Difference between revisions of "Preferences"

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This page is accessed via: <br>
 
This page is accessed via: <br>
 
'''[[PARS main menu]] > [[System management]] > Preferences'''
 
'''[[PARS main menu]] > [[System management]] > Preferences'''
 +
  
 
==Assignments==
 
==Assignments==
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::Assignments that were due to be handed in more than X days ago are no longer considered missing.
 
::Assignments that were due to be handed in more than X days ago are no longer considered missing.
  
*'''Automatically exempt absent students from assignments'''
+
*'''Upload attachments to Assignment emails so they are available in Insight'''
::PARS will not set [[Assignment diary|assignments]] for pupils who are not present when the assignment is created.
+
::If this setting is off, then any attachments for [[Assignment diary|Assignments]] will only be available in the email to recipients. If this setting is on, then a copy of the attachment is uploaded to the database, meaning the attachment can be accessed via PARS and Insight at a later date.
 +
 
 +
*'''Force Assignment category selection'''
 +
::This option affects whether or not a category must be selected when a homework assignment is created
  
 
==Attendance==
 
==Attendance==
 +
 +
*'''Colour attendance squares based on physical meaning.
 +
::Attendance marks on [[Register|registers]] and the [[Attendance view]] screen will be coloured green for physically present, red for physically absent and yellow for late.
 +
 +
*'''Count approved educational activity code as present'''
 +
::Attendance codes defined in the SIMS Attendance module with the statistical meaning "Approved educational activity" will count as a present mark when running [[Reports|reports]].
  
 
*'''Allow user-defined colour markers on attendance view screens'''
 
*'''Allow user-defined colour markers on attendance view screens'''
 
::Allows user to access and apply user-defined colour markers on 'Attendance view' screen'''
 
::Allows user to access and apply user-defined colour markers on 'Attendance view' screen'''
 
*'''Choose a font for the Attendance View screen'''
 
::Choose which font is used on [[Attendance view]].
 
  
 
*'''Save marks chunk size'''
 
*'''Save marks chunk size'''
 
::When saving large numbers of marks via [[Attendance view]], the marks will be broken down into groups. This setting defines how many marks are in each group; the recommended number is 1000. You can increase this number, meaning each group will have more marks in so there will be less groups. This can increase the speed of saving marks, but if the groups are too large then PARS may time out.
 
::When saving large numbers of marks via [[Attendance view]], the marks will be broken down into groups. This setting defines how many marks are in each group; the recommended number is 1000. You can increase this number, meaning each group will have more marks in so there will be less groups. This can increase the speed of saving marks, but if the groups are too large then PARS may time out.
  
*'''When sending messages in missing registers send as instant popups notices'''
+
*'''Logs every save of lesson marks'''
::[[Missing registers]] notices will pop-up on recipients screens as well as waiting in their inbox.
+
 
 +
*'''Logs every save of [[Session]] marks'''
 +
::These two settings increase the amount of data that is recorded whenever a lesson/[[Session|session]] mark is saved. The settings should only be used under advice and when it has been established that there is a problem that requires further investigation. The extra data gives information about the user who changed the mark, the person associated with the user and the time when it was saved. In addition it is possible to find out the following information via [[Repair console|SQL statements]] that will return the value of a column headed "Annot":
 +
 
 +
{|cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" border="1" align="center"
 +
|'''U'''||Mark is being updated (i.e. a mark already exists at the time the mark is saved)
 +
|-
 +
|'''I'''||Mark is being inserted (i.e. no mark exists to be overwritten)
 +
|-
 +
|'''R'''||Rules applied. The various [[Registration preferences]] available are being followed indicating that the mark was saved via a [[Register|register]].
 +
|-
 +
|'''r'''||Rules not applied. The various [[Registration preferences]] available are '''not''' being followed indicating that the mark was not saved via a [[Register|register]] screen.
 +
|-
 +
|'''H'''||A change has been made to the attendance mark history.
 +
|-
 +
|'''h'''||No change has been made to the attendance mark history.
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
A "Jump to history" button will appear on the [[Attendance view]] screen where this information is available.
 +
 
 +
*'''Include current registers as missing'''
 +
::When this preference is on, registers are considered missing as soon as the lesson has started (and if the register has not been taken). When this preference is off, registers are not missing until the lesson has finished. <br> <br>
  
 
==Automation==
 
==Automation==
 +
*'''Email automation status reports to this address'''
 +
::You can enter an email address, which will receive daily reports showing the automation module's status.
  
 
*'''Set whether or not a running [[Automation Module|Automation Service]] logs fully to the Windows Application Event log.'''
 
*'''Set whether or not a running [[Automation Module|Automation Service]] logs fully to the Windows Application Event log.'''
 
::If any problems are encountered with the [[Automation Module]], turn on this option then check the Windows event log after 24 hours. This log may be viewed by selecting "Event Viewer" under Administrative Tools on the Windows Control Panel or by adding the Event Viewer snap-in to the MMC console (Start-> run -> mmc).
 
::If any problems are encountered with the [[Automation Module]], turn on this option then check the Windows event log after 24 hours. This log may be viewed by selecting "Event Viewer" under Administrative Tools on the Windows Control Panel or by adding the Event Viewer snap-in to the MMC console (Start-> run -> mmc).
  
==Cover==
 
*'''Number of discrete parts that classes are split into for cover purposes'''
 
::Enable this option to allow classes to be covered by multiple parties (e.g. teacher "A" covers the first half and teacher "B" covers the second half)
 
  
 
==Detentions==
 
==Detentions==
*'''Default print slips screen to view own incidents'''
 
::When [[Edit scheduled detentions/removals#Informing parents|printing detention slips for parents]], the screen will not show you other users' detentions.
 
  
*'''Email student when detention is scheduled'''
+
*'''Use behaviour recorders identity when adding a detention to a behaviour'''
::When a pupil is placed in detention, PARS will send an [[Email]] to that student with the details of the detention.
+
::If a behaviour incident is recorded by one member of staff, and then a detention linked to that behaviour incident is recorded by another member of staff, the detention will appear to have been added by the first member of staff. This is useful when admin staff assign detentions via behaviour referrals but do not [[Take detention, removal or extra class registers|Take detentions registers]].
  
*'''Maximum number of pupils automatically assigned to a detention slot'''
+
*'''On detention scheduling screen reduce the number of days'''
::Set a limit to the number of pupils added to a detention slot on one day (from 0 to 100). Any detentions set over the limit would default to the next available day.  This only applies to Automatic detention scheduling. If you manually schedule a detention you can still add a detention in that slot
+
::By default the [[schedule detentions]] page will show upcoming detentions for the next 7 days. For schools with many unscheduled detentions this can cause performance issues. Use this preference to reduce the number of days shown to 2.
  
