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SIMS Courses

If a course is fully booked or there is not a suitable date you will be put on a waiting list for the next available date.

 

Don't forget we offer customised commission work for your establishment.

MIDAS New User Training - New Format - Available for Autumn Term

 

Each term, the MIDAS team run a selection of free training courses for new staff in MIDAS subscribing schools. These courses are designed with new staff in mind, to help them get familiar with the basics of SIMS.  

 

From September, these courses will no longer be offered, but, instead, we are going to be offering free online video training content for all users in MIDAS subscribing schools.  This will cover the training covered by the free courses, as well as additional housekeeping routines useful to all staff. 

 

This will give staff the ability to dip in and out of learning at a time convenient to them, revisit content multiple times if required, skip areas they already know about, and allow users to make the most of the time they have. 

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Post 16 Workshop 
12th September 2024

Time: 1 - 3.30pm

MIDAS subscribers: £FREE

​Non MIDAS subscribers £50

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We are running a Post 16 Census workshop in readiness for the Autumn School Census.  It is taking place online via MS Teams on 12th September 2024. Course details are below.  If you'd like to reserve a place, you can do so by emailing ictdsservicedesk@warwickshire.gov.uk or by sending a booking request via www.ictds.org/sims-training-courses.

 

 

You can join the webinar from your computer. If your computer does not have speakers (to listen) and a microphone (to speak), you can use your phone by dialling the given number.

The joining details for the session will be sent nearer the date to the email address given at the time of booking. We will require a direct email address for the delegate to be invited onto the session. If you are placing the booking for another person, please ensure that the email address given is that of the person attending.

 

Workshop overview:

This workshop will demonstrate how Post 16 learning aims data is returned to the DfE from the SIMS school census software.

 

Learning outcomes:

 

  • How to maintain Course Manager for the purposes of Post 16 Learning Aims submission

  • Using and Importing QANs into SIMS

  • How to enter learning aims data

  • How to check your return

School Pupil Census Workshop 
17th September 2024

​Venue: Online

​Time: 10 - 12.30pm

MIDAS subscribers: £FREE

​Non MIDAS subscribers £50

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The workshop will be presented online, via Microsoft Teams and will run for about 2 to 2 and a half hours long. 10 - 12.30pm

 

The format will include a presentation detailing all statutory data requirements for a school census and will include a demonstration of how to create and manage a return in SIMS.

Post 16 Learning Aims will not be covered.

This workshop is free to schools that subscribe to the MIDAS Service.

Pupil Premium Workshop
18th September 2024

Time: 1 - 3.00pm

MIDAS subscribers: £FREE

​Non MIDAS subscribers £50

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Course Overview:

 

This workshop is designed to give users a better understanding of how the Pupil Premium Funding Cycle works within SIMS.

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Learning Outcomes:

 

· Gain an understanding of how the Pupil Premium funding cycle works within SIMS.

· Learn about what criteria attract Pupil Premium funding to your school and how this data is held in SIMS.

· Understand what you need to do to inform the DfE of potential Pupil Premium students at your school?

· Learn how best to maintain Pupil Premium indicators in SIMS.

· Learn how to run reports which return Pupil Premium student’s attendance.

Personnel Reporting
19th September 2024

​Venue: Online

​Time: 9.30 - 3.30pm

MIDAS subscribers: £116

​Non MIDAS subscribers £145

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Course overview

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Explore the production of existing reports and design of custom reports to support the analysis of personnel data.

 

Learning outcomes

  • Use and edit existing reports

  • Design new reports

  • Create letters and labels using the mail-merge feature

  • Use the analysis tool to interpret data

  • Management of reports

Assessment Manager - Essential Skills for Secondary Schools
24th September 2024

Time: 9.30 - 3.30pm

MIDAS subscribers: £116

​Non MIDAS subscribers £145

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Course overview

Raising attainment across your school is key and SIMS Assessment is an efficient way of keeping track of all your students progress. Discover the potential of SIMS Assessment and how the software can be used to create customised tracking system to suit your school.

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Learning outcomes

  • Creating grades and aspects

  • Creating and using result sets

  • Creating marksheets

  • Adding formulae Measure progress against target Term on term, year on year progress

  • Creating individual reports

  • Utilising system utilities

  • Bulk result/marksheet export

  • Bulk result/marksheet import

  • Bulk result change

Advanced Reporting
26th September 2024

​Venue: Online

​Time: 9.30 - 3.30pm

MIDAS subscribers: £116

​Non MIDAS subscribers £145

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Course overview

This course covers all aspects of creating and editing more complex reports.


