Device management
The Jamf Pro MDM Platform
How the College configures, supports and secures student MacBooks, and what we can and cannot see on them.
Jamf Pro is a Mobile Device Management (MDM) platform built specifically for Apple devices. It allows the College IT team to configure, manage and protect student MacBooks remotely, without needing the device physically in front of us.
Jamf Pro is the platform chosen by both Catholic Education, Diocese of Wollongong (CEDoW) and St Francis Catholic College. It is used across the Diocese, which means the way devices are managed here is consistent with other CEDoW schools.
In practice, Jamf Pro is what makes a MacBook bought at a shop behave like a College learning device: the right apps appear, printing works, network access works, settings are correct for your child's year group, and security standards are met, all without a family having to configure any of it.
It works through an MDM Profile, a small configuration file installed on the Mac during enrolment. You can see it at any time in System Settings › General › Device Management.
If your child was at St Francis before 2027
Student MacBooks previously used Managed Software Centre for the same job. Jamf Pro replaces it. The College has always managed student devices. This is a change of platform, not a change of approach, and it brings students onto the same system staff across the Diocese already use.
Four things, broadly.
We install and update the apps students need automatically. The CEDoW Self Service app on the Mac lets students install additional approved apps themselves, whenever they need them, without waiting on us.
We enforce the security standards required by CEDoW, including deploying Zscaler Security for internet safety and web filtering on the College network.
We collect hardware and software details such as model, macOS version, storage and battery health, so we can plan support, spot a failing device early, and troubleshoot faster.
We apply settings that save everyone time: College bookmarks in Chrome, printer setup, Zoom and app licence configuration, and Wi-Fi certificates.
CEDoW Self Service is worth knowing about
Students should look in CEDoW Self Service (in the Applications folder) before contacting IT about a missing app. Most College software can be installed from there in a couple of clicks, including re-installing something that has stopped working.
Some restrictions are applied to student devices. These are deliberate, limited, and designed to support learning and wellbeing, not to monitor students.
The same restrictions apply to every year group, from Year 5 to Year 12, and only while the device is on the College network.
| Restriction | Applies to | Where | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharing features AirDrop, iPhone Mirroring and similar | Years 5–12 | College network only | Keeps students focused in class and reduces the risk of inappropriate content being passed between devices |
| App blocks Messages, FaceTime, certain social and gaming apps | Years 5–12 | College network only | Removes the most common classroom distractions during the school day |
Nothing is enforced once the device leaves the College network
These restrictions apply only while the device is on the College network. There is no curfew and no profile restriction of any kind off the network. At home, the Mac behaves like any other family laptop.
That means managing device use at home is a family matter, and we'd encourage you to have that conversation early, especially with Year 5 and 6 students.
This is the question families ask most, and it deserves a straight answer. Jamf Pro collects information about the device, not about what a student does on it.
Browsing history is a separate question
Internet traffic on the College network is filtered and logged by Zscaler, not by Jamf Pro, and only while the device is connected at school. Once the Mac is off the College network, browsing is not filtered or logged by the College at all. The Zscaler Security page explains this in full.
The MDM Profile is the College's primary means of ensuring student devices are up to date, correctly equipped, secure, compliant, and accessing our network and resources safely.
For that reason, the MDM Profile is a compulsory component of enrolment at St Francis Catholic College.
Removing or tampering with the profile
Removing, failing to install, or attempting to modify the MDM Profile breaches the CEDoW Student Responsible Use of Technology Agreement. It also prevents the device from accessing the College network, apps and services needed for learning, so in practice the student cannot do their schoolwork. Deliberate tampering will result in disciplinary action.
A few practical notes:
Technology doesn't replace good judgement
Jamf Pro helps us keep devices secure and appropriate for learning, but it is not a substitute for our students choosing to respect themselves, others and property, online as much as anywhere else. Please read the CEDoW Student Responsible Use of Technology Agreement in Compass with your child.
No. Jamf Pro reports on the device: model, macOS version, installed apps, battery health and similar. It does not report on activity. We cannot see personal files, read messages or access the camera, and the College does not use remote screen viewing on student devices. Internet filtering and logging through Zscaler applies only while the device is connected to the College network.
Jamf Pro does report the list of applications installed on the Mac, as part of its inventory. We use this to manage licensing, check compatibility and support devices, not to audit students. It does not show anything about how or when an app was used.
Jamf Pro includes remote lock and wipe capability, which is standard in any MDM platform. The College does not use these on a personally owned BYODD device except at a family's own request, for example if a Mac is lost or stolen and you ask us to help. We would not wipe a family-owned device without your knowledge.
No. There is no curfew, and no restriction of any kind applies once the device is off the College network. App blocks and sharing restrictions are enforced on the College network only, so they lift the moment your child gets home.
Setting expectations about device use at home is therefore entirely a family decision. If you'd like support with that, your child's Year Coordinator is a good place to start.
That's expected. Certain social, messaging and gaming apps are blocked while on the College network and become available again once the device is off it. If a College app isn't working at school, that's different. Please log a support request.
No. It is a condition of enrolment and the mechanism by which the device meets CEDoW security standards. Without it, the Mac cannot access the College network or the resources your child needs for class.
If you have questions about device management that aren't answered here, please contact your child's Year Coordinator or raise a request via the IT Support page. We're happy to explain any of it in more detail.