*'''Send a notice to the student when a detention is scheduled'''
+
*'''Automatic scheduling will be allowed during scheduled lessons'''
::When a pupil is placed in detention, PARS will send a notice to that student with the details of the detention.
+
::If this preference is on then a student can not be given a detention that would overlap one of their timetabled classes.
  
*'''Send a notice to the teacher when a detention is scheduled'''
+
*'''Require a detention type to be selected'''
::When a pupil is placed in detention, PARS will send a notice to the teacher taking that detention with the details of the detention.
+
::When adding a detention, the dropdown list of detentions will start empty instead of containing a default. Staff must manually choose a detention.
  
*'''The number of days advance time for booking detentions'''
+
*'''Suppress push notifications for in-school detentions'''
::If the [[List of permissions#Detentions|permission]]:  ''' ''Force automatic scheduling when saving detentions'' ''' is set then the first Timeslot found this number of days after the pupil is marked for detention will be automatically scheduled.
+
::PARS can trigger push notifications for Insight app users. If push notifications are being sent for detentions, this preference will prevent the notification from being sent for detentions that end before the end of the school day. <br> <br>
::If Use day is selected then it will jump to the day selected in the next option (The selected day in advance for booking detentions) before it searches for a free timeslot.
 
  
*'''The selected day in advance for booking detentions'''
+
==Diary==
::When automatic scheduling for detentions is enabled, PARS will jump forward to this day before searching for a free timeslot.
 
  
*'''Use behaviour recorders identity when adding a detention to a behaviour'''
+
*'''Shows reminders for due assignments on the home page'''
::If a behaviour incident is recorded by one member of staff, and then a detention linked to that behaviour incident is recorded by another member of staff, the detention will appear to have been added by the first member of staff. This is useful when admin staff assign detentions via behaviour referrals but do not [[Take detention, removal or extra class registers|Take detentions registers]].
+
::If this option is switched on, staff will receive notices from PARS telling them the names of pupils who have outstanding homework assignments.
  
==Diary==
+
*'''Show reminders for missing [[Grading|grades]] on [[homepage|diary]] screen'''
''The following three settings allow PARS to access your Exchange Web Services, so the exchange calendar can be viewed in PARS.''
+
::Reminders will appear in the notices panel at the bottom of the [[homepage]] page indicating when [[Grading|grades]] are due to be entered.
*'''Exchange EWS service service user account'''
 
::A username to access the EWS service
 
  
*'''Exchange EWS service service user password'''
+
*'''The number of days before the grade is due to open that warnings are shown.
::A password for the username specified above
+
::PARS will begin sending reminder messages this many days before a [[Configure grading elements|Grade Element]] opens, for teachers to enter grades.
  
*'''Exchange EWS service URL'''
+
*'''Exchange EWS service URL''' (required if you want PARS to access your Exchange Web Services, so the exchange calendar can be viewed in PARS)
 
::The URL of your EWS service
 
::The URL of your EWS service
  
<br>
+
*'''Optional Exchange EWS service public calendar name'''
 +
::An optional name to be used fro your Exchange calendar
  
*'''Include Non-Teaching periods'''
+
*'''Exchange EWS service service user account''' (required if you want PARS to access your Exchange Web Services, so the exchange calendar can be viewed in PARS)
::Show non-teaching periods on the timetable.
+
::A username to access the EWS service
  
*'''Optional Exchange EWS service public calendar name'''
+
*'''Exchange EWS service service user password''' (required if you want PARS to access your Exchange Web Services, so the exchange calendar can be viewed in PARS)
::An optional name to be used fro your Exchange calendar
+
::A password for the username specified above
  
*'''Show SIMS events on Diary'''
+
*'''The number of days after a detention register is missed that warnings are hidden from the homepage'''
::Diary events on the SIMS calendar will be shown in PARS
+
::The PARS homepage has a To-Do list which includes incomplete detention registers. This preference hides old incomplete detention registers from the To-Do list. <br> <br>
  
 
==Email==
 
==Email==
*'''BCC external contact emails to this address'''
+
*'''SMTP server name or IP address'''
::Send a blind copy of [[External contact]] emails to a specified address.
+
::The name or IP address of your SMTP server. NB this is needed to send [[Email|emails]] via PARS.
  
*'''Default folder for loading of HTML emails.
+
*'''SMTP port'''
::PARS will first open this folder when choosing an HTML file to send via [[Email]].
+
:: NB this is needed to send [[Email|emails]] via PARS.
  
*'''Default style for sending text emails. This will convert all emails to HTML'''
+
*'''Use SSL when sending emails'''
::If this setting is on, you will be able to use various fonts and pictures in your emails.
+
::Your SMTP server may require Certificates to encrypt emails before it will allow them to be sent.
  
*'''Disclaimer to appear on the bottom of all emails sent from PARS'''
+
*'''Trust any certificate implicity'''
::Specify a message to appear at the foot of all [[Email|emails]] sent via PARS.
+
::Ignore certificate warnings when accessing PARS, so that the site does not look unsafe and users are not advised to leave the page.
  
*'''Include images when emailing reports'''
+
*'''Use authentication settings when sending emails'''
::If you are emailing a report, the report will be sent in the format you specified (typically Excel) and a picture file of the report will also be sent.
+
::Your SMTP server may require this security setting in order to send emails.
  
*'''Logs all attempts to send emails in Connect'''
+
*'''SMTP Username'''
::All attempts to send emails via Connect will be recorded in a table in the database. This is a diagnostic setting that should be switched off, unless you are advised otherwise.
+
::A username that can be used to access the SMTP server. NB this is needed to send [[Email|emails]] via PARS.  
  
*'''Name to use when for emails sent from PARS'''
+
*'''SMTP Password'''
::The 'From' field that will be used for emails sent from PARS. This is often set as the name of the school.
+
:: The password for the user specified below, that can access the SMTP server. NB this is needed to send [[Email|emails]] via PARS.  
  
*'''Only send images when emailing reports'''
 
:: This will give you the option to save reports as .gif files. By saving the report as a .gif file it is possible to open the report in internet explorer.
 
 
 
*'''Reply address to use for emails sent from PARS'''
 
*'''Reply address to use for emails sent from PARS'''
 
::[[Email|Emails]] sent from within PARS will appear to come from this address.
 
::[[Email|Emails]] sent from within PARS will appear to come from this address.
  
