SIMS Summer Release 7.128 Known Issues – Workstation Patches Required
Consolidated Workstation Patch 2 fixes the issues described below - Consolidated Workstation Patch 3 includes the fixes and adds new Alerts functionality described here
Arrangements for Applying the Patches
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Consolidated Workstation Patch 3 has been authorised for application and you should liaise with your regular technical support provider to have the patch applied.
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Consolidated Workstation Patch 2 has been applied to the OSMIS Remote Update Service and Consolidated Workstation Patch 3 will be applied over the weekend of 7th/8th September.
Secondary schools and Outwood Grange Academy Trust Schools should request the application of these updates by completing the form here
Issues Addressed by Consolidated Workstation Patch 2
Limiting Codes Available in Take Register Screens
The summer update made all attendance codes Basic – making them available for use in the take register screens used by classroom staff. Applying consolidated workstation patch 2 allows schools to prevent the use of codes other than / \ L and N in Take Register screens by deselecting the basic flag in Tools > Setups > Attendance Setup > Codes > Maintain Codes.
Preventing Unintended Entry of Marks
Before the summer release was applied, users could quickly fill a column of marks by holding down a key linked to a particular mark. This would automatically stop at the end of a column; however users will now find that the marks continue to be entered to the next available column. Application of consolidated workstation patch 2 will restore behaviour to that prior to the application of the summer release and prevent the unintended entry of attendance marks to the next available session.
Consolidated Workstation Patch 3
In order to allow schools to monitor the number of session absences in a rolling 10-week period, ESS have provided a new system alert delivered by Consolidated Workstation Patch 3 (the patch includes the fixes delivered by Consolidated Workstation Patch 2). For more information on how to use the new functionality please click here.
Setting Up the New Absence Alert
The DfE’s 10 in 10 Unauthorised Absence Monitoring
Further to the introduction of regulations surrounding the monitoring of unauthorised absence and the issuing of penalty notices, the new functionality has default values to trigger an alert when activated to identify when a learner has hit 10 unauthorised absences over a 10 school week period. Schools can adjust these values to alert sooner than the 10 instances over 10 weeks to identify and act earlier.
This new functionality can be found and activated under Focus | Alerts | Setup Reminders | Unauthorised Absence Alerts.
A new Attendance Letter Definition Type (Unauthorised Absences) will use the values from the Alert to help to generate correspondence with parents.
This is the calculated number of unauthorised absences in the AM / PM settings based on the statistical meaning of the attendance code.
The calculation for the number of School weeks is defined as any period of seven days, beginning on a Monday, in which the school meets for at least one session.