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Spring 2013 Release

vikpaw

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vikpaw

vikpaw

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The pre-release notes have been out on SupportNet for some time, resource ID #20559

 

Planned release date is Friday 22nd March.

 

There are some very dandy features coming as per the news item, notably support for Windows 8 + Windows 2012 and the fab new homepage:

 

The SIMS 2013 Spring Release contains enhancements to Assessment, Discover, Fees, FMS, Homepage, InTouch, Multiple Timetables, Personnel, Registration & Admissions, Reporting, SIMS Learning Gateway, SOLUS 3.5 , Technical and Timetable Printing.

 

This release contains updates to Statutory Returns for School Census Summer 2013 (England), Attendance Collection 2013 (Wales), AMPARK (England), Levels of Progression (Northern Ireland), and NDC (Wales).

 

The FMS release contains the statutory Consistent Financial Reporting (CFR) changes for 2012/2013 with the inclusion of a new CFR Heading for I18 Additional Grant for schools. New reports have been included to assist school’s in predicting future bank balances together with the ability to calculate and post depreciation on a periodic basis.

 

This release sees the commencement of support for Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012. SQL2012 is supported for SIMS and FMS releases only. Discover, SLG and SOLUS3 will be supported on SQL2012 from the Sims 2013 Summer release. A Migration utility will be provided alongside the SIMS 2013 Summer release to assist with the migrations.

 

For those of you who weren't able to make it to the BETT show, here are some sneak previews and info based on my notes. Apologies if there are any inaccuracies, i was typing madly into my iPhone whilst being awestruck at all the changes.

 

EDIT: Thanks also to Geoff Perry for taking the time to show me the new look and putting up with my constant interruptions.

 

Firstly, the timeline, is now a full timetable, with various views available, a la Outlook. The best thing though is the ability to alter the working week and times, so finally us Middle Eastern schools can see things how we need to. (The underlying structure hasn't changed, but this is a big first step and very welcome :) ) @NorthernSands

 

The whole thing is sleek and streamlined, plus it scales to match your screen size. Widgets have extra time based options, and UDGs have been added to the groups. There is a month view and you can force refresh a panel. The configuration of each panel has been modified and is more uniform and easier to use.

 

Right clicking on the timetable, gives quick access to class lists and photos.

 

The pie charts have now been replaced with bar charts - yes somebody ate all the pies! We're not sure who, but the pie thief will be found ;)

You can expand a year view to see the constituent reg groups for comparison. Reg Group view allows comparing of individuals. Plus you can tap out to the student view.

 

There are filters in teh assessment panel. Tabbed favourites widget, and i hadn't realised this, but you can favourite a student and have been able to for yonks! Just view the student, click on favourites at top right and it appears in your favourites widget, you just had to scroll down to see it :)

 

As well as the homepage improvements, the student teacher view has also seen similar changes. You can message class teacher and all staff. The timeline shows attendance codes and detentions. You can toggle attendance to see conduct. You can view interventions.

 

Best of all you can easily print the student teacher view.

 

Hopefully i haven't made too many errors, i'm sure @PhilNeal will scream at me if i have ;)

 

homepage.pnghomepage2.pngtimetable.pngtimeline config.png

student teacher view.pngattendance.pngconduct.pngattendance v conduct.png

Edited by vikpaw
acknowledgement.
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vikpaw

vikpaw

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Cheers Vik, looks like SIMS is getting a very nice facelift this Spring!

 

Now to go hunt down the AM7 updates...

 

Don't get too excited:

Assessment

Mark sheets now contain a median value in the summary row.

The Pupil Premium field is now available as an additional column and as a filter on Assessment Mark sheets

 

Discover

A new SIMS Discover Administration Utility (AU) is now available which replaces both the existing Discover Configuration Tool and the Hosted Transfer Tool. The Administration Utility mirrors Discover’s flexible architecture to provide improved access to configuration and management functions, particularly for hosted users. It also provides a better platform for improvements to functionality in future releases.

A staff icon has been added to discover with the following graph functionality:

- Staff in Absence Working Day Lost ranges

- Staff by Primary Post

- Staff Totals by Teaching Status

 

Another really big change is the ability to store multiple timetables, cycle, pattern etc. But it's a paid for add-on.

Edited by vikpaw
LosOjos

LosOjos

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Don't get too excited:

 

Well as Pupil Premium is being added to marksheets, it's presumably being added to student details too. That'll be aa big help, as up to now I've been using a UDF to record that and an aspect in marksheets - quite cumbersome keeping them both up to date and in sync.

pete

pete

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I don't suppose that handy new timetable view implies easy import/export of teacher timetables to other calendar formats? (with dates?)
vikpaw

vikpaw

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Not sure @pete, it's unlikely. But if it uses the usual print routine it might be possible to dump to excel in a nice format either directly or via HTML / XML.

It's got lots of outlook-esque views that are easy to interchange so I wonder if there are some stores procs or SQL views we can take advantage of.

Failing that salamandersoft can do it and that would come with lots of other integration.

  • 3 weeks later...
Rawns

Rawns

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The upgrade is now live.

 

Queue the obligatory questions about where to download Discover from as no one can find the news post! ;)

vikpaw

vikpaw

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The upgrade is now live.