*'''SMTP Password'''
+
*'''Name to use when for emails sent from PARS'''
:: The password for the user specified below, that can access the SMTP server. NB this is needed to send [[Email|emails]] via PARS.  
+
::The 'From' field that will be used for emails sent from PARS. This is often set as the name of the school.
 
 
*'''SMTP port'''
 
:: NB this is needed to send [[Email|emails]] via PARS.  
 
  
*'''SMTP server name or IP address'''
+
*'''Use Reply To address as From address
::The name or IP address of your SMTP server. NB this is needed to send [[Email|emails]] via PARS.
+
::When emails are sent from PARS, they will be sent from the sender's email address, not from the address specified in the "Reply address to use for emails sent from PARS" preference (above)
  
*'''SMTP Username'''
+
*'''BCC external contact emails to this address'''
::A username that can be used to access the SMTP server. NB this is needed to send [[Email|emails]] via PARS.  
+
::Send a blind copy of [[External contact]] emails to a specified address.
  
*'''Upload attachments to Assignment emails so they are available in Insight'''
+
*'''Disclaimer to appear on the bottom of all emails sent from PARS'''
::If this setting is off, then any attachments for [[Assignment diary|Assignments]] will only be available in the email to recipients. If this setting is on, then a copy of the attachment is uploaded to the database, meaning the attachment can be accessed via PARS and Insight at a later date.
+
::Specify a message to appear at the foot of all [[Email|emails]] sent via PARS.
  
*'''Use authentification settings when sending emails'''
+
*'''Logs all attempts to send emails in Connect'''
::Your SMTP server may require this security setting in order to send emails.
+
::All attempts to send emails via Connect will be recorded in a table in the database. This is a diagnostic setting that should be switched off, unless you are advised otherwise.
  
*'''Use SSL when sending emails'''
+
*'''Number of asynchronous emails to be sent at once'''
::Your SMTP server may require Certificates to encrypt emails before it will allow them to be sent.
+
::The number of emails that PARS will try to send at the same time. The higher this number, the faster PARS will be able to send large batches of emails. However if the setting is too high, the email server will refuse to send some emails. <br> <br>
  
 
==External Contact==
 
==External Contact==
*'''Add copy of contact history to SIMS contact log'''
+
*'''Use Primary flag to indicate main'''
::Send a copy of all communications to the SIMS contact log.
+
::In SIMS, if a method of contact (telephone number, email, etc.) is marked as "Primary" PARS will consider this as if it were the "Main" method of contact.
  
*'''Default to not adding contacts with a Court Order'''
+
*'''Prefer emails to SMS on external contacts, batch selection screen'''
::By default, the box to exclude contacts with court orders will be ticked, from the [[External contact]] screen.
+
::When this setting is used, [[Email|emails]] will be the favoured method of communication from PARS, followed by [[SMS]] then postal mail. The alternative is [[SMS]] then [[Email]] then postal.
  
 
*'''Default to only contacting once where contactee has multiple children'''
 
*'''Default to only contacting once where contactee has multiple children'''
 
::By default, the box to send a message per household instead of per pupil will be ticked.
 
::By default, the box to send a message per household instead of per pupil will be ticked.
  
*'''Prefer emails to SMS on external contacts, batch selection screen'''
+
*'''Default to not adding contacts with a Court Order'''
::When this setting is used, [[Email|emails]] will be the favoured method of communication from PARS, followed by [[Sms|SMS]] then postal mail. The alternative is [[Sms|SMS]] then [[Email]] then postal.
+
::By default, the box to exclude contacts with court orders will be ticked, from the [[External contact]] screen.
  
*'''Use Primary flag to indicate main'''
+
*'''Add copy of contact history to SIMS contact log'''
::In SIMS, if a method of contact (telephone number, email, etc.) is marked as "Primary" PARS will consider this as if it were the "Main" method of contact.
+
::Send a copy of all communications to the SIMS contact log.
  
 
*'''When adding to SIMS contact log also upload attachments to SIMS document manager'''
 
*'''When adding to SIMS contact log also upload attachments to SIMS document manager'''
 
If the setting ''' ''Add copy of contact history to SIMS contact log'' ''' is active, then when copying communications to the SIMS contact log, any attachments will also be uploaded to the pupil's linked documents.
 
If the setting ''' ''Add copy of contact history to SIMS contact log'' ''' is active, then when copying communications to the SIMS contact log, any attachments will also be uploaded to the pupil's linked documents.
 +
  
 
==General==
 
==General==
 +
*'''Show initial in place of forename for staff'''
 +
::This may be useful where whiteboards are used to take registers or for other reasons where teachers' first names are to be hidden.
 +
 
*'''Allows you to view Saturdays and Sundays'''
 
*'''Allows you to view Saturdays and Sundays'''
 
::Weekends will be visible in PARS on certain [[Reports]] and on the [[Attendance view]] week view batch entry screen.
 
::Weekends will be visible in PARS on certain [[Reports]] and on the [[Attendance view]] week view batch entry screen.
  
*'''Colour attendance squares based on physical meaning.
+
*'''Use chosen name in place of legal name'''
::Attendance marks on [[Register|registers]] and the [[Attendance view]] screen will be coloured green for physically present, red for physically absent and yellow for late.
+
::Pupils with a legal surname that is different to their chosen name will have the preferred name displayed within PARS.
 
 
*'''Count approved educational activity code as present'''
 
::Attendance codes defined in the SIMS Attendance module with the statistical meaning "Approved educational activity" will count as a present mark when running [[Reports|reports]].
 
 
 
*'''Delete contents of PARS TEMP folder on exit'''
 
::When you exit PARS, all contents of the PARS TEMP folder, stored locally on your machine, will be deleted.
 
 
 
*'''Display houses'''
 
::Display house groups within PARS.
 
 
 
*'''Grade comment entry preview checkbox is ticket by default'''
 
::When entering grading comments, the preview checkbox will be ticked by default. This will tell you how often pre-configured [[Configure comment bank|grading comments]] have been used.
 
 
 
*'''Ignore component delivery dates when loading timetable'''
 
::Occasionally timetables may appear missing and/or with corrupt data from within PARS, enabling this preference will ignore component delivery dates that may be incorrect/invalid in SIMS.
 
 
 
*'''Include teacher names on 'Student selection' screens'''
 
::Displays teachers names on 'Student selection' screens.
 
