We've had the netbooks for a couple of months now and have fluctuated between enthusiasm and frustration.

The frustration has come from still not quite having the systems in place. Charging has been a problem as we have found it impractical to have all 32 netbooks on the trolley charging at once. The back doors will just not close with that many plugs and leads! We have often found that netbooks have been flat when required. As we are still awaiting the numbered identification stickers it is not possible to be sure which have been charged and which not. Once these arrive we shall be charging odd numbers one day and even the next.

On the positive side, we have had many successes.

Year 5 have been studying a  novel which includes a boy moving to a new school in a different town. The netbooks enabled pupils to send one another imaginary emails from him to former friends explaining dilemmas he was in. These friends then replied giving advice.

Year 4s who did not go on a residential visit with the rest of the year group, did a pirate based topic. The netbooks were used to generate pirate names through an online generator; research history of pirates; find their own instructions for making pirate hats,eye patches, treasure chests, cutlasses etc; finding videos and lyrics for sea shanties.

Many pupils have done research on world cup countries using them.

Comments from Year 3 and 4 pupils include:-

"They are good because they're easy to use."

"They are super - portable."

"They look neat"

"They bare just really fun"

"They're handy because you can research things!"