Notebooks for School Staff Program

Policy

This policy outlines requirements for schools to obtain and manage notebooks provided by the Notebooks for School Staff Program (the program).

Summary

• To participate in the program, schools must:
  • be listed in the department’s Entity Register as 'Open'
  • have eligible staff, listed in eduPay, that meet the program eligibility outlined in the Guidance tab
• The program will provision a Windows notebook as a standard platform to schools with eligible staff. Under certain circumstances, schools may elect for a different provisioning option, refer to the program provisioning options chapter in the Guidance tab.
• Where an 'alternate-provision' is selected the school does so on a whole-of-school basis.
• The program will provision a VCE Apple notebook to schools with eligible staff teaching an approved VCE subject – refer to the program provisioning options chapter in the Guidance tab for further information.
• Schools that have aligned their teaching strategy and learning objectives with Apple or enhanced Windows technologies for the delivery of their curriculum can apply for an alternate-provision allowance.
• For each tranche, the program will determine a school entitlement and will advise eligible schools of that entitlement at the commencement of tranche nomination period, refer to the School provision entitlement chapter in the Guidance tab.

Details

The program provides teachers, principals and education support (ES) staff with notebook computers to support the integration of learning technologies into teaching, curriculum, professional development and administrative practices.

Schools are responsible for:

• submitting nominations for notebook provision for their staff under each program tranche. The department will advise eligible schools when the nomination period commences and closes. Schools must submit their nominations by the deadline specified
• maintaining program-provisioned notebooks in good working order, over the full 48 month life cycle, making use of the supplied warranty and protection:
  • where 'school-provision' is selected the school is responsible for upkeep, warranty and protection over the life cycle of the notebook
• returning all program-provisioned notebooks at the end of life or when requested by the program:
  • where 'school-provision' is selected the school is responsible for the disposal of the notebook
• retaining notebooks from staff who no longer work at the school and reallocating to other eligible staff
• allocating notebooks to eligible staff only and maintaining the program's Asset Management System (AMS)
• appointing a school notebook coordinator to act as the single point of contact between the school and the program team, at all times.

In addition to the above, where a school-provisioned option is the chosen platform, the school is responsible for:

• submitting the required application form to the program, with school council endorsement. Refer to the Resources tab
• acquiring notebooks in accordance with the program conditions. Refer to School-provisioned notebooks (alternate-provision allowance) in the Guidance tab. Full program conditions can be found in the Resources tab
• following the program’s reimbursement process within the advised timeframe and providing the required documentation
• complying with the department’s procurement guidelines and processes.

Definitions

Alternate-provision allowance
A provisioning option made available to schools, which have made a significant investment in Apple or enhanced Windows technology.

Notebook
A lightweight portable computer.

Program-provisioned notebooks
Notebooks funded and acquired by the department and allocated to schools, as the custodian.

Program tranche
The notebook life cycle from acquisition through to replacement.

School notebook allocation
The quota of notebooks available for provision to a school based on the number of eligible school staff participating in the program.

School-provisioned notebooks
Notebooks purchased and owned by the school.

School staff
Teachers, principals and education support (ES) staff who are eligible to participate in the program.

Related policies

• Acceptable Use Policy for ICT Resources
• ICT Support for Schools
• Information Security – InfoSafe
• Procurement – Schools

Guidance for Notebooks for School Staff Program

This guidance contains the following chapters:

• Overview
• Program eligibility
• School provision entitlement
• Program provisioning options
• School-provisioned notebooks (alternate-provision allowance)
• End-of-life collections
• Software
• Warranty and protection overview
• Acer notebook – notebook protection claim submission guidance
• VCE Apple notebook – notebook protection claim submission guidance
• Roles and responsibilities

Overview

The Notebooks for School Staff Program (the program) has been in place since 1999 and continues to evolve in alignment with the Department's requirements.

The program aim is to enable all Victorian government schools an equitable provision of notebooks or allowances to allow for the digital delivery of the school curriculum.

The main objectives of the program are to:

• provide opportunities for eligible schools to nominate for notebook provision
• procure, deliver and asset manage program-provisioned notebooks over a 48 month life cycle
• provide schools flexibility of choice via school-provisioned alternate-provision allowances and timely reimbursements.

Participation in the program is optional for all Victorian government schools.

