Schools and academy trusts may have laptops, Chromebooks, tablets, printers, loose drives and paper archives to retire. An inventory and an agreed data handling route help each site authorise what leaves and reconcile what happened afterward.
Prepare the equipment list
Record each school or site, collection postcode, equipment type, approximate count and any asset identifiers needed for the school's records. Separate leased devices and equipment held under another organisation's terms. Flag failed or inaccessible devices, and include storage in printers and servers rather than counting only pupil laptops. Our school IT asset disposal guide gives a detailed checklist.
Agree the destination of the data
Decide which suitable devices may be prepared for reuse through verified data erasure and which media are intended for physical destruction. Device management actions and resetting need to be considered alongside the actual storage. The Department for Education's laptop, desktop and tablet standards discuss data protection and electrical waste when equipment is disposed of; the school should apply its own policy to the particular batch.
Coordinate handover and records
Give each site a named contact and access window. Ask what handover receipt and completion record are available for the method being proposed. Compare those records with the school inventory, and resolve counts or identifiers that differ. For a trust with several schools, see our multi-site planning guide.
Send the site postcodes, device counts, material types and evidence requirements. We will check the service available and scope for each location before booking. Request a school or academy quote.
Further reading: DfE laptop, desktop and tablet standards.