 
 
*'''Logs every save of lesson marks'''
 
 
 
*'''Logs every save of [[Session]] marks'''
 
::These two settings increase the amount of data that is recorded whenever a lesson/[[Session|session]] mark is saved. The settings should only be used under advice and when it has been established that there is a problem that requires further investigation. The extra data gives information about the user who changed the mark, the person associated with the user and the time when it was saved. In addition it is possible to find out the following information via [[Repair console|SQL statements]] that will return the value of a column headed "Annot":
 
 
 
{|cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" border="1" align="center"
 
|'''U'''||Mark is being updated (i.e. a mark already exists at the time the mark is saved)
 
|-
 
|'''I'''||Mark is being inserted (i.e. no mark exists to be overwritten)
 
|-
 
|'''R'''||Rules applied. The various [[Registration preferences]] available are being followed indicating that the mark was saved via a [[Register|register]].
 
|-
 
|'''r'''||Rules not applied. The various [[Registration preferences]] available are '''not''' being followed indicating that the mark was not saved via a [[Register|register]] screen.
 
|-
 
|'''H'''||A change has been made to the attendance mark history.
 
|-
 
|'''h'''||No change has been made to the attendance mark history.
 
|-
 
|}
 
 
 
A "Jump to history" button will appear on the [[Attendance view]] screen where this information is available.
 
 
 
<br>
 
 
 
*'''Minimise PARS to the taskbar when running spellchecks'''
 
::PARS uses Microsoft Word to perform spellchecks. If necessary, PARS can be minimised to the taskbar during this process so that Microsoft Word is at the forefront.
 
  
 
*'''Number of records to store before writing to Rules Based Behaviour log'''
 
*'''Number of records to store before writing to Rules Based Behaviour log'''
 
::When saving large numbers of behaviour incidents via [[Rule based behaviours]], the incidents will be broken down into groups. This setting defines how many incidents are in each group; the recommended number is 100. You can increase this number, meaning each group will have more incidents in so there will be less groups. This can increase the speed of running [[Rule based behaviours]], but if the groups are too large then PARS may crash.
 
::When saving large numbers of behaviour incidents via [[Rule based behaviours]], the incidents will be broken down into groups. This setting defines how many incidents are in each group; the recommended number is 100. You can increase this number, meaning each group will have more incidents in so there will be less groups. This can increase the speed of running [[Rule based behaviours]], but if the groups are too large then PARS may crash.
  
*'''PARS Connect URL - Used for IEPs and Student Review writeback'''
+
*'''Include teacher names on student selection screens'''
::Enter your PARS Connect URL - this should '''not''' be the localhost address given by your server.
+
::The supervisor(s) for each group will be displayed next to the name of the group in PARS student selection windows.
  
*'''Save Excel files as .xls rather than .xlsx'''
+
*'''"Limit to today's membership" starts selected on student selection screens'''
::This affects which format excel documents are saved in. This is typically used to work around network security settings.
+
::The option to only show today's members will be on by default.
  
*'''Sessions only mode'''
+
==Grading==
::Only [[Session|session]] registers will be visible in PARS i.e. lesson periods will be hidden.
+
*'''Force a particular rounding direction for [[Grading|grade]] averaging.
 +
::See below for a detailed description of grade rounding.
  
*'''Show initial in place of forename for staff'''
+
*'''Round grades up'''
::This may be useful where whiteboards are used to take registers or for other reasons where teachers' first names are to be hidden.  
+
::See below for a detailed description of grade rounding.
  
*'''Shows school logo on the Home Page'''
+
*'''Single view only on grade screen'''
::If the school logo has been added into SIMS (Focus | School | School details) it will appear in the background of the PARS [[homepage]].
+
::Have only one view containing all [[Configure grading elements|grade elements]] on the grade entry screen, instead of multiple views.
  
*'''Slow the PARS heartbeat by this factor'''
+
*'''Initial grading view'''
::Every "x" seconds, the workstation version of PARS will poll the database for new notices, [[Configure alerts|behaviour alerts]] etc. With a large number of machines across a school network this may add up to a noticable amount of network/server CPU bandwidth. The "heartbeat" timer may be set via this setting, the value of the setting multiplied by five equals the number of seconds between each heartbeat (e.g. a heartbeat of four means the database will be polled every twenty seconds). In theory, increasing this number should decrease the amount of network/server bandwidth.
+
::When the [[enter grades]] screen is initally loaded, it will default to either display core, student review, gradebook or active grades as set here.
 
 
*'''Use chosen name in place of legal name'''
 
::Pupils with a legal surname that is different to their chosen name will have the preferred name displayed within PARS.
 
 
 
*'''Use sticky focus when entering comments'''
 
::If the cursor "jumps" from a comment entry window to another window in the background or if focus is generally lost at any time when entering text (meaning the text entry window must be clicked on to "refocus" it) then use this setting to ensure that focus is not lost.
 
 
 
==Grading==
 
*'''Allow grade element links to be unselected after data has been entered. Warning, doing this means those grades will no longer be visible in PARS'''
 
::This setting '''should be switched off''' at all times unless advised by TASC Software support staff.
 
  
 
*'''Any missing grades scans will base memberships on end dates'''
 
*'''Any missing grades scans will base memberships on end dates'''
 
::When checking to see which pupils have missing grades, a pupil will not be considered 'missing' if their membership in the class ended before the [[Configure grading elements|Grade Element]] closed.
 
::When checking to see which pupils have missing grades, a pupil will not be considered 'missing' if their membership in the class ended before the [[Configure grading elements|Grade Element]] closed.
  
*'''Default folder for exporting of grade sheets'''
+
*'''Use grade priority in preference to element date'''
::Enter a location here to define a default folder for gradesheet [[Import/export grades|exports]].
+
::Order [[Configure grading elements|grade elements]] by their priorities instead of their data entry dates.
 
 
*'''Force a particular rounding direction for [[Grading|grade]] averaging.
 
::See below for a detailed description of grade rounding.
 
 
 
*'''Hide colour coding on custom grading reports'''
 
  
 +
*'''Maximum number of characters allowed in a grading comment'''
 +
::Place a limit on the number of characters allowed in grading comments.
  
*'''Hide External ASM Aspects from PARS'''
+
*'''Default to Performance based comment bank'''
::SIMS aspects for exam modules will be hidden from PARS.
+
::Sets whether the default type of comment offered when accessing the comment bank is performance based or target based.
  
 
*'''Hide reg groups from class selection screens'''
 
*'''Hide reg groups from class selection screens'''
Line 260: Line 223:
 
::Add a column to the Excel sheet for comments when exporting grade sheets.
 
::Add a column to the Excel sheet for comments when exporting grade sheets.
  