Under the program, teachers, principals and education support (ES) staff will not be required to provide a personal financial contribution to the cost of the notebook allocated to them.

The program operates a standard 48 month life cycle on all notebook provisions.

Program eligibility

For schools to be eligible for the Notebooks for School Staff Program (the program) they must be listed in the department’s Entity Register as: Open.

School staff eligibility is based upon the following criteria:

• Staff must be working in a Victorian government school.
• Staff must be registered on eduPay (including all part-time and full-time staff).
• Staff must be employed under an eligible job code (refer to full Notebooks for School Staff Program Conditions for program-provisioned notebooks in the Resources tab).

Fixed term teachers, principals and education support (ES) staff who meet the eligibility criteria:

• may be allocated a notebook for the duration of their employment contract
• must return the notebook to the School Notebook Coordinator (SNC) prior to their departure from the school.

Education support staff

Where a school wishes to nominate a notebook for an ES staff member, the school is required to identify which ES role their staff members fall into for the purpose of the program.

There are 2 roles under ES staff – ES Admin or ES Staff (non-admin). Please use the guidelines below to support the school to make nominations in the Asset Management System (AMS).

ES Admin

ES staff would be considered ‘ES Admin’ staff if they have access to the ‘administration environment’ on their computer. This type of IT profile or computer set-up would include access to applications such as Chess, Cases21 (part of Chess) and eduPay and these staff would typically work in the ‘school office’ (physically or virtually).

These ES roles would perform an administrative function in their day to day work - some examples of these roles (but not limited to) would be Business Managers and other personnel who provide administrative support.

ES Staff (non-admin)

ES staff would be considered ‘ES Staff’ (non-admin) if they have access to the ‘curriculum environment’ on their computer. This type of IT profile or computer access would allow them to perform teaching support roles related to delivering the curriculum within a school.

These staff would typically work with students and teachers. Some examples of these roles (but not limited to) would be Lab Technicians, IT Technicians (different from Specialist Technicians), Integration Aides and Librarians.

Notebook allocation and nomination

ES staff who perform an administrative role (outlined above) can nominate to receive a pre-configured Windows notebook to replace their existing administration desktop.

ES staff who perform an administrative role at an alternate provision Enhanced Windows school (only), will be able to nominate for an allowance (with endorsement from the principal). However, these schools will need to confirm their chosen device can meet the following IMTD windows specification requirements:

• ensuring that all admin devices procured by the school will be managed by the department within their Intune tenant
• all administration devices procured by the school must come with Windows 11 Pro Education
• instruct their partner/supplier to request an Autopilot Partner Connection with the department to register devices within Autopilot
• conduct thorough end-to-end testing with the selected device model, which would need to be completed prior to any large-scale purchase
• take responsibility for vendor management related to drivers and other technical device requirements
• develop the process to manage issues if the device fails and a reset to the original image is required
• be liable for procuring docking station, monitor, keyboard and other equipment to deliver the desktop experience.

Please note, the department is not able to offer an allowance nomination to ES Admin staff at Apple Allowance schools as there is currently not an autopilot solution for Apple devices.

ES staff not performing an administrative role and who work at a program provision school, will be able to nominate for a Windows notebook only.

ES staff not performing an administrative role at an alternate provision school (Apple or Enhanced Windows), will be able to nominate for a Windows notebook or an allowance (with endorsement from the principal).

ES staff can also choose to not receive a notebook.

School provision entitlement

Each school entitlement per tranche is based on the sum of the school’s eligible staff, listed in eduPay, less the number of notebooks (program-provisioned and school-provisioned) already at the school that are not due for replacement.

For example, if a school has 40 eligible staff and already has 30 current notebooks (program-provisioned and school-provisioned) the school allocation would be 10 notebooks.

Program provisioning options

The Notebook for School Staff Program provides 2 provisioning options, on a whole-of-school basis:

• Program-provisioned (department purchased and owned)
• School-provisioned (school purchased and owned)

Program-provisioned notebooks

Program-provisioned notebooks are owned by the department and allocated to schools, as the custodian, who provide the notebooks to eligible staff for their use whilst they are working at that school.

When the staff member leaves that school (for any reason), the notebook must remain at the school for reallocation.

