If I damage my MacBook and bring it to the IT office for an insurance claim, will I get one of these?
This has been asked by a few students, and the answer is no.
This is how it works from now on when an insurance claim is made on your MacBook.
If it is too expensive to repair and has to be replaced, in future it will be replaced with a 11" MacBook Air (if this is what was damaged) or a 13" MacBook Pro. We no longer intend to purchase the white 13" MacBooks. However, you will probably not be given one of these. You will receive a replacement MacBook of similar condition and age as the one that was replaced. These will come from students who have left school and returned their MacBook. If we run short of these, we may choose another student who has maintained their MacBook in very good condition if they would like to swap it for a new one. In this case you will receive their MacBook. This process means that you are still provided with a MacBook in similar condition to the one you brought in (before it was damaged), but avoids the possibility that a few students may be "negligent" in the care of the MacBook in the hope of having it upgraded.
Please continue to take great care with your MacBooks. It costs taxpayers (which means your parents) a great deal of money to have these repairs and replacements done. If you are one of the Year Tens who still have a soft neoprene sleeve, please think again about purchasing one of the hard Targus cases. These are $50 for new students, but if you are replacing your old cover we will discount this by $10 for you.