*'''Include highlighted symbol column when exporting to Excel'''
+
*'''Use colour coding from ASM marksheets'''
::Add a column to the Excel sheet for [[Group management|pupils' highlight symbol]] when exporting grade sheets.
+
::Any colour coding found in SIMS marksheets will be visible on PARS grade entry screens (but not anywhere else in PARS).
  
*'''Initial grading view'''
+
*'''Use NC Year when checking element-year group links'''
::When the [[Grade entry]] screen is initally loaded, it will default to either display core, student review, gradebook or active grades as set here.
+
::Use pupils' National Curriculum year when to decide which year group they are in. This is only needed when some pupils are in a different year group to the one that would be normal for their age.
 +
 
 +
*'''Hide colour coding on custom grading reports'''
 +
::This prevents custom grading reports from automatically colour coding themselves based on the data in the report.
  
 
*'''Log each attempt to save grades'''
 
*'''Log each attempt to save grades'''
 
::All attempts to save grades will be logged in a [[Management reports|management report]]. This will increase the amount of time taken to save grades and should only be used where instructed by TASC Software staff.
 
::All attempts to save grades will be logged in a [[Management reports|management report]]. This will increase the amount of time taken to save grades and should only be used where instructed by TASC Software staff.
 
*'''Maximum number of characters allowed in a grading comment'''
 
::Place a limit on the number of characters allowed in grading comments.
 
 
*'''Round grades up'''
 
::See below for a detailed description of grade rounding.
 
 
*'''Show reminders for missing [[Grading|grades]] on [[homepage|diary]] screen'''
 
::Reminders will appear in the notices panel at the bottom of the [[homepage]] page indicating when [[Grading|grades]] are due to be entered.
 
  
 
*'''Show student data columns on grade entry screen'''
 
*'''Show student data columns on grade entry screen'''
Line 287: Line 244:
 
- Gender
 
- Gender
  
*'''Single view only on grade screen'''
+
*'''Allow grade element links to be unselected after data has been entered. Warning, doing this means those grades will no longer be visible in PARS'''
::Have only one view containing all [[Configure grading elements|grade elements]] on the grade entry screen, instead of multiple views.
+
::This setting '''should be switched off''' at all times unless advised by TASC Software support staff.
 
 
*'''The number of days before the grade is due to open that warnings are shown.
 
::PARS will begin sending reminder messages this many days before a [[Configure grading elements|Grade Element]] opens, for teachers to enter grades.  
 
  
*'''Use colour coding from ASM marksheets'''
+
*'''Custom grade reports colour coding based on first grade column'''
Pull any colour coding from SIMS marksheets into PARS.
+
::Custom grading reports will colour the columns red, amber or green. if this preference is used, the each grade column will be compared the furthest left column on the report. If the preference is off the each column is compared to the column immediately to the left.
 
 
*'''Use grade priority in preference to element date'''
 
::Order [[Configure grading elements|grade elements]] by their priorities instead of their data entry dates.
 
  
*'''Use NC Year when checking element-year group links'''
 
::Use pupils' National Curriculum year when to decide which year group they are in. This is only needed when some pupils are in a different year group to the one that would be normal for their age.
 
  
 
==Notices==
 
==Notices==
Line 306: Line 255:
 
::SIMS notices will be displayed in PARS if this is on.
 
::SIMS notices will be displayed in PARS if this is on.
  
*'''Maximum total size in MB for notice attachments (0=disable attachments)
+
*'''The default lifespan in days of a notice (0 means never)'''
::When adding attachments to notices the maximum size of the attachments can be set from here. If this is set to 0 then users cannot add attachments to notices.
+
::After this many days, [[Homepage#Notices|notices]] will expire and be deleted from the database.
 +
 
 +
*'''Send an email where possible when sending all notices'''
 +
::If [[Email]] has been set up and the recipient of a notice has an email address in SIMS, they will receive an SMS message with the [[Homepage#Notices|notice]] content every time a notice is sent via PARS.
 +
 
 +
*'''Send an SMS where possible when sending a notice.
 +
::If [[SMS|text messaging]] has been set up and the recipient of a notice has a mobile phone number in SIMS, they will receive an SMS message with the [[Homepage#Notices|notice]] content every time a notice is sent via PARS.
  
*'''Prevent potentially unsafe files from being sent as attachments
+
*'''When sending messages in missing registers send as instant popups notices'''
::This will stop any files that are deemed to have unsafe extensions from being sent. A list of files that are seen as dangerous can be viewed from [[Dangerous files|here]].
+
::[[Missing registers]] notices will pop-up on recipients screens as well as waiting in their inbox.
  
*'''Prompt user to confirm sending of SMS messages when sending notices.
+
*'''When sending messages in missing register send an email where possible'''
::When sending a notice if a user has a mobile image next to their name this will ask the sender when the notice is accepted "Do you wish to send SMS messages with this notice?"
+
::If sending a notice regarding missing registers, a copy of that notice will be sent as an email to the recipient.
  
 
*'''Send a Missing Register notice to form tutors when sessions are mapped.
 
*'''Send a Missing Register notice to form tutors when sessions are mapped.
 
::When a [[Session|session]] register is [[Mapped periods|mapped to a lesson period]], it is still the responsibility of the tutor to ensure that a mark is recorded for each of their pupils. Most of the time with mapped periods, a teacher other than the tutor is the person who actually records the session mark. This means that the tutor will receive notices for missing marks in registers that they don't normally take. This setting can be used to toggle between sending and not sending notices to tutors where they are not the person who actually records the attendance mark.
 
::When a [[Session|session]] register is [[Mapped periods|mapped to a lesson period]], it is still the responsibility of the tutor to ensure that a mark is recorded for each of their pupils. Most of the time with mapped periods, a teacher other than the tutor is the person who actually records the session mark. This means that the tutor will receive notices for missing marks in registers that they don't normally take. This setting can be used to toggle between sending and not sending notices to tutors where they are not the person who actually records the attendance mark.
  
*'''Send an email where possible when sending a notice from detentions'''
+
*'''Send a notice to the student when a detention is scheduled'''
::If sending a notice from a detention, a copy of that notice will be sent as an email to the recipient.
+
::When a pupil is placed in detention, PARS will send a notice to that student with the details of the detention.
  
*'''Send an email where possible when sending a notice from missing registers'''
+
*'''Maximum total size in MB for notice attachments (0=disable attachments)
::If sending a notice regarding missing registers, a copy of that notice will be sent as an email to the recipient.
+
::When adding attachments to notices the maximum size of the attachments can be set from here. If this is set to 0 then users cannot add attachments to notices.
  