A notebook allocated to a school will not be replaced if the school allows the staff member to which it has been allocated to take it on leave.

Staff members cannot take a department owned, program-provisioned notebook overseas.

If a notebook is returned to the school during the last week of the term and cannot be reallocated within the school, it must be locked in a secure location or returned to the department.

Where a notebook is program-provisioned there is an option for a Windows notebook and VCE Apple notebooks (for eligible teachers delivering specific VCE subjects). Current eligible subjects are:

• VCE Art
• VCE Studio Arts
• VCE Visual Communication Design
• VCE Media
• VCE Music Performance
• VCE Music Investigation
• VCE Music Style and Composition
• VCE VET in Creative Industries
• VCE VET Music Industry
• VCE VET Information, Digital Media and Technology
• VCE VET Applied Fashion Design and Technology
• Certificate III in Information, Digital Media and Technology
• Certificate III in Screen and Media
• Certificate III in Music Industry

The eligible subjects are provided by the Curriculum and Assessment Branch, from the Learning and Teaching Division, and data of schools teaching those subjects is provided by Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA).

To ensure schools receive their correct entitlement it is vital that subjects are reported in alignment with VCAA reporting requirements and timelines.

In addition to the above eligibility requirement, the school’s entitlement for a VCE Apple notebook is subject to the school’s entitlement calculation at the time of a tranche opening.

The program tracks the number and type of notebooks allocated to each participating school through the program’s Asset Management System.

Program-provisioned notebooks are provided to schools at no cost and include warranty and accidental damage or loss insurance for the life cycle of the notebook – refer to the Warranty and protection chapter in this guidance.

Schools who have opted for the school-provisioned option can nominate for a VCE Apple notebook, centrally funded by the program for eligible teaching staff delivering specific VCE subjects.

School-provisioned notebooks (alternate-provision allowance)

School-provisioned notebooks are purchased and owned by the school, including life-cycle management and disposal.

The program offers 2 options to schools:

• Apple Allowance
• Enhanced Windows Allowance

This selection would be based on the school strategy to deliver the school curriculum and upon localised investment in technology platforms. For example, if a school has invested in Apple technology to deliver its curriculum.

For a school to select this provisioning option, the school must submit an application for an Apple allowance, or for an enhanced Windows allowance, which is reviewed and approved by the school council, supporting the ongoing investment for the chosen technology platform to deliver the school curriculum.

The school selection is made as a 'whole of school' choice, with approval of the school council, and applies to all future provisioning tranches moving forward.

If the direction of the school changes they should contact the program team to discuss the updates and any changes to their provisioning.

The program provides an allowance, in lieu of a program-provisioned notebook.

Schools with eligible teaching staff delivering specific VCE subjects are still able to nominate for a VCE Apple notebook, centrally funded by the program, instead of an allowance. A list of eligible VCE subjects can be found in the program-provisioned notebooks chapter of this guidance.

Alternate provision schools nominating education support staff requirements

Existing alternate provision schools (Apple or Enhanced Windows) have the choice to nominate for a Windows notebook or an allowance for education support (ES) staff who do not perform an administrative role.

ES staff who perform an administrative role at an alternate provision Enhanced Windows school (only) will be able to nominate for an allowance (with endorsement from the principal). However, these schools will need to meet the IMTD windows specification requirements outlined under the Program eligiblity for education support staff chapter of this guidance.

Please note: the department is not able to offer an allowance nomination to ES Admin staff at Apple Allowance schools as there is currently not an autopilot solution for Apple devices.

School-provisioned notebooks – purchase

Schools must purchase notebooks, in alignment with this policy and the program conditions, and seek a reimbursement from the program. The program conditions can be found in the Resources tab.

In summary, schools must purchase notebooks, no other type of device, and must be:

• of a greater cost than the allowance provided
• a volume (number of notebooks) matching or greater than the approved number of allowances for the school.

Approved allowances are confirmed to each school upon closure of the nomination period.

As part of the procurement schools are responsible for arranging appropriate warranty and insurance to cover the life-cycle of purchased notebooks.

The program recommends extended warranty and insurance to match the 48-month life-cycle of the allowance.

Warranty would be part of your purchase, whereas insurance can be purchased either from the supplier or through the department at School Equipment Coverage Scheme (DOCX).

