Managing BTEC’s

Types of files: 7B is a results request file – Schools can request this from Pearson in order for EDI results to be made in the August Results period.  Schools should submit this by 31 May. 9B – Registration entry file. 6B – BTEC Basedata June 2023 6B – Entry deadline 23 March – amendment…

InTouch-Behaviour text not retaining bullet points

ESS have confirmed that this is expected functionality, Whilst Intouch is capable of sending messages not every template is suitable for SMS messaging. Unfortunately, SMS messaging does not support the same level of formatting that emails do. We often see examples of formatting and hyperlinks that do not carry over to an SMS message from…

Domestic Exams

SIMS Examinations Organiser is used to administer public exams, such as GCSEs. The training booklet below explores how Examinations Organiser can also be used to administer domestic (internal/mock/PPE) examinations. This includes; create a domestic exams season identify candidates and issue exam numbers create appropriate basedata record ‘entries’ manage seating including clashes run reports clone a…

New Exam Officer not showing on marksheets

Exam Marksheets do not default to the Exams Officer as the owner, as it depends on the group that the marksheet has been created for. Exam Marksheets setup for different groups will have default owners as below: Classes – Main Class Teacher will be owner Registration Group – Registration Tutor Year Group – Head of…

KS4 Autumn Checking Exercise

The KS4 Autumn Checking Exercise is carried out by the DfE to ensure that the information held within the DfE is the same as what is held in the Schools MIS.  This information relates to GCSE exam results received in the summer and any subsequent remarks, SEN,  Pupil Premium, Dual Registration etc. Sometimes a student’s…

Course Manager – Linking Exam Awards to course in Course Manager

There are two ways that you can link courses to QANs: 1.Adding an Award to the Examination panel in Maintain Course, clicking new here will pull through any Award that has been imported into Exams Organiser. If the award is new and basedata has not yet been imported that contains the specific award, it will…

EYFS 2021 Framework

With regard to the new EYFS 2021 Framework, you may need to change your data entry options from 30-50 and 40-60 to be Birth-3, 3-4 and Reception Year. To reflect the new EYFS 2021 Framework, within Sims, go to: Tools/Performance/Options – tick “revised EYFS from 2020” Schools using the revised EYFS resources should select revised…

Sims Parent App – Two factor authentication /Multifactor authentication

The two factor authentication will work normally in Sims Parent for new sign ins if the two factor authentication was enabled on the sign in account (eg, Google, Microsoft, Facebook).  When signing in to Sims Parent on an unknown device you will be prompted to complete the two factor authentication. For further information. please see…

Options “The external directory for this implementation does not currently point to the Sims .net directory”

Within the Options Module, and after selecting the Implementation (Via Tools/Implementation Manager) you may receive a message “The external directory for this implementation does not currently point to the Sims . net directory” You will need to set the file path to G:\Sims .net  (leaving a space between sims and the . )   Reviewed 31/720

Options – Import Students is greyed out

The first thing to check is, has the data been exported? Within Nova T6 go to Data – Export to Nova T4/Options and save the file into the Transfer folder. Then go to Options (Focus/Options) and select the Implementation (Tools/Implementation Manager).  Then import the file via, Tools/Transfers – Import – Curriculum from Nova-T6. Then select…

Report to generate classes and teachers

To generate this report, please go to: -Reports > Design Report > Create a new report -Select “Student” and then “on roll” -On the select data fields screen, select “Classes” (blue sub report), then select Class Name, Class Teacher, Students (blue sub report) First Name, surname.  Your previewed report will look like this:   Reviewed…

Sims Assessment – KS5 Resources – *NEW 4/11/19

This enables schools to have a report similar to the Ready Reckoner used by OFSTED to show the value added score of the school, subjects and students at KS5. What is in the English KS5 Resources? NEW 4/11/19 Now updated to 2019 Value Added figures. Please note that this latest version requires the KS4 average points…

Percentage Attendance in Discover is different to Attendance Reports

Percentage Attendance figures produced by a Discover Percentage Attendance Graph are different when compared with the figures produced by an Attendance / Lesson Monitor report.   This is due to the way that Discover calculates attendance figures as an average, therefore the data will not always match. The differences are because the Discover graphs and…

Change from Gifted & Talented to More Able and Talented

Following the Sims Summer 2019 upgrade, changes have been made to the Reporting Dictionary Report | Design Reports and the Additional Student Columns in Assessment and Attendance.  The fields previously referred to as Gifted & Talented have been changed to More Able and Talented.  Reviewed 27/7/20  

Sending Cover notifications/alerts

A notification/alert can be sent to a teacher, who is due to cover a class, to advise them that they are covering a particular class. Unfortunately this is not an automatic process and will need to be carried out manually. Go to Focus-School-Arrange Cover and select the day/absence in question.  Once this is open, you…

Course Manager – What is the purpose of the two Auto Update boxes

Auto Update Class Links This tick box is to allow Nova-T6 to remove and/or add classes to the course.  This is done when the curriculum and timetable is sent from Nova-T6 to SQL. If the box is ticked, then when a class is exported from Nova-T6 with the same subject and level as the course,…

Updated KS2 Wizards – Comparative Report

Capita provides a KS2 Comparative England 2019 report in SIMS that enables schools to provide parents with information on the school’s current Year 6 end of key stage outcomes alongside comparable national data from 2018. Unfortunately, some inconsistencies have been identified in the report in the way the data is currently presented for national performance…

Sims Attendance – Possible Attendance

When looking at a student’s Individual Registration Attendance report (accessed via links on the right hand side of the student record) you may find that possible attendance varies from one student to another.   Attendance codes D, #, Y, X and Z are ‘Attendance Not Required’ codes. As these codes indicate that attendance is not…

Parent App – Sending out Data Collection to pre-admission groups

It is possible to send out data collection via Parent App to pre-admission groups. Applicants must be in a valid pre-admission group and have an application status of “Accepted”. You can only invite these users in bulk by the groups, they will not appear at all in the individual users lists. One thing worth noting,…

Viewing Key Performance Indicators (KPI) on the Sims Home Page

The Pupil (or Student) Teacher View provides a summary of the following pupil/student information in read-only format using widgets, which function in a similar way to those found on the SIMS Home Page: Basic details Timetable Achievements Behaviour incidents Assessment key indicators Attendance Attendance interventions For Further guidance on this, please refer to the documentation…

School Census – Migrating MIS data to Sims

If you have recently migrated your pupil and staff data into a Sims database from another MIS system (e.g. RM Integris) and you do not have sufficient historical information in your Sims database to complete the census a template can be requested from the DfE to input the additional information. Please complete a DfE service…