Setting Up Your New School iPad

📱

Pupil iPad Set-Up Guide

Empowered Learning (iOS 26)

Tap an option above — a few steps are different depending on where you’re setting up.

💡 Before You Start

🔘No Home Button — this has been removed on newer iPad models.
🔌USB-C Charging — your new iPad comes with a new USB-C to USB-C cable. You’ll need to use the same plug as you use for your current iPad.
🎧No Headphone Jack — you’ll need a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter for wired headphones.
📶Bluetooth Works Fine — wireless keyboards, headphones and speakers can still connect.
⚡1. Power On
📶2. School Wi-Fi
🔑3. School Sign-In
🍏4. Passcode & Apple ID
🎉5. Ready to Use

⚡ Getting Started

1
🔋

Turn On Your iPad

Take the iPad out of the box and press the power button (top edge) to turn it on.

If the iPad goes to sleep at any point you’ll see the “hello” screen — just swipe up from the bottom of the screen to resume.

2
🌐

Choose a Language

Select English from the language list.

3
🗺️

Select a Country

Select United Kingdom from the country or region menu — it should be at the top of the list.

4
🔤

Appearance

Choose how you’d like text and icons to look — move the slider to Medium, Large, or leave it on Default. Tap Continue once selected.

5
📲

Quick Start

Choose the option to Set Up Without Another Device.

📶 Connect to Wi-Fi

6
📡

Choose a Wi-Fi Network

School

Select the LT_OPEN network from the Wi-Fi menu or select your home Wi-Fi network if setting up at home.

Choose a Wi-Fi Network
Council Corporate WiFi 🔒📶
LT_EL 🔒📶
LT_OPEN 🔒📶 ✅
LTAP_P 🔒📶
⚠️ If LT_OPEN doesn’t show, tap Choose Another Network until it appears.

Home

Select your home Wi-Fi network from the list, then enter your home Wi-Fi password when prompted. Tap Join to connect.

💡 Not sure of your home Wi-Fi password? It’s often printed on a sticker on your router.
7
👤

Username and Password School

Enter your school log-in username (just the number, not the full e-mail address) and your school password — the same ones you use for Teams. Tap Join to connect.

8
🔏

Certificate School

Tap Trust to accept and install the certificate.

⏳ Be patient — this may take some time.
💡 At home you won’t see a certificate or school log-in screen for Wi-Fi — your iPad moves straight on to Remote Management below.

🔑 School Sign-In & Device Management

9
⚙️

Remote Management Screen

You’ll see this iPad is owned by City of Edinburgh Council. Tap Enrol this iPad.

10
🏫

Edinburgh Log-In Screen

Tap Next only once.

⚠️ Tapping this multiple times will disrupt the set-up. It’s essential to be patient here — it may take some time.
11
Ⓜ️

Microsoft Sign-In

Enter your school email address — your Office 365 email, the same one you use to log into Teams.

123456789@ea.edin.sch.uk

Tap Next.

12
🔐

Password

You’ll be taken to the City of Edinburgh sign-on page. Enter your password — this is the same password you use for Teams. Tap Sign In.

13
✅

Stay Signed In?

Choose Yes to stay signed in.

14
⏳

Configuring iPad

This screen will take a few minutes to move on — please be patient.

👆 Touch ID — Optional

15
👆

Touch ID Optional

Tap Continue to begin configuring Touch ID, or skip this step by tapping Set Up Touch ID Later.

16
🖐️

Setting Up Touch ID Optional

Lift and place your index finger on the top right button repeatedly, as shown on screen.

17
🤚

Add Another Fingerprint Optional

Add a fingerprint from your other hand by choosing Continue and repeating the previous steps, or skip by choosing Set Up Later in Settings.

18
🛠️

Having Trouble?

If you experience an issue recording your Touch ID, choose Continue with Partial Setup — do not choose “Erase and Start Again”.

🍏 Passcode & Apple ID

19
🔒

Create an iPad Passcode

Enter a passcode for your iPad — your teacher may tell you what to enter, or ask you to make it the same as your Teams password.

Choose Passcode Options then Custom Alphanumeric Code to use a mix of letters and numbers.

20
🔁

Re-Enter Your Passcode

Type the same passcode again to confirm it.

21
🍏

Apple ID

Enter the Managed Apple ID which has been emailed to you from Apple School Manager.

Note: your Managed Apple ID is your username (number) followed by @appleid.ea.edin.sch.uk

123456789@appleid.ea.edin.sch.uk

Tap Continue.

22
🔓

Enter Your Apple ID Password

Enter the temporary password for your Apple ID.
You will then be asked to set a new password for your Apple ID. It must be different to the temporary password, and different to passwords you have used for your Apple ID previously.

23
📄

Terms and Conditions

Choose Agree. You’ll then see the signing-in screen for a few minutes.

🎛️ Set Your Preferences

24
📍

Location Services

Tap Turn On Location Services.

25
🌓

Light or Dark Display

Choose the Light, Dark or Auto option, then tap Continue.

26
🪟

Multitasking & Windowing

Choose Full-Screen Apps and then select Continue.

🏁 Finishing Touches

27
🔍

Check for the Lightspeed App

Swipe to the second screen on your iPad. After a couple of minutes, the Lightspeed (Relay Smart Agent) icon will complete installation, followed by the Self Service app. The “Edit Home Screen” pop-up may not appear — that’s normal.

28
⚙️

Open Wi-Fi Settings School

Swipe to the right of the screen to view the App Library, then open Settings.

29
🔀

Switch from LT_OPEN to LT_EL School

Select Wi-Fi from the left-hand menu, then tap LT_EL from the Networks list.

30
✅

Confirm Wi-Fi Connection School

After a few minutes your iPad will automatically join the LT_EL Wi-Fi. A blue tick confirms you’re connected.

31
🗑️

Forget the LT_OPEN Network School

Tap the blue (i) icon next to LT_OPEN, tap Forget this Network, then confirm with Forget.

28
🏫

Joining School Wi-Fi Home

Your iPad is now fully set up on your home Wi-Fi — nothing more to do at home. The first time you bring it into school, open Settings > Wi-Fi and select LT_EL, then enter your school username and password to join. You only need to do this once.

✔️ Quick Checklist

🎉

Congratulations!

You have now set up a brand new iPad. Your teacher will tell you which apps you need to install from the Self Service app — remember to tap Allow when it asks about notifications.

📧 Need Help?

If you get stuck at any point during set-up, ask your class teacher or contact the Digital Education Team.

✨

Getting to Know Your iPad

iPad (11th generation) — iPadOS 26

📱
A16 chip USB-C 12MP camera Your school iPad is an 11th-generation iPad running iPadOS 26 — the operating system this guide is written for.

🆕 What’s New in iPadOS 26

🪟 Windowed Multitasking

Apps can now be resized and stacked like on a laptop, instead of only running full screen — useful for research alongside notes.

🗂️ Improved Files App

Collapsible folders, colour-coded tags and file details make it much easier for pupils to keep schoolwork organised.

📓 Notes & Journal

Notes gains Markdown export and a calligraphy pen; a new Journal app lets pupils log experiences with photos and sketches.

🎙️ Local Capture

Record audio straight into the Files app — handy for capturing a lesson, an interview, or notes for a project without needing a separate app.

♿ Accessibility — Supporting Every Learner

iPadOS 26 includes free, built-in accessibility tools. Several were expanded this year with on-device Apple Intelligence — nothing is sent to a server.

👁️ Vision New

Accessibility Reader turns busy documents and web pages into a clean, single-column view that can summarise or read aloud — helpful for dyslexia or low vision. VoiceOver now gives richer spoken descriptions of photos and documents. Larger Text and Zoom remain available too.

👂 Hearing New

Videos with no existing captions can now get automatic on-device subtitles. Made for iPhone/iPad hearing aids connect more reliably, and Sound Recognition can alert a pupil to a doorbell, alarm or their name being called.

✋ Motor & Touch New

Voice Control can now be told what to tap in plain language (e.g. “tap the blue button”) instead of an exact label. Touch Accommodations and Switch Control help pupils who find precise tapping difficult.

🧠 Focus & Attention

Guided Access locks the iPad to a single app — useful during an assessment or for a pupil who’s easily distracted by notifications. Reduce Motion and Increase Contrast can also help with sensory sensitivity.

💡 Where to find these: open Settings > Accessibility on the iPad. Each tool can be switched on individually, and most can also be added as an Accessibility Shortcut (triple-click the top button) for quick access.

🔮 Coming Soon — iPadOS 27 Preview Not Installed Yet

Apple’s next major update is expected this autumn (current reporting points to mid-September, though Apple hasn’t confirmed an exact date). None of this is on your iPad yet — it’s just a preview of what’s ahead.

🗣️ Siri, Reimagined

A more conversational Siri, powered by Apple Intelligence, that can understand natural requests and carry out multi-step tasks.

🔎 Visual Intelligence

Circle or tap anything on screen with Apple Pencil to identify it, translate it, or look it up — useful for research and homework.

🧊 Refined Liquid Glass

A clearer, easier-to-read version of last year’s redesign, with sharper icons and adjustable transparency.

🚀 Faster Everyday Use

Quicker app launches and noticeably faster file transfers.

📜 Acceptable Use Expectations

Every pupil iPad is issued under the Empowered Learning programme’s Responsible Use Agreement. A quick reminder of what that means day to day:

✅ Do

  • Use the iPad when a teacher or adult gives permission
  • Handle it with care and keep your passcode private
  • Ask permission before installing or accessing new apps and websites
  • Think True, Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary, Kind before you post
  • Tell an adult about inappropriate messages or content
  • Log out properly when finished on a shared device

🚫 Don’t

  • Share your username or password with anyone
  • Remove school-installed apps or profiles
  • Take or share photos/videos of others without their permission
  • Open files or links from people or sources you don’t know
  • Access apps or websites without permission

Some accessibility settings may need enabling by a parent/carer or teacher rather than the pupil. For the full, up-to-date list of Apple’s accessibility features, see apple.com/accessibility. iPadOS 27 feature names, dates and availability are Apple’s own previews and may change before release. Acceptable use summary above is a plain-language digest — the signed agreements linked here take precedence.