The program seeks to maintain accurate records of serial numbers for school-provisioned notebooks in the program’s Asset Management System.

Schools are not able to load serial numbers directly into the program's Asset Management System, however the School Notebook Coordinator can provide a spreadsheet containing the staff ID (8 digits) and the allocated serial number to the program team, via notebook@education.vic.gov.au and the serial numbers can be uploaded on the schools’ behalf.

Schools have the option to use alternate-provision allowances to lease the specified number of Apple or enhanced Windows notebooks.

School-provisioned notebooks – reimbursement

The program is mandated to follow the department’s reimbursement process via the School Targeted Funding Portal.

Schools must seek a reimbursement via Initiative Agreements, set up by the program for eligible schools, within the School Targeted Funding Portal.

Schools are required to attach the following documentation to their Initiative Agreement to enable the program to make payment against a reimbursement claim:

• Supplier invoice detailing supplier details and date
  • Invoice date must be within the tranche timelines
  • Quantity of notebooks, cost per unit & model serial numbers
  • Certification of goods received, signed for approval to pay and marked as paid
• School raised CASES21 Sundry Debtor Invoice for the value of the allowances being claimed
• CASES21 displaying payment for notebooks (not mandatory but assists speeding up processing time)

Schools must have sought and received a reimbursement approval within 90 days of initial approval advice being sent to schools.

Where a request for reimbursement has not been received and approved by the program within the 90 day approval period, the allowances will lapse.

If a school is experiencing issues in meeting this timeframe, they should contact the program team for advice.

Program tranches

The program undertakes 2 delivery tranches per school year, during Term 1 and Term 3. End-of-life notebooks are collected during Term 2 and Term 4, refer to Resources tab for high-level tranche processes.

If schools require a program-provisioned notebook outside of a provisioning tranche delivery, contact the program team to arrange a mid-cycle provision of a contemporary notebook.

Schools under the school-provisioned option require written approval from the program team to make purchases. Please contact the program team if you do not have written approval prior to making any purchase.

At the beginning of each tranche, the program will communicate with all eligible schools to advise:

• tranche opening
• school entitlement
• the need to submit nominations by specific closing date.

Schools must complete all nominations through the program’s Asset Management System (staff login required), for which all principals and school notebook coordinators have automatic access.

If schools do not submit nominations by the advised closing date, the program will not be able to deliver new or replacement notebooks to the school. If this occurs, the school must contact the program.

End-of-life collections

Program-provisioned notebook collections

The program is required to collect all end-of-life program-provisioned notebooks so to not expose the department to potential privacy, data or licenses breaches.

Schools must collect all end-of-life notebooks, from their teaching staff, and return at the end of 48-month life-cycle or upon request.

End-of-life notebook collections are undertaken twice each year, typically in Terms 2 and 4.

Upon delivery of new notebooks, all end-of-life notebooks should be prepared for collection, this includes:

• data backup and transfer, removal of all personal information
• placing notebook in new notebook packaging (ready to send)
• notebook and peripherals returned to School Notebook Coordinator (school can retain external drives)
• completing, printing and attaching return label (included in collection communication)
• securely storing notebooks pending collection.

Eligible staff may be offered an opportunity to purchase the end-of-life notebook that is allocated to them in the program’s Asset Management System. Notebooks that are unallocated or that are allocated to an ineligible staff member, in the program Asset Management System, cannot be included for this option.

The program engages a supplier to perform collection, data wiping and purchasing options. Any purchase made is a direct agreement between the individual and the contracted supplier.

All notebooks must be returned via this process regardless of whether it has been purchased or not. Failure to do so may result in adverse impacts for the department, program and schools.

School-provisioned notebook disposal

Schools are responsible for disposing the school-provisioned notebooks at the end of their provisioning cycle. In disposing of notebooks, schools must comply with the department policy on Secure Disposal of ICT Equipment (PDF) (staff login required).

Software

All Windows program-provisioned notebooks are supplied with a department built image that provides a range of products that are centrally licensed by the department, as well as freeware software available on the internet.

Additional software installed on notebooks must be licensed by the school and/or individual and must not impact the department’s standard operating environment.

Specialist Technicians will support the program-provisioned notebooks as part of their business as usual activities.