 

Queue the obligatory questions about where to download Discover from as no one can find the news post! ;)

 

I know where it is :p , but you're not gonna like the installation guidelines :

1. Insert the SIMS Discover Spring 2013 Release CD into the CD

ROM/DVD drive.

eddyc

eddyc

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Anyone want to volunteer to go first?

 

We've put this onto our training server\database with no issues - but the training database is only used by a handful of users on a daily basis.

We are putting off doing our live system, until our data team have made some guides for staff around the new layout of the homescreen.

memo512

memo512

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To save a few from struggling to find the links they are part way down in the News Story with Resource ID: 20730.

 

I missed them the first time.

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Simcfc73

Simcfc73

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Did it this morning, we are on half term so used to CD as Solus 3 is not showing it up yet. Went on fine the second time after running out of space on my C: Drive and crashing the first time. Hopefully the Solus release wont get pulled as I have just manually updated the clients for the staff that I know are in school.
vikpaw

vikpaw

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I put it on my test server today. Excited and disappointed all at teh same time.

 

It's looking really good. The timeline is especially good, and works with my week, but the cycles for reporting data still think the week starts on a monday, so they are a bit pants. Plus it needs to be configured per user, which though is simple enough means we have to check and make sure it's done right!

 

It does however look really good, and the right click feature to quickly access info for that class is cool.

 

The start and end times on the configuration seem to have no effect whatsoever on the display, and the 10 min morning reg period is a tiny strip of a few pixels! I'm not even sure where the bottom strip which is PM reg has come from as school ends at 14.30 be interested to know where that time was set.

 

One caveat which hopefully won't affect most, was that we have custom permissions groups, and the timeline wont show unless the user has edit (own) permission on the homepage config options section, which isn't immediately obvious. You'll know if you get an error message displayed in the title bar for teh panel.

 

It is part of basic class teacher so if you use that or have a permission group derived from that you'll be fine.

If like me you've customised from the old days, it's here:

Core System | Core | Home Page | Home Page Options | Timeline Configuration | Edit (Own)

 

The initials in square brackets are the head of faculty but it can hold more than that if applicable. I like the ability to see Cover in advance for the week, if it's planned. :o)

 

The way the panels wrap around is nice depending on window size, and the timeline is large and first.

 

It won't show another week, or i haven't worked it out yet, so not sure how to deal with two week timetables. On an admin login there are little bars on the left and right for next appointment which don't do anything, but for a teacher it's just the blocks and no way to move that i can see, it does reflect the week in the block though.

 

The print option does take you to a nice preview screen, but still no week 2. However you do have email and export options.

 

The behaviour and achievement panels are now just called conduct. So you can have either types included or a combo, then your graph is positive or negative depending on the net points. I can see staff wanting 3 now, behaviour, achievement and a combo.

 

The config screen looks a little different with just a vertical strip to represent the panels which could be confusing. Just tell staff it's the order of preference for them and they can drag and drop the order and they should get the drift.

 

Last point, which i don't recall being mentioned but is a very pleasant surprise is that in Edit Marks, it now reflects the actual period names that you have set up. So if you timetable registration, your period numbering isn't offset by 1 for the morning and possible more in the afternoon. :o) It's great. the column heading actually now makes sense. This will save so many confusions. :madgrin:

 

BISJ homepage.png

vikpaw

vikpaw

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I`ve found the second week: right click in a blank area in the timeline panel and you can change views, it's not great, but a start. Go to date, takes me to the other week if requested so that will do the trick.

Also right click on the times on the left and can change the zoom factor.

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  • 2 weeks later...
vikpaw

vikpaw

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Just done the live system upgrade today. No problemo. The quickest one ever i think, even the backup didn't take long! :o)

Now to make a video explaining how to change the timeline settings...

vikpaw

vikpaw

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Thought i'd check SupportNet in case there are any gotchas.

Nothing major but this was put up a few days ago:

 

**** SIMS 2013 Spring AMPARK Update Release

 

 

SIMS 2013 Spring AMPARK Update Release

 

 

We will be producing an updated version of the SIMS 2013 Spring release which will include the latest AMPARK resources. This includes the removal of the Overall English Test column in the English Key Stage 2 Wizard which will be relevant to all English Primary schools.

 

Unfortunately the specification for this was distributed to us to late by the DfE for the changes to make it into the SIMS 2013 Spring release but we are aware that many English primary schools will want the report corrected so we have taken the decision to update the release in order to minimise the effort needed to get onto the latest version of AMPARK files.

 

 

Please note that there are no other changes planned for this new SIMS Spring AMPARK update (it will have the same SQL Database version) and if you have already taken the SIMS 2013 release there will be no need to upgrade to the AMPARK update release as you can import the new AMPARK files yourself into SIMS.

 

 

The planned date for the SIMS 2013 Spring AMPARK update is Friday 5th April.

 

 

In the meantime the current SIMS 2013 Spring release will stay available in SOLUS for schools wanting to upgrade as schools of the following type/region do not require the updated AMPARK resource.

 

  • Schools in Northern Ireland
  • Schools in Wales
  • English Secondary Schools
  • Independent Schools

 

 

You will be able to upgrade from either SIMS 2013 Spring release to the SIMS 2013 Summer release.

 

 

If you have any questions then please don’t hesitate to contact me.

 

 

Regards,

Jonathan Wood

SIMS Product Manager (Technical and Releases)

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