Rule based detentions

|	Permissions required to access this module:
Section:
Detentions
Permission(s):
Access to Detention section
Allow user to access rule based Detentions
Allow user to modify rule based Detentions rules

What are Rule Based Detentions?

You can create rules for recording automatic detentions which will run when you decide. The rules can be based on Attendance (e.g. record a detention if a pupil is late three times in a week) or behaviour (e.g. for every 3 negative incidents, pupils receive a detention).

This page is accessed via:
PARS main menu > Detentions > Rule based detentions

The Rule Based Detention screen

To access rule based behaviours, go to the PARS main menu > Detentions > Rule Based Detentions.

You'll notice a toolbar at the top of the screen, with several buttons on:

• 1 - Generate

Rule based detentions are manually run using this button.

• 2 - Add rule

This is used for adding and configuring new Rule Based Behaviours in PARS.

• 3 - Edit rule

Use this button to edit existing Rule Based Behaviours.

• 4 - Delete rule

This will delete whichever rule you have clicked on. Be aware that rules can not be deleted until all of the behaviour incidents issued by that rule have also been deleted.

• 5 - Deactivate rule

This is used to prevent a rule from running, but without deleting it. Deactivating a rule will not remove any behaviour incidents issued by that rule.

If you have clicked on a rule that is already deactivated, then this button will say "Activate rule", which will do the opposite of deactivating it.

• 6 - Move up

When the Automation module runs your Rule Based Behaviours, it will run the rules one at a time, starting with the rule at the top of the list and working down. This is only important if you are creating Multiple Rules.

• 7 - Move down

See Move up, above.

• 8 - Show usage report

This displays a report showing when the rules were run and how many detentions were issued.

• 9 - Show only active

By default this screen only shows active rules. Click this button to show all rules.

Configuring Rule Based Detentions

To begin, click the "Add rule" button to add a new rule, or "Edit rule" to edit an existing rule.

A configuration window will open:

The Rules tab

At the very top of the window, notice that there are three tabs, "Rules", "Detention" and "Student applicability". The image below shows the "Rules" tab, this is where you tell PARS what a pupil must do in order to trigger the rule, and receive a detention.

Description
At the top of the window, there is a "Description" option. This is the title of your rule, which will appear on pupils' detention reports if the rule issues detentions to those pupils. It's best to call your rule something informative, like "3x late in a week", if you want to award a detention to pupils who are regularly late.

Type
In the middle of the window, there is a section called "Type". This is what a pupil must do in order to trigger the rule and have a detention issued to them. A rule to award a detention where pupils have several demerits in a week would use "Demerit count", as it is the number of demerits that a pupil has, that affects whether or not they will trigger the rule. Likewise a rule to penalise pupils for arriving more than 5 minutes late to lesson would use "Lesson lates - minutes", as it is the number of minutes that a pupil is late that affects whether or not the rule will issue detentions.

Note: There are three fields for attendance; Lesson attendance, Session attendance and Registration attendance.

• Lesson attendance

Lesson attendance will be considered when generating the rule, but Session attendance (usually known as form periods, or AM PM registration) is disregarded. Lessons that are mapped to sessions are still considered.

• Session attendance

Only attendance to sessions (form periods, or AM PM registration) is considered; lesson attendance is disregarded. If your periods are mapped, so that the AM registration mark comes from Period 1's lesson register, then those attendance marks will be taken into account by the rule.

• Registration attendance

Every completed register is considered by the rule, regardless of whether it is a lesson or session.

Operator and Criteria
These fields are found towards the bottom of the window. They define how often/how many times a pupil must do the activity specified in Type (above) in order to trigger the rule.

There are five types of operator:

• Equals

This means that every time a pupil reaches a certain threshold, they will trigger the rule. This can result in multiple detentions being added. For example, imagine you have a rule configured to issue a detention when a student is late greater than or equal to twice in a week. A pupil who is late 4 times in week would receive 2 detentions.