Warranty and protection overview

The warranty and notebook protection guidance chapter gives information about warranty and protection cover. Topics covered on this page include:

• warranty
• warranty claims
• notebook bag warranty claims
• accidental damage, lost and stolen notebook protection claim guidance.

Further chapters give guidance on:

• Acer notebook – notebook protection claim submission guidance
• VCE Apple notebook – notebook protection claim submission guidance

Warranty

All program-provisioned notebooks are covered under a 48-month warranty, provided by the notebook supplier. The warranty covers:

• keyboard/speakers/microphone/webcam/track pad
• defective display
• defective hard drive
• battery and charging failure
• non-software errors during start up and interfaces or ports not operating.

Warranty claims

Schools must log a warranty claim with the supplier as soon as an issue is found. Suppliers can be contacted on the numbers below:

• Acer – 1300 308 056
• Apple – 1300 301 596

Warranty services are provided onsite with an expected resolution within 3 business days.

Schools experiencing any issues with a warranty can contact the department’s notebook program team to escalate to the supplier – refer to the Policy tab for contact details.

Notebook bag warranty claims

Notebook bags are covered under a warranty provided by the supplier.

To log a warranty claim relating to a notebook bag, contact the supplier on the details below:

Contact EVERKI – Limited Lifetime Warranty

Accidental damage, lost and stolen notebook protection claim guidance

All program-provisioned notebooks are insured for their 48-month life cycle. Below are the parameters of the insurance provided.

Geography

Australia-wide

Protection duration

48 months

Inclusions

• Accidental damage
• Accidental loss
• Theft
• Fire
• Flood

Number of claims per 48-month life-cycle

2

Maximum aggregate of claims (Acer program only)

$2,500 over the 48-month life-cycle

Please note: program-provisioned notebook are not permitted to be taken outside of Australia. Any damage or loss incurred overseas will not be covered and the school is required to cover the cost of the repair or replacement of the notebook.

Notebook protection claims

Schools must log a protection claim as soon as the loss or damage is known. Please contact the notebook program team if the date is later than 2 weeks from the loss or theft. The program’s protection process differs based on the model experiencing damage or loss, as below:

• Acer notebooks – please refer to Acer notebook – notebook protection claim submission guidance
• Apple notebooks – please refer to VCE Apple notebook – notebook protection claim submission guidance or contact the notebook program team at notebook@education.vic.gov.au

Notebook protection exclusions

Protection for your Acer or VCE Apple notebook excludes physical loss, destruction of or damage to the notebook caused by:

• insects and vermin, atmosphere, wear and tear, design error, warrantable defects
• spontaneous combustion
• fraudulent or dishonest act
• theft from unlocked motor vehicle
• theft without forced entry
• theft/disappearance of notebook after being left unattended in a public place.

If these apply, your claim will mostly likely be denied and your school will be required to replace or repair the notebook.

Extra costs for schools

Provided that claims remain within the protection parameters, there is a zero protection excess.

However, schools are liable for the following costs:

• any procedural costs not covered by the existing protection policy, for example, police reports
• repair or replacement of a notebook if the claim is outside the protection parameters.

Accessories

Except where a notebook has been lost or stolen, accessories are not covered by protection. That means that if an accessory, such as a charger, is lost or damaged, the school will need to repair or replace it.

Desktop Experience Kits

The supply of a desktop experience kit (integrated display dock, keyboard, and mouse) is a one-time offering from the program and will not be continued past the initial provision of this equipment.

Warranty

The monitors are covered by a 4-year onsite exchange warranty should there be a manufacturing failure i.e. cannot power on, no display (this excludes physical or liquid damage).

Schools must log a warranty claim with the supplier as soon as an issue is found. The supplier can be contacted on the details below:

• Acer – 1300 308 056

Insurance

The desktop experience kits are a one-off provision for schools, they are not covered under insurance. The school is responsible to replace or repair the damaged desktop experience kits.

Acer notebook – notebook protection claim submission guidance

This guidance outlines the steps school staff must take to submit a claim with Acer.

Claims following this guidance will support the claim decision being made effectively.

This guidance includes:

• actions before starting
• what evidence you must submit to support a claim
• how to submit a claim
• where to get help or advice.

Actions before starting

Understand the protection inclusions and exclusions, detailed in the Warranty and protection chapter. Excluded claims will not be covered by protection and your school will be asked to repair or replace the notebook.

Contact your school notebook coordinator who can help with claims and will arrange for an interim notebook while the notebook claim is being managed.

Lost or stolen notebook evidence to submit

Compulsory supporting information/documents to submit

• SNID number (underside of notebook)
• Serial number (underside of notebook)
• Notice to Victim – this notice is given at no cost when reporting stolen notebook to the police. The notice gives the crime number and police officer reporting details including reporting date and a summary of the offence. This Notice to Victim evidence is only required for stolen notebooks

Additional information may be requested to further support the claim

• Police report (the school will be liable for the cost of the report) – to give more detail if the Notice to Victim is not sufficient for stolen notebooks
• A statutory declaration may be requested for lost notebooks if further information is required regarding the situation in which the notebook was lost
• Photos
• Any other required information requested by Acer or the insurers

Accidentally damaged notebook evidence to submit

• SNID number (underside of notebook)
• Serial number (underside of notebook)

Acer will ask you the following questions when you call them for an Accidental Damage Protection Claim, please have the information available when asked:

• Where and when did the damage occur, or when did you first notice the product was damaged?
• What is the nature and extent of the damage? What parts are affected?
• How did the damage occur?
• Where was the device located at the time of damage?
• Are there any further details you would like to provide in relation to this claim?

For all types of claims additional information may be requested to further support the claim.

How to submit your claim

Contact Acer on 1300 308 056 for all claims help and advice.

Submit all completed claim submissions for lost, stolen or accidentally damaged notebooks as directed by Acer. Once the claim is lodged Acer will give an ID number and an email address to submit the claim submission documents.

Submit the claim within 2 weeks of the occurrence. For any claims outside of this timeframe please contact the notebook program team at notebook@education.vic.gov.au

Or, if you already have an account, via the Acer e-support portal to submit the claim.

For further help or advice

Please email notebook@education.vic.gov.au

The email title should read: 'Acer Claim Submission – Help Needed'.

VCE Apple notebook – notebook protection claim submission guidance

This guidance outlines the steps school staff must take to submit a claim with Apple.

Claims following this guidance will support the claim decision being made effectively.

This guidance includes:

• actions before starting
• what evidence to submit to support a claim
• how to submit a claim
• where to get help or advice.

Actions before starting

Understand the Notebook for School Staff Program protection inclusions and exclusions, detailed in the Warranty and protection chapter. Excluded claims will not be covered by protection and your school will be asked to repair or replace the notebook at their cost.

Lost or stolen notebook evidence to submit

Compulsory supporting information/documents

• Serial number of notebook (found on the underside)
• Notice to Victim – this notice is given at no cost when reporting a stolen notebook to the police. The notice gives the crime number and police officer reporting details including reporting date and a summary of the offence. This Notice to Victim evidence is only required for stolen notebooks.
• Photos of the forced entry site (if available)
• Protections claim form (DOCX) (staff login required)

Further optional supporting evidence

• Police report (the school will be liable for the cost of the report) – to give more detail about the claim if the Notice to Victim is not sufficient for stolen notebooks
• A statutory declaration may be requested for lost notebooks if further information is required regarding the situation in which the notebook was lost
• Photos
• CCTV (If available and accessible)
• Any other relevant information to support the claim

Accidentally damaged notebook evidence to submit

Compulsory supporting information/documents to submit

• Serial number of notebook (found on the underside)
• Damage report and quote for repair from Authorised Apple Repair Centre (including serial number of the device on the quote). Quote can be provided remotely
• Photos of damage
• Protections claim form (DOCX) (staff login required)

Further supporting evidence

• CCTV
• Any other relevant information to support claim

Note: When a claim is accepted for accidental damage, the school will be responsible for paying the upfront invoice costs and reimbursed by the insurer.

The school can claim for the cost of the diagnostic test for the accidental damage claim and the cost of the repair invoice.

How to submit your claim

Submit all completed claim submissions for lost, stolen or accidentally damaged notebooks via email to: notebook@education.vic.gov.au

The email subject should read: 'VCE Apple Claim Submission for Notebook [Serial Number]'.

