options online user guide, version 1.4 - web viewcapita sims has made this document available in...

Options Online User

IMPORTANT NOTE: Capita SIMS has made this document available in Microsoft® Word format to enable you to edit the information supplied herein. Capita SIMS cannot be held responsible for any changes, errors or omissions resulting from the subsequent editing of this supplied document.

Options Online User

C|Contents01| Getting Started...........................................................1

Purpose of this Document............................................................1Permissions................................................................................1Logging In and Out......................................................................2Plan Prerequisites.......................................................................2Navigating Options Online...........................................................3

02| Creating an Options Plan.............................................5Introduction................................................................................5Using the Home Page..................................................................5

Creating a Copy of a Plan.....................................................6Importing and Exporting a Plan............................................6

Using the Plan Definition Page.....................................................7Using the Pathways and Students Page........................................9Using the Pathways and Lists Page............................................10

Dealing with Multiple-Width Courses in Lists.......................11Using the Blocks Page................................................................14Using the Student Choices Page.................................................15Using the Classes Page..............................................................16

Applying a Setting Range...................................................17Using the Solution Editor...........................................................18

Using Automated Routines.................................................18Manually Allocating Classes to Blocks.................................20Manually Assigning Students to Classes..............................21

Transferring the Plan to SIMS.....................................................22Submitting the Options Plan into SIMS (Alternative Method).............................................................................22

Using the Reports Page..............................................................23

03| Appendix..................................................................25Changing the Plan Status...........................................................25Saving the Options Plan.............................................................26Creating and Editing Notes........................................................26

Inserting and Formatting Text............................................27Inserting and Editing Images..............................................28Adding/Editing Hyperlinks..................................................28Additional Information.......................................................28

Filtering Reports in Excel...........................................................29Sorting Reports in Excel.............................................................31Changing the Default Language in Your Web Browser.................32

Chrome..............................................................................32Internet Explorer................................................................34Firefox...............................................................................35

01| Getting Started

01|Getting Started

Purpose of this Document.............................................................1Permissions..................................................................................1Logging In and Out.......................................................................2Plan Prerequisites........................................................................2Navigating Options Online............................................................2

Purpose of this DocumentThis document helps the Options Administrator to create an Options plan, offer course selections to students online and create a solution that helps to satisfy the students' choices. It is a linear process that starts with defining the plan and ends with transferring the plan to SIMS.This document assumes that the Options Online setup process has been completed successfully. For more information on the setup process, please refer to the Options Online Setup Guide.

PermissionsOnce Options Online is set up, permissions must be assigned in both SIMS and School Administration.SIMS permissions are assigned by the SIMS System Manager, who can manage permissions via Focus | System Manager | Manage Users. The Options Online User permission in SIMS enables the user to access Focus | Options Online.For more information, please refer to the SIMS Permissions Spreadsheet, which can be accessed by clicking the Documentation button on the SIMS Home Page and from My Account (https://myaccount.capita-cs.co.uk).The following permissions can be assigned in School Administration (https://admin.sims.co.uk) via Options | Permissions:

Administrator - has read/write access to the entire system, i.e. they can set up the plan, select choices on behalf of the students, use the Solution Editor, etc.Reviewer - allocated read-only access to the Student Choices page only. This is recommended for use by Heads of Department, Heads of Faculty, etc.Choices - allocated read/write access to all student choices on the Student Choices page only.Student - allocated read/write access to their own choices on the Student Choices page only.

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01| Getting Started

Logging In and OutLogging In

In your web browser, navigate to the Options Online site (https://www.sims-options.co.uk) to display the Sign In page. Alternatively, select Focus | Options Online in SIMS.

Select the Account Type that you used to register with the Options Online service and enter your login credentials. Once logged in, you will be directed to the Options Online Home Page.

Logging OutClick the Sign Out button on the top-right hand side of the page to log out.For security purposes, you are strongly advised to clear the cache once logged out. This clears the login credentials in readiness for the next time someone attempts to log in. The method of clearing the caches varies, depending on your web browser.

Plan PrerequisitesOptions Online requires far less preparation in SIMS than Options 5 and no preparation work needs to be carried out in Nova-T6, e.g. the academic year does not have to be created before you generate an Options plan.Options Online sources its courses from Course Manager so the relevant user is strongly advised to take this opportunity to mark courses that are no longer being used as Obsolete rather than Inactive.

Navigating Options OnlineOptions Online is accessed by navigating to Focus | Options Online in SIMS or directly via your web browser (https://www.sims-options.co.uk).Options Online is presented as a linear process. You can navigate between steps using the arrow buttons at the bottom of the page.

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01| Getting Started

The menu bar at the top of the page also enables navigation between stages in the process.

NOTE: Only emboldened pages can be selected. To enable access to the non-emboldened pages, you must carry out tasks on the emboldened pages first.


02| Creating an Options Plan

02|Creating an Options Plan

Introduction.................................................................................5Using the Home Page....................................................................5Using the Plan Definition Page......................................................7Using the Pathways and Students Page.........................................8Using the Pathways and Lists Page...............................................9Using the Blocks Page.................................................................13Using the Student Choices Page..................................................14Using the Classes Page...............................................................15Using the Solution Editor............................................................16Transferring the Plan to SIMS......................................................20Using the Reports Page...............................................................22

IntroductionThis chapter describes the functionality available on each page of the Options plan setup, from defining the plan and offering the courses to students, to creating a solution and transferring the plan to SIMS.There is a degree of flexibility to the order of the process, i.e. you do not have to strictly adhere to the order that the pages are laid out. For example, pathway lists can be created before student selection.

Using the Home PageThe Home Page enables you to create an Options plan by clicking Get Started, or open an existing one. