Setting up General Options for student records

Use the Management Options tab in the Pupil Manager module to configure fields and make default selections in student records.

Some of the fields configured here affect areas of the Admissions module.

To configure student records fields, follow the steps below:

  1. In the Pupil Manager module, select the Management Options tab. A number of options are displayed for you to work with.

  2. Select General Options:

  3. Complete the General Options section:

    Field Explanation

    School Age

    Set the date as the start date for the current academic year. A start of term age in years and months is displayed on each student record.

    School Age must be changed for the start of each academic year. Setting a School Age is useful if you want to generate statistics on student age at the start of the year.

    Show Family Tree

    Check this box to display a family tree, including parents and siblings, in student records.

    Unchecking this box removes parents from the family tree in student records. Siblings are still displayed even when this box is unchecked.

    Show Deceased Contacts

    It is recommended that this box is checked to identify deceased student contacts in student records.

    Unchecking this box removes the term 'deceased' next to deceased contacts in student records. Deceased student contacts are listed even when this box is unchecked.

    Require a Pupil Title

    Check this box to add a student title when creating and managing student records.

    Require a Unique School Code

    Check this box for a School Code to be compulsory in student records.

    Use this checkbox in conjunction with the SC Required ADM Statuses list and the School Code Options section further down the screen.

    A School Code is compulsory for students with the admission status selected in SC Required ADM Statuses.

    Unchecking this box still allows you to add a School Code to student records but it is not compulsory.

    Use Autocomplete by default Check this box for fields to capitalise automatically as you complete them.

    SC Required ADM Statuses

    Use this list in conjunction with the Require a Unique School Code checkbox. All students which have the admission status you select here must be allocated with a School Code.

    Hold Ctrl to make multiple selections.

  4. Click Update to save your General Options selections.

  5. Keep the Show Pupil Mobile No box checked if you want to hide student mobile numbers in the Pupil Quick View. Pupil Quick View/Student Quick View is an option in the wizard bar.

  6. Use the checkboxes in Contact Defaults to preselect features when adding contact details to a new student. This can save you time when adding student records in bulk. The checkboxes available are explained below:

    Field/Checkbox Set to default...

    Billing

    To send billing information to student contacts. This is not being used.

    Reports

    To send student reports to student contacts.

    Correspondence

    To send general correspondence to student contacts. This may include weekly newsletters and sport reports.

    Use Joint Label Salutation

    To address labels to all contacts when creating a mail merge. For example, 'Mr and Mrs Smith' instead of just 'Mr Smith'.

    Salutation Format How joint salutations are displayed when writing to student contacts.
    Update Existing Salutations Check the box if you have changed the Salutation Format and want to update all existing joint contact entries in student records.

    Agents

    To activate Admissions Agency information in student records. This links the Pupil Manager module to the Agent Manager module.

    Admissions Agency information is displayed in Current Student and Applicant records. It is not required when adding a new student.

    Student Home

    The student contact address is set as the same as the student's home address.

  7. Click Update to save your Contact Defaults selections.

  8. Use the checkboxes and fields in the Applicant Options section to enable functions when adding applicants in both the Pupil Manager module and the Admissions module:

    Field/Checkbox Use to...
    Default Term of Entry Preselect the term that new applicants are listed as starting at your school. You may prefer to set this to the 'Autumn' term when most new starters would join the school.
    Use Data Discrepancy Check Enable the Applicant Checker function when adding a new applicant. This is useful for ensuring that records are not duplicated.
    Use Auto Enrolment Automatically enrol students when they reach a set status (this is set in the AE Adm Status Trigger field). Use the auto enrolment function with caution, you do not want to enrol all applicants to your school.
    AE Adm Status Trigger Select the admissions status that an applicant must reach before auto enrolment is activated.
    Use Auto Admissions Number Automatically create admissions numbers once a student is enrolled.
    Admission Number Length Set the number of characters for each admissions number.
    Auto AN Adm Status Trigger Select the admissions status that an applicant must reach before an admissions number is generated.
    Minimum ADM Year Set a minimum birth year for applicants to be admitted to the school.
  9. Click Update to save your Applicant Options selections.
  10. Use the Year Options to set up the format used for Enrolment Year and Leaving Year in student records. Either:
    • Check the boxes available to display both the start and end of the academic year (for example, 2010/11).
      or
    • Uncheck the boxes available to display only the start of the academic year (for example, 2010).
  11. Click Update to save your Year Options selections.
  12. In the Export Pupil Record Configuration for siblings section, set up how siblings are listed when student records are exported to an alternative format.
    1. Check Show Selected Pupil to include your selected student in the sibling information columns in your export.
    2. Check Show Applicants to include any siblings listed as applicants in your export. You must select the sibling fields to display when exporting student records for your selections to be effective. An example of how your selections are displayed in a Student Record Export is shown below:

  13. Use the School Code Options section to determine details of school codes, if they are to be used in your school:

    Field/Checkbox Use to...
    Enable Automatic School Code Automatically generate a school code for each student record added.
    School Code Prefix/Suffix Enter a prefix and suffix to be used for all generated school codes.
    Start From Enter a number to start the codes from. For example, you may want to start numbering as '00001', rather than '1'.
    School Code Number Length Enter the maximum number of characters for the school code. This excludes any prefix or suffix that you may have added.
    Allow override Check to override any school codes which may have already been added to student records. Use this function with caution as changes cannot be reversed.
    Update Empty School Codes Check to populate any records without a school code.
  14. Click Update to save your selections.