent |
| Price | Budget to premium | Generally, budget | Generally premium |
| Tablets (e.g. iPad) | Not recommended as a primary device. Tablets may not support all required school applications, software or examination platforms. |
| Smartphones | Not suitable as a school learning device. Smartphones are not permitted for use during school hours. |
| ARM-based Windows laptops (Qualcomm Snapdragon processors) | May have compatibility issues with certain applications, security software, network authentication and peripherals. ARM-based Windows devices are not yet widely supported by all software vendors and may not work with some required school services |
| Gaming laptops | Often heavy, bulky and expensive, with significantly shorter battery life than standard school laptops. Should aim for 8+ hours of battery life |
| Intel-based Apple MacBooks | Apple is transitioning away from Intel-based Macs. Future macOS versions and software may no longer support these devices. Purchase an Apple Silicon MacBook (M-series or A18 or newer) instead. |
| Windows 10 laptops | Windows 10 standard support ended on 14 October 2025. These devices no longer receive standard security updates, potentially putting your child's device and the school's network at risk. |
| Parental Control | Parental control features may prevent school staff and IT from providing supporting or troubleshooting student devices. |
| VPNs | Do not enable, install or purchase personal VPN services for use at school. VPNs may bypass Department security and web filtering protections. Unauthorised VPN use may result in the device being unable to access the internet on the school network. |
Free software for students
As part of the DoE’s Enterprise agreement with Adobe and Microsoft, students can download and install Adobe, MS Office and Windows for free on one personally owned device.
Microsoft Office/Windows
http://nsw-students.onthehub.com/WebStore/Welcome.aspx(opens in new window)
NSW DoE BYOD Software Download Instructions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rK9DcAYmWEA&sns=em(opens in new window)
Adobe
The enterprise agreement with Adobe allows NSW public school students to install Adobe software for free on personally owned devices. This gives students access to Adobe Creative Cloud, Spark and more.
Access to Adobe software by students, is provided through single-sign on via the DoE Student Portal. Home Internet access is required. The video below explains how Adobe Creative Cloud applications can be accessed by NSW DoE staff and students, both on personally owned Windows and Mac devices.
Google Apps
Google Apps for Education is a suite of web-based applications which help teachers and students work collaboratively on documents, spreadsheets, presentations and more. The platform includes Google Classroom, a way to manage assignments online. https://student-googleapps.education.nsw.gov.au/ or can be accessed through your Student Portal.
If you have any questions or need clarification, please contact the front office.
Learning
At our school, we teach the NSW curriculum and offer many different subjects to support each student’s learning. We know that development of skills in literacy and numeracy are the building blocks for learning and for everyday life. Our teachers use effective teaching strategies to help students achieve their goals.
Subject selection
Subject selection is one of your first real chances to take control of your education. Up until now, most of your learning has been decided for you. Now you get to choose the subjects that match your interests, strengths, and goals.