Please note:

• All compulsory supporting information/documents must be submitted. Submissions without all compulsory supporting documents will be rejected.
• The notebook serial number must be submitted with the claim and be on any Apple quotes. The serial number confirms the notebook is part of the program and can be located on the underside of the notebook.
• The notebook program team may ask you for additional evidence to support the claim.

Submit the claim within 2 weeks of the occurrence. For any claims outside of this timeframe please email the notebook program team at notebook@education.vic.gov.au

For help or advice

Please email: notebook@education.vic.gov.au

The email title should read: 'VCE Apple Claim Submission – Help Needed'.

Roles and responsibilities

Principal

The principal is responsible for:

• validating the school staff nominations in the program's Asset Management System (staff login required)
• allocating notebooks only to eligible school staff
• setting guidelines for eligible school staff on notebook usage
• appointing a School Notebook Coordinator
• ensuring all actions required to facilitate smooth provisioning of the notebooks to school staff are completed by the designated deadlines
• ensuring notebooks are returned to the department in good working condition as and when required or requested to do so
• facilitating the replacement of any lost, stolen or damaged notebook accessories
• implementing the department’s and the school’s Acceptable Use Policies
• ensuring that the notebooks are used for their intended purpose
• assuming the School Notebook Coordinator's operational responsibilities when a School Notebook Coordinator is absent
• never participating in or authorising the sale of a notebook
• complying with the current Notebooks for School Staff Program (the program) policy.

School Notebook Coordinator

The School Notebook Coordinator is responsible for:

• being the school level representative for the program and as such, the sole point of contact between participating staff and program staff
• providing guidance on and assistance to school staff with any Participant Agreement the school plans to implement
• ensuring notebooks are added to the school asset register
• tracking notebook allocations against individual school staff members in the program's Asset Management System (staff login required)
• notifying the program team (via email notebook@education.vic.gov.au) as soon as they are aware that a school staff member's eligibility has changed
• coordinating secure receipt of the notebooks
• immediately following the process to report and rectify the situation when a notebook is lost or damaged
• co-ordinating the return of end-of-life notebooks from the school to the department
• notifying the principal and/or the program immediately if a staff member fails to return a notebook when requested to do so or by the due date
• ensuring all school staff are kept updated with relevant program information.

School staff

All school staff participating in the program will:

• notify their School Notebook Coordinator as soon as their eligibility for the program changes
• take all due care to maintain the condition of the notebook
• notify the School Notebook Coordinator immediately when a notebook is lost or damaged
• return the notebook and all its accessories in good condition and working order
• return the notebook when requested by the department or the school
• maintain the integrity of department’s software image and ensure any additional software is licensed.

Department

The department will:

• develop and maintain the Notebooks for School Staff Program policy, procedures and guidelines
• facilitate the program’s delivery to all Victorian government schools
• manage nominal allocation calculations and track allocations to schools
• procure and deliver program-provisioned notebooks
• coordinate the collection of end-of-life notebooks, including, where appropriate, the option for school staff to purchase a current end-of-life notebook
• provide relevant, appropriate and timely communication about the program
• offer a 'Notebook Participant Agreement template' (refer to Resources tab) for schools to modify and implement with their staff if required.

Resources

The following resources are available to support schools implement the Notebooks for School Staff Program (NSSP):

• NSSP program conditions – program provisioned notebooks (PDF) (staff login required)
• NSSP program conditions – school provisioned notebooks (PDF) (staff login required)
• NSSP alternate provision (Apple allowance) application (DOCX) (staff login required)
• NSSP alternate provision (enhanced Windows allowance) application (DOCX) (staff login required)
• NSSP high-level tranche processes (PDF) (staff login required) – this page provides an overview of the process and timelines involved in requesting Program-provisioned notebooks
• NSSP notebook participant agreement template (DOCX) (staff login required)
• NSSP getting started – SNC key tasks – tranche nominations (PDF) (staff login required)
• NSSP getting started – SNC key tasks – reallocating a notebook (PDF) (staff login required)
• NSSP – Asset Management System – user guide (DOCX) (staff login required)
• Asset Management System (AMS) (staff login required)
• School Equipment Coverage Scheme (DOCX)
• School Targeted Funding Portal (staff login required)
• Secure Disposal of ICT Equipment (PDF) (staff login required)
• NSSP protection claims form (DOCX) (staff login required)