Chriss31 Posted June 24, 2014 Posted June 24, 2014 Morning all Our school has recently converted to Academy status and as a result we have a new letterhead template for our letters to parents. Is it possible to amend merged document templates in SIMS? (e.g. Our default exclusion letters). If so can anyone offer advice as to how to go about this? Many thanks
LosOjos Posted June 24, 2014 Posted June 24, 2014 Morning all Our school has recently converted to Academy status and as a result we have a new letterhead template for our letters to parents. Is it possible to amend merged document templates in SIMS? (e.g. Our default exclusion letters). If so can anyone offer advice as to how to go about this? Many thanks It may be possible with third party software, but I wouldn't recommend it. From a legal standpoint, you're a new school now. Your existing letters, sent before you were an academy, should be archived as such. Out of curiosity, did you not have to start a fresh SIMS DB? The impression I have always got is that becoming an academy is seen as a new school opening, with new data to boot. When we went through a merge and name change, both old DBs were archived and a new one started, as well as a new DfE number being issued.
Chriss31 Posted June 24, 2014 Author Posted June 24, 2014 It may be possible with third party software, but I wouldn't recommend it. From a legal standpoint, you're a new school now. Your existing letters, sent before you were an academy, should be archived as such. Out of curiosity, did you not have to start a fresh SIMS DB? The impression I have always got is that becoming an academy is seen as a new school opening, with new data to boot. When we went through a merge and name change, both old DBs were archived and a new one started, as well as a new DfE number being issued. My understanding (and bear in mind I took over only recently) is that we are still operating with our previous DB and the only changes that have been made in SIMS are to our name and school type.
tombry Posted June 24, 2014 Posted June 24, 2014 oh man, I wish the school I work at went with @LosOjos idea there - so many old, broken things in our SIMS
localzuk Posted June 24, 2014 Posted June 24, 2014 It depends if you have changed DfE number or not. If you have changed number, you are supposed to start afresh. If you have the same number, you can continue with the same DB. However, the OP doesn't seem to be asking to change the existing letters, but the templates that generate the letters. I believe you can do this via the individual reports that generate the letters - you edit the report, and on the "Define presentations" step, click the "Edit" button and edit the template as desired. Quickletter can be edited by following these instructions too I believe - https://www.eiskent.co.uk/UserFiles/Files/QRS_Quick_Letter.pdf
Chriss31 Posted June 24, 2014 Author Posted June 24, 2014 It depends if you have changed DfE number or not. If you have changed number, you are supposed to start afresh. If you have the same number, you can continue with the same DB. However, the OP doesn't seem to be asking to change the existing letters, but the templates that generate the letters. I believe you can do this via the individual reports that generate the letters - you edit the report, and on the "Define presentations" step, click the "Edit" button and edit the template as desired. Quickletter can be edited by following these instructions too I believe - https://www.eiskent.co.uk/UserFiles/Files/QRS_Quick_Letter.pdf "Edit" simply brings up the "Enter Parameters for Report" box and doesn't allow me to edit the document itself (unless I'm in the wrong place). If I click "Open", it asks me if I want to overwrite the existing merge document, however even if I do this I'm prompted to find the location of the template and I've no idea where it is stored.
vikpaw Posted June 24, 2014 Posted June 24, 2014 You need to fill in the parameters - select whatever gives you a small subset of data and is quick to run, as SIMS requires a datafile to run the merge against before you can design the mailmerge doc. It will be stored in the Document Storage, but this is the only way to access and edit it.
Chriss31 Posted June 24, 2014 Author Posted June 24, 2014 You need to fill in the parameters - select whatever gives you a small subset of data and is quick to run, as SIMS requires a datafile to run the merge against before you can design the mailmerge doc. It will be stored in the Document Storage, but this is the only way to access and edit it. I understand. Thank you very much.
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