Student wellbeing is a priority at Halswell School, and this extends to how our children learn and interact online. We encourage students to use the same school values in digital spaces as we do in the classroom and playground.
To support this, we use several layers of online protection. All internet use at school is filtered through Network for Learning (N4L), the government provider for schools, and tools such as Linewize help us identify and respond early if a student may need additional wellbeing support. These systems help block inappropriate content, flag concerning online behaviour, and allow us to care for students proactively.
Students use school-managed Google accounts for learning, supported by classroom tools such as Hapara. This allows teachers to see what students are working on, guide learning, help keep students focused, and provide feedback — all within a safe and structured digital environment. Together, these approaches help us create an online space where students feel safe, supported, and able to learn confidently.
Learning to Be Safe Online
Alongside these systems, students are explicitly taught how to behave respectfully and safely online. Our digital expectations are based on our school values and are revisited throughout the year so students learn to make good choices online. We follow the recommended best practice from Netsafe New Zealand. We recommend that you have a look at their parent portal. Click on the button to access this site.
Bring Your Own Device (Years 5–8)
We encourage students in Years 5–8 to bring their own device to support learning at school. For your child to bring their own device you and your child must sign the BYOD Agreement below.
What to buy
We have found that most children find Chromebooks very easy to use. Many of our school Chromebooks are ACER and Samsung ones and they seem to be very durable.
Devices will also need to travel to and from school in a protective sleeve/satchel. A set of headphones is also needed to help your child to concentrate and ensure that they don’t disturb others when viewing and creating files that have sound.
Frequently Asked Questions
Students bringing their own devices raises lots of questions for parents. We have put together a list of all the questions we have been either been asked or think you may ask and done our best to answer them on the form below. Scroll down to read them. Hopefully you will find the answers to most of your questions here. If you do have a question that is not answered please email Tracey Mora and she will endeavour to get back to you asap.