Each stage of the reporting process is covered with particular focus on report templates which will facilitate outputs such as mail merge and photograph reports.


You should have either attended the “Reporting: Introduction” course or have a working knowledge of SIMS reporting techniques.

 

Learning outcomes

  • Design your own templates to meet the needs of your school

  • Produce reports for classes, groups and individuals

  • Construct complex filters for in depth data analysis

  • Create mail merge reports for letters and labels

  • Design individual and group photo reports

MailMerge Workshop
8th October 2024

Time: 1 - 3pm

MIDAS subscribers: £FREE

​Non MIDAS subscribers £50

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Course overview

This workshop is being held to take users step by step through the process of setting up Mail Merge letters and labels to run directly from SIMS. 

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 To be able to participate in the training session, you will need access to a computer with a camera and an activated microphone. If, at all possible, please try to borrow an additional screen or laptop. You will find it very advantageous to have two screens as this will allow you to follow the course on one screen whilst simultaneously being able to create your Mail Merge reports in SIMS, on the other screen.

 

Labels

 If you wish to create a label report in SIMS during the workshop, please make sure that you know what the Avery A4/5 product number of your labels is.  If your school is not using Avery labels, it is still essential to know what the equivalent Avery A4/5 product number is.

Exams Organiser - 2 Day course
9th and 10th October 2024

Time: 9.30 - 3.30pm

MIDAS subscribers: £175

​Non MIDAS subscribers £228

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Course overview

Explore all aspects of managing external examinations using SIMS Examinations Organiser.


This will enable you to streamline your examinations process, saving you administration time while ensuring your data is accurate.

Learning outcomes

  • Setting up the Examinations Organiser module

  • Entering candidates for examinations and recording forecast grades and coursework marks

  • Submitting data to examination boards

  • Using seating organiser

  • Dealing with clashes

Please note this session will be now be delivered Online via 2 x teams sessions. However please note that following each session there will some practice material to work with should delegates wish to in the afternoon.

Delegates will be invited prior to the session and will need to attend both sessions.

Day 1 - Session - 9.30 - 3.30pm 2nd October 2024

Delegates will be invited prior to the session and will need to attend both sessions.

Day 2 - Session - 9.30 - 3.30pm 3rd October 2024

School Workforce Census Workshop
9th October 2024

Time: 10 - 12.30pm

MIDAS subscribers: £FREE

​Non MIDAS subscribers £50

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What is the workshop for?

 

To prepare schools for the DfE statutory School Workforce Census on 7th November 2024.

To explain which staff members are in scope

To demonstrate which data items will be collected

A demonstration on how to complete the fields in SIMS .net

A demonstration on using COLLECT website to upload your file

Personnel New Users
17th October 2024

​Venue: Online

​Time: 9.30 - 3.30pm

MIDAS subscribers: £116

​Non MIDAS subscribers £145

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Delegates attend both sessions.

Course overview

This course covers the maintenance and management of staff personal, professional and contractual data. 

 Delegates are shown how to deal with new appointments and leavers, promotions and other data adjustments with a focus on data collected by the school workforce census, as well as links to the SIMS Finance module.

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Learning outcomes​

  • Be able to effectively manage and maintain Personnel 7

  • Be familiar with the range of personnel related data which can be held in SIMS

  • Be able to add new and edit existing personnel records

  • Be able to maintain pay and contract related data

  • Be able to maintain personnel data to support statutory returns including school workforce census

  • Be able to effectively manage and maintain Personnel 7

  • Know how to record training and absences for staff

Attendance Reporting
23rd October 2024

Time: 9.30 - 3.30pm

MIDAS subscribers: £116

​Non MIDAS subscribers £145

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Course overview

This course is designed to ensure users make the most of valuable management information that has been collated as part of routine attendance registration.

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Learning outcomes

  • use the SIMS home page to monitor attendance and real time data

  • Appreciate the functionality afforded by the pre-defined attendance reports  and displays

  • Simplify procedures to produce letters and certificates directly from SIMS attendance

  • Analyse data in Discover

Discover - Overview - Training available on request
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Course overview

SIMS Discover helps you drill down into your data so you can monitor at risk groups, assess intervention strategies and see the whole picture of your school.  Learn how you can use it to its full potential.

For the Assessment functionality with Discover please see our other courses.

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Learning outcomes

  • Familiarise yourself with the Discover interface

  • Learn how to create your own graphs and filter them

  • Learn how to set up Discover Groups for use in SIMS

  • Learn how to use the configuration utility

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