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LaptopChooser

Best Laptops for Secondary School

Laptops and Chromebooks under £450 and under 1.7 kg, for homework, research and revision. Check what your school uses: some work in Google Classroom, others in Microsoft 365.

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62 laptops

Choosing a laptop for secondary school

A secondary school laptop needs to do homework, research and revision reliably, and survive being carried in a school bag. Every pick here costs under £450 and weighs under 1.7 kg.

Start with what the school uses. Google Classroom schools suit a Chromebook: cheap, quick to start and automatically updated. Microsoft 365 schools work on either a Chromebook or a Windows laptop, as Word and PowerPoint run in the browser.

Look for 8 GB of memory if you can, and a battery that lasts the school day. For Chromebooks, check the update end date: after it, Google stops security fixes.

Older students moving on to sixth form or uni can look at our student laptop picks.

Frequently asked questions

Chromebook or Windows laptop for school?

Check what your child's school uses. Schools on Google Classroom suit a Chromebook perfectly; schools on Microsoft 365 work with either, since Office runs in the browser too.

How much should I spend on a laptop for secondary school?

£250 to £450 covers homework, research and revision. Spend the extra on 8 GB of memory and a decent battery rather than a faster processor.

Can a school laptop run Minecraft or Roblox?

Many can, at modest settings. Chromebooks are more limited for games. If gaming matters, see our laptops for Roblox page.