• Less than

A pupil will trigger the rule if they have performed less than a certain number of actions, or have less than a certain attendance percentage.

• Less than or equal to

A pupil will trigger the rule if they have performed less than or equal to a certain number of actions, or have less than or equal to a certain attendance percentage.

• Greater than

This means that every time a pupil reaches a certain threshold, they will trigger the rule. This can result in multiple detentions being added. For example, imagine you have a rule configured to issue a detention when a student is late greater than once in a week. A pupil who is late 4 times in week would receive 2 detentions.

• Greater than or equal to

This means that every time a pupil reaches a certain threshold, they will trigger the rule. This can result in multiple detentions being added. For example, imagine you have a rule configured to issue a detention when a student is late greater than or equal to twice in a week. A pupil who is late 4 times in week would receive 2 detentions.

Range
This is the time period. A pupil must complete the activity specified in Type within this date range in order to trigger the rule.

Deny used events / Deny trigger events / Within same class
These are options for complex detention rules. You will only need to use these when advised by TASC Software staff.

The Detention tab

The image below shows the "Detention" tab. This tab is where you tell PARS which detention to issue if a pupil triggers the rule.

Time type
Choose what kind of detention should be issued by the rule.

Add
Choose the selected time type (above) as the kind of detention that the rule should issue.

Remove
Remove the selected time type from the list of detentions that the rule would issue.

Personal to
Use this option if the detention to be taken should be personal to form tutors / Heads of Year. Personal detentions are only visible to the person taking the detention. There can be several personal detentions of the same type happening at the same time e.g. there could be multiple Form Tutor Detentions happening at once, each with a different form tutor. These detentions would be personal to Form Tutors.

Student applicability tab

Uae the student applicability tab if the rule you are creating should not apply to all pupils in the school.

If no pupils are shown on this tab then the rule will apply to all pupils in the school. However if you being adding pupils to this tab, then only those pupils will be affected by this rule.

Examples

Below are some examples of the rules that schools have used. The statements in italics are quotes of rules required by schools, while the bold sentences are the same rules, but rewritten in a more PARS-friendly format.

If you want to create a Rule Based Detention in PARS, try writing it out in the format below. The colour coding will help you identify what needs to go where, when configuring your rules.

Colour	Feature
	Operator
	Criteria
	Type
	Range
	Detention

1. We want PARS to issue a Late Detention if pupils are late to school 3 or more times in a week.

If a student is late to school greater than or equal to 3 times in a week, then issue a Late Detention.

2. We want PARS to issue an SLT Detention to pupils every time they receive 6 demerits.

For every 6 demerit incidents within the year, issue an SLT Detention.

3. We want PARS to issue a Form Tutor Detention whenever a pupil receives a "Form Tutor Detention" behaviour outcome.

For every 1 Form Tutor Detention outcome within the year, issue a Form Tutor Detention.

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1. Late 3 or more times in a week

We want PARS to issue a Late Detention if pupils are late to school 3 or more times in a week.

If a student is late to school at least 3 times in a week, then issue a Late Detention.

The Rule tab	The Detention tab
The Rule Based Detentions window

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2. Every 6 demerits

We want PARS to issue an SLT Detention if pupils every time pupils receive 6 demerits.

For every 6 demerits received within the year, issue a SLT Detention.

The Rule tab	The Detention tab
The Rule Based Detentions window

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3. Every "Form Tutor Detention" behaviour outcome

We want PARS to issue a Form Tutor Detention whenever a pupil receives a "Form Tutor Detention" behavioural outcome.

For every 1 "Form Tutor Detention" outcome within the year, issue a Form Tutor Detention.

The Rule tab	The Detention tab
The Rule Based Detentions window

In the example above, the type "Outcome count" has been chosen. A second list of options appear below the "Type" list (the second list is highlighted inside the red box). Notice that the following options have been selected:

• Form Tutor Detention

This means that pupils will only trigger this rule for "Form Tutor Detention" outcomes - other outcomes will be ignored.