*'''Send an email where possible when sending all notices'''
+
*'''Prevent potentially unsafe files from being sent as attachments
::If [[Email]] has been set up and the recipient of a notice has an email address in SIMS, they will receive an SMS message with the [[Notices|notice]] content every time a notice is sent via PARS.
+
::This will stop any files that are deemed to have unsafe extensions from being sent. A list of files that are seen as dangerous can be viewed from [[Dangerous files|here]].
  
*'''Send an SMS where possible when sending a notice.
+
*'''Prompt user to confirm sending of SMS messages when sending notices.
::If [[SMS|text messaging]] has been set up and the recipient of a notice has a mobile phone number in SIMS, they will receive an SMS message with the [[Notices|notice]] content every time a notice is sent via PARS.
+
::When sending a notice if a user has a mobile image next to their name this will ask the sender when the notice is accepted "Do you wish to send SMS messages with this notice?"
 
 
*'''Show notices for due assignments on the home page'''
 
::PARS can generate notices for due [[Assignment diary|assignments]] so that staff can keep track of which assignments should be collected from students.
 
 
 
*'''The default lifespan in days of a notice (0 means never)'''
 
::After this many days, [[Notices|notices]] will expire and be deleted from the database.
 
  
 
*'''The default subject message for emergency alerts'''
 
*'''The default subject message for emergency alerts'''
 
::In here the subject message to be displayed when the [[Assistance request|Emergency alert]] button is used.
 
::In here the subject message to be displayed when the [[Assistance request|Emergency alert]] button is used.
 +
 +
*'''Mute warning sound when displaying popup alerts'''
 +
::[[Notices]] that are sent as popups will, by default, also make a beep sound. Use this preference to disable the beep. <Br> <br>
  
 
==On Report==
 
==On Report==
 +
*'''Show warning message about pupils on report when register opens'''
 +
::Show a summary message of which pupils are on report when a register opens.
 +
 
*'''Show warning message about pupils on report when register closes'''
 
*'''Show warning message about pupils on report when register closes'''
 
::Show a summary message of which pupils are on report when a register closes.
 
::Show a summary message of which pupils are on report when a register closes.
  
*'''Show warning message about pupils on report when register opens'''
+
 
::Show a summary message of which pupils are on report when a register opens.
+
==Personal==
 +
*'''Cura login URL'''
 +
::This allows staff to record child protection incidents into Cura, via PARS. For more information about Cura - software for Child Protection and Safeguarding - [http://www.tascsoftware.co.uk/software-titles/cura/cura-features/ follow this link]
 +
 
  
 
==Pupil info==
 
==Pupil info==
 
 
*'''Only show this year's [[Behaviour]] on [[Pupil information]] screen.'''
 
*'''Only show this year's [[Behaviour]] on [[Pupil information]] screen.'''
 
::Previous year's data is not shown on the [[Pupil information]] behaviour tab.
 
::Previous year's data is not shown on the [[Pupil information]] behaviour tab.
  
*'''Timetable grid printout shows two weeks'''
 
::When printing pupil's timetables, show the coming two weeks instead of one.
 
  
 
==Reviews==
 
==Reviews==
Line 358: Line 313:
 
::When generating Student Reviews for only one class, only use the data that was recorded in that class. The alternative is to use data from all classes, for the pupils within the class selected.
 
::When generating Student Reviews for only one class, only use the data that was recorded in that class. The alternative is to use data from all classes, for the pupils within the class selected.
  
*'''Send MHT files to this URL when uploading to Document Manager'''
 
::You can upload MHT files to a seperate URL, if you do not want them to be uploaded to the SIMS document server.
 
 
*'''Use default browser to open student reviews'''
 
::Specify an alternative browser to use when generating Student Reviews. The default is internet explorer (by searching for IEXPLORER.EXE)
 
 
*'''Use MHTML format for output of student reviews, merit and demerit slips, detention letters, etc.'''
 
::This '''should always be on''' unless you advised to do otherwise by TASC Software support staff.
 
 
*'''Use Microsoft Word for output of student reviews, merit and demerit slips, detention letters, etc.'''
 
::This '''should never be on''' unless you advised to do otherwise by TASC Software support staff.
 
 
==School Information==
 
*'''Hide non-attendance days from School Info screen'''
 
::Non school days, such as Saturday and Sunday, will not be displayed or used when looking at the School Information screen.
 
 
==SIO==
 
*'''Use barcodes on SIO screens'''
 
::Scanners will use barcodes to find pupils' Admission Numbers when singing in or out.
 
  
 
=A more detailed explanation of rounding grade averages=
 
=A more detailed explanation of rounding grade averages=

Latest revision as of 14:11, 30 November 2020

Lock.gif| Permissions required
to access this module:
Section:
System Management
Permission(s):
Access PARS management options
Access PARS preferences
The configure preferences screen accessed via System management

Unlike user permissions, preferences are global; they affect all PARS users. Some preferences will have a noticeable affect on performance.

This page is accessed via:
PARS main menu > System management > Preferences


Assignments

Rename 'assignments'. Homework is a common alternative name.
  • Assignments this many days late are considered as exceptions (0=ignore preference)
Assignments that were due to be handed in more than X days ago are no longer considered missing.
  • Upload attachments to Assignment emails so they are available in Insight
If this setting is off, then any attachments for Assignments will only be available in the email to recipients. If this setting is on, then a copy of the attachment is uploaded to the database, meaning the attachment can be accessed via PARS and Insight at a later date.
  • Force Assignment category selection
This option affects whether or not a category must be selected when a homework assignment is created

Attendance

  • Colour attendance squares based on physical meaning.
Attendance marks on registers and the Attendance view screen will be coloured green for physically present, red for physically absent and yellow for late.
  • Count approved educational activity code as present
Attendance codes defined in the SIMS Attendance module with the statistical meaning "Approved educational activity" will count as a present mark when running reports.
  • Allow user-defined colour markers on attendance view screens
Allows user to access and apply user-defined colour markers on 'Attendance view' screen
  • Save marks chunk size
When saving large numbers of marks via Attendance view, the marks will be broken down into groups. This setting defines how many marks are in each group; the recommended number is 1000. You can increase this number, meaning each group will have more marks in so there will be less groups. This can increase the speed of saving marks, but if the groups are too large then PARS may time out.
  • Logs every save of lesson marks
These two settings increase the amount of data that is recorded whenever a lesson/session mark is saved. The settings should only be used under advice and when it has been established that there is a problem that requires further investigation. The extra data gives information about the user who changed the mark, the person associated with the user and the time when it was saved. In addition it is possible to find out the following information via SQL statements that will return the value of a column headed "Annot":
U Mark is being updated (i.e. a mark already exists at the time the mark is saved)
I Mark is being inserted (i.e. no mark exists to be overwritten)
R Rules applied. The various Registration preferences available are being followed indicating that the mark was saved via a register.
r Rules not applied. The various Registration preferences available are not being followed indicating that the mark was not saved via a register screen.
H A change has been made to the attendance mark history.
h No change has been made to the attendance mark history.

A "Jump to history" button will appear on the Attendance view screen where this information is available.

  • Include current registers as missing
When this preference is on, registers are considered missing as soon as the lesson has started (and if the register has not been taken). When this preference is off, registers are not missing until the lesson has finished.

Automation

  • Email automation status reports to this address
You can enter an email address, which will receive daily reports showing the automation module's status.
  • Set whether or not a running Automation Service logs fully to the Windows Application Event log.
If any problems are encountered with the Automation Module, turn on this option then check the Windows event log after 24 hours. This log may be viewed by selecting "Event Viewer" under Administrative Tools on the Windows Control Panel or by adding the Event Viewer snap-in to the MMC console (Start-> run -> mmc).


Detentions

  • Use behaviour recorders identity when adding a detention to a behaviour
If a behaviour incident is recorded by one member of staff, and then a detention linked to that behaviour incident is recorded by another member of staff, the detention will appear to have been added by the first member of staff. This is useful when admin staff assign detentions via behaviour referrals but do not Take detentions registers.
  • On detention scheduling screen reduce the number of days
By default the schedule detentions page will show upcoming detentions for the next 7 days. For schools with many unscheduled detentions this can cause performance issues. Use this preference to reduce the number of days shown to 2.
  • Automatic scheduling will be allowed during scheduled lessons
If this preference is on then a student can not be given a detention that would overlap one of their timetabled classes.
  • Require a detention type to be selected
When adding a detention, the dropdown list of detentions will start empty instead of containing a default. Staff must manually choose a detention.
  • Suppress push notifications for in-school detentions
PARS can trigger push notifications for Insight app users. If push notifications are being sent for detentions, this preference will prevent the notification from being sent for detentions that end before the end of the school day.

Diary

  • Shows reminders for due assignments on the home page
If this option is switched on, staff will receive notices from PARS telling them the names of pupils who have outstanding homework assignments.
Reminders will appear in the notices panel at the bottom of the homepage page indicating when grades are due to be entered.
  • The number of days before the grade is due to open that warnings are shown.
PARS will begin sending reminder messages this many days before a Grade Element opens, for teachers to enter grades.
  • Exchange EWS service URL (required if you want PARS to access your Exchange Web Services, so the exchange calendar can be viewed in PARS)
The URL of your EWS service
  • Optional Exchange EWS service public calendar name
An optional name to be used fro your Exchange calendar
  • Exchange EWS service service user account (required if you want PARS to access your Exchange Web Services, so the exchange calendar can be viewed in PARS)
A username to access the EWS service
  • Exchange EWS service service user password (required if you want PARS to access your Exchange Web Services, so the exchange calendar can be viewed in PARS)
A password for the username specified above
  • The number of days after a detention register is missed that warnings are hidden from the homepage
The PARS homepage has a To-Do list which includes incomplete detention registers. This preference hides old incomplete detention registers from the To-Do list.

Email

  • SMTP server name or IP address
The name or IP address of your SMTP server. NB this is needed to send emails via PARS.
  • SMTP port
NB this is needed to send emails via PARS.
  • Use SSL when sending emails
Your SMTP server may require Certificates to encrypt emails before it will allow them to be sent.
  • Trust any certificate implicity
Ignore certificate warnings when accessing PARS, so that the site does not look unsafe and users are not advised to leave the page.
  • Use authentication settings when sending emails
Your SMTP server may require this security setting in order to send emails.
  • SMTP Username
A username that can be used to access the SMTP server. NB this is needed to send emails via PARS.
  • SMTP Password
The password for the user specified below, that can access the SMTP server. NB this is needed to send emails via PARS.
  • Reply address to use for emails sent from PARS
Emails sent from within PARS will appear to come from this address.
  • Name to use when for emails sent from PARS
The 'From' field that will be used for emails sent from PARS. This is often set as the name of the school.
  • Use Reply To address as From address
When emails are sent from PARS, they will be sent from the sender's email address, not from the address specified in the "Reply address to use for emails sent from PARS" preference (above)
  • BCC external contact emails to this address
Send a blind copy of External contact emails to a specified address.
  • Disclaimer to appear on the bottom of all emails sent from PARS
Specify a message to appear at the foot of all emails sent via PARS.
  • Logs all attempts to send emails in Connect
All attempts to send emails via Connect will be recorded in a table in the database. This is a diagnostic setting that should be switched off, unless you are advised otherwise.
  • Number of asynchronous emails to be sent at once
The number of emails that PARS will try to send at the same time. The higher this number, the faster PARS will be able to send large batches of emails. However if the setting is too high, the email server will refuse to send some emails.

External Contact

  • Use Primary flag to indicate main
In SIMS, if a method of contact (telephone number, email, etc.) is marked as "Primary" PARS will consider this as if it were the "Main" method of contact.
  • Prefer emails to SMS on external contacts, batch selection screen
When this setting is used, emails will be the favoured method of communication from PARS, followed by SMS then postal mail. The alternative is SMS then Email then postal.
  • Default to only contacting once where contactee has multiple children
By default, the box to send a message per household instead of per pupil will be ticked.
  • Default to not adding contacts with a Court Order
By default, the box to exclude contacts with court orders will be ticked, from the External contact screen.
  • Add copy of contact history to SIMS contact log
Send a copy of all communications to the SIMS contact log.
  • When adding to SIMS contact log also upload attachments to SIMS document manager

If the setting Add copy of contact history to SIMS contact log is active, then when copying communications to the SIMS contact log, any attachments will also be uploaded to the pupil's linked documents.


General

  • Show initial in place of forename for staff
This may be useful where whiteboards are used to take registers or for other reasons where teachers' first names are to be hidden.
  • Allows you to view Saturdays and Sundays
Weekends will be visible in PARS on certain Reports and on the Attendance view week view batch entry screen.
  • Use chosen name in place of legal name
Pupils with a legal surname that is different to their chosen name will have the preferred name displayed within PARS.
  • Number of records to store before writing to Rules Based Behaviour log
When saving large numbers of behaviour incidents via Rule based behaviours, the incidents will be broken down into groups. This setting defines how many incidents are in each group; the recommended number is 100. You can increase this number, meaning each group will have more incidents in so there will be less groups. This can increase the speed of running Rule based behaviours, but if the groups are too large then PARS may crash.
  • Include teacher names on student selection screens
The supervisor(s) for each group will be displayed next to the name of the group in PARS student selection windows.
  • "Limit to today's membership" starts selected on student selection screens
The option to only show today's members will be on by default.

Grading

  • Force a particular rounding direction for grade averaging.
See below for a detailed description of grade rounding.
  • Round grades up
See below for a detailed description of grade rounding.
  • Single view only on grade screen
Have only one view containing all grade elements on the grade entry screen, instead of multiple views.
  • Initial grading view
When the enter grades screen is initally loaded, it will default to either display core, student review, gradebook or active grades as set here.
  • Any missing grades scans will base memberships on end dates
When checking to see which pupils have missing grades, a pupil will not be considered 'missing' if their membership in the class ended before the Grade Element closed.
  • Use grade priority in preference to element date
Order grade elements by their priorities instead of their data entry dates.
  • Maximum number of characters allowed in a grading comment
Place a limit on the number of characters allowed in grading comments.
  • Default to Performance based comment bank
Sets whether the default type of comment offered when accessing the comment bank is performance based or target based.
  • Hide reg groups from class selection screens
When choosing a class to enter grades, reg groups will not be displayed for selection.
  • Include comments column when exporting to Excel
Add a column to the Excel sheet for comments when exporting grade sheets.
  • Use colour coding from ASM marksheets
Any colour coding found in SIMS marksheets will be visible on PARS grade entry screens (but not anywhere else in PARS).
  • Use NC Year when checking element-year group links
Use pupils' National Curriculum year when to decide which year group they are in. This is only needed when some pupils are in a different year group to the one that would be normal for their age.
  • Hide colour coding on custom grading reports
This prevents custom grading reports from automatically colour coding themselves based on the data in the report.
  • Log each attempt to save grades
All attempts to save grades will be logged in a management report. This will increase the amount of time taken to save grades and should only be used where instructed by TASC Software staff.
  • Show student data columns on grade entry screen
Display columns showing pupils':

- Free School Meal (FSM) status
- FSM within the last 6 years status
- Pupil premium status
- English as an Additional Language (EAL) status
- Special Education Needs (SEN) status
- Gender

  • Allow grade element links to be unselected after data has been entered. Warning, doing this means those grades will no longer be visible in PARS
This setting should be switched off at all times unless advised by TASC Software support staff.
  • Custom grade reports colour coding based on first grade column
Custom grading reports will colour the columns red, amber or green. if this preference is used, the each grade column will be compared the furthest left column on the report. If the preference is off the each column is compared to the column immediately to the left.


Notices

  • Include SIMS notices when fetching notices
SIMS notices will be displayed in PARS if this is on.
  • The default lifespan in days of a notice (0 means never)
After this many days, notices will expire and be deleted from the database.
  • Send an email where possible when sending all notices
If Email has been set up and the recipient of a notice has an email address in SIMS, they will receive an SMS message with the notice content every time a notice is sent via PARS.
  • Send an SMS where possible when sending a notice.
If text messaging has been set up and the recipient of a notice has a mobile phone number in SIMS, they will receive an SMS message with the notice content every time a notice is sent via PARS.
  • When sending messages in missing registers send as instant popups notices
Missing registers notices will pop-up on recipients screens as well as waiting in their inbox.
  • When sending messages in missing register send an email where possible
If sending a notice regarding missing registers, a copy of that notice will be sent as an email to the recipient.
  • Send a Missing Register notice to form tutors when sessions are mapped.
When a session register is mapped to a lesson period, it is still the responsibility of the tutor to ensure that a mark is recorded for each of their pupils. Most of the time with mapped periods, a teacher other than the tutor is the person who actually records the session mark. This means that the tutor will receive notices for missing marks in registers that they don't normally take. This setting can be used to toggle between sending and not sending notices to tutors where they are not the person who actually records the attendance mark.
  • Send a notice to the student when a detention is scheduled
When a pupil is placed in detention, PARS will send a notice to that student with the details of the detention.
  • Maximum total size in MB for notice attachments (0=disable attachments)
When adding attachments to notices the maximum size of the attachments can be set from here. If this is set to 0 then users cannot add attachments to notices.
  • Prevent potentially unsafe files from being sent as attachments
This will stop any files that are deemed to have unsafe extensions from being sent. A list of files that are seen as dangerous can be viewed from here.
  • Prompt user to confirm sending of SMS messages when sending notices.
When sending a notice if a user has a mobile image next to their name this will ask the sender when the notice is accepted "Do you wish to send SMS messages with this notice?"
  • The default subject message for emergency alerts
In here the subject message to be displayed when the Emergency alert button is used.
  • Mute warning sound when displaying popup alerts
Notices that are sent as popups will, by default, also make a beep sound. Use this preference to disable the beep.

On Report

  • Show warning message about pupils on report when register opens
Show a summary message of which pupils are on report when a register opens.
  • Show warning message about pupils on report when register closes
Show a summary message of which pupils are on report when a register closes.


Personal

  • Cura login URL
This allows staff to record child protection incidents into Cura, via PARS. For more information about Cura - software for Child Protection and Safeguarding - follow this link


Pupil info

Previous year's data is not shown on the Pupil information behaviour tab.


Reviews

  • Filter output.xml to only contain single class data when generating a review for a single class
When generating Student Reviews for only one class, only use the data that was recorded in that class. The alternative is to use data from all classes, for the pupils within the class selected.


A more detailed explanation of rounding grade averages

Two of the options mentioned above ("Force a particular rounding direction for grade averaging" and "Round grades up") may be used in combination to alter the way that grades are averaged when running reports and summaries.

Adding a grade to a grade scheme. Note the "score" which is used when averaging and rounding grades.

Note that when referring to rounding "up", PARS will round to the "higher grade score" (as defined in the grade scheme) and NOT "higher grade rank". So your grade scheme may define an "A" grade as the earliest ranked grade but with a score of 1, whereas an "E" may have the latest rank but a score of 10. In this case rounding a grade up will result in the pupil receiving a later grade.


Preferences selected? Averaged grade score*
Force rounding Round up <0.5 0.5 >0.5
Resulting grade score
No No 0 0 1
Yes No 0 0 0
No Yes 0 1 1
Yes Yes 1 1 1
  • This refers to the non-integer part of the grade. To find out how a score of (e.g.) 7.2 will "behave", refer to the <0.5 column (i.e. 0.2 < 0.5). A resulting grade score of "0" in this case means 7.0, a score of "1" means 8.0.