Pukekohe High School BYOD Requirements 2025

Teenaa koe,

All students will use a device as part of their learning. We ask for caregiver support to ensure that students have access to devices. From this year all NZQA examinations will be digital, and students will require a device to sit these exams.

As a school, we don’t mandate a particular device because individual student needs may differ. We do, however, suggest you consider carefully the following minimum specifications for a suitable digital device:

• Standard Intel (please do not purchase an Intel Celeron laptop*) or Apple (current release or 2-3 years old only**)
• 128GB (Windows/Apple) SSD – minimum
• 8GB RAM – minimum
• Windows 10 Home or Windows 11 Home (not in S mode – students must be able to install Teams, Adobe Reader, VLC, Chrome) or Apple Mac OS
• Wireless networking capability using 802.11g or n
• Five (5) hours of use from one battery charge
• Large screen (10 inches minimum) sufficient to work with documents to create and edit content
• Ability to run a web browser (e.g. Chrome, Firefox, Edge) that will allow it to access internet and other learning resources
• Lightweight but robust enough to handle daily use
• Comes with protective carry case
• Chrome Books (compatible with the PHS network but not recommended): Intel Celeron Dual Core/Quad Core, 1GHz, 4GB RAM, 64GB Hard Disk, Wi-Fi, Camera

*Intel Celeron laptops run too slowly and may impede students’ ability to complete their work

** Apple laptops older than 2-3 years may not permit use of Teams/Office

The school will provide an account for Office 365 for all students. This can be installed on up to five (5) devices and will give access to all MS Office 365 in a web browser or on their device.

Given the above guidelines, we suggest you seriously consider a full-function Windows laptop. Local and online suppliers are aware of our recommendations and will help you choose the right device for your student, its use at school and your budget.

We have a limited supply Ministry of Education devices that we can loan out to students; however, we prioritise our senior year 12 and 13 students.

Chromebooks 

For Chromebooks you will need your own google ID and account to login and access the device. Once you login to the device, then you can access the school apps using the school login and password. Wi-Fi can be accessed by following the steps below:

1. Click on the Quick Settings Panel at the bottom right of your screen.
2. Click on “no-network.”
3. Select – “PHS WIFI”
4. Set the options below from the drop down menu

> EAP Method = PEAP

>Phase 2 authentication = MSCHAPv2

>CA Certificate = Do no validate

>Identity = Student ID (just student ID number)

>Password = (Your Microsoft/KAMAR password)

>Anonymous Identity – Keep it blank (Don’t enter anything)

Apple (MacBook) / Windows Laptops (HP/Acer/Lenovo/Dell)

1. Click on WIFI icon
2. Select – “PHS WIFI”
3. Enter your details > Username: Student ID
4. Password: (Your Microsoft/KAMAR password)

 Accessing through your Browser

You can access the Microsoft school applications through your preferred browser – Google Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, etc.

1. Go to: https://www.office.com/
2. Click on “Sign in”
3. Enter your school email: StudentID@pukekohehigh.school.nz (e.g.:40051@pukekohehigh.school.nz)
4. Enter your password
5. You will be on the home page of your account with access to all Microsoft school apps. You can click on the required app and use the application.

Some of the commonly used apps used by the school for class work are within the Microsoft 365 suite of programmes:

• Teams
• Outlook
• Notebooks
• Powerpoint
• Excel
• Word
• One Drive

For more information for what each is used for and the icon click Tech Website

Note: You can individually download these applications and use it on your devices – Mobile / Tablets / laptop. This will give direct access and software will be installed on your device.

Specialized App (DIT / ARTS)

Adobe Suite Licenses are automatically assigned to a student when the students opts for the subjects that requires the use of this license. School Labs have the applications pre-installed. Logins for adobe would be same as the school Microsoft/Kamar credentials. You can use these adobe licenses on your BYOD devices if it is able to meet the minimum requirement of that application. Chromebooks and other basic devices won’t be able to cope with the requirements of a few of these heavy resource utilizing application.

Backup

One Drive is the best place to back up your school project files. You can access those files from anywhere through your web browser and school credentials. Make sure you copy and back up files from your device onto one drive for safety reasons. When your tenure with school ends, make sure you back up these files onto your storage (USB / hard drive ) if needed to access in future. Once your tenure ends, your Microsoft account will get deactivated and you will not be able to access any applications or files.

Printing

Students will need to login to a school device to print. Students can print from the Library or in a classroom with teacher supervision. Once logged in,  they automatically have access to printers. The school uses Papercut for print management. Hence all school devices have the papercut app installed and printers are connected.

The notification below should pop-up when the print command is given. Select the correct printer name – ask your teacher for the accessible printer. If this dialogue box doesn’t  pop up make sure the papercut application is running on the computer. Search bar > Type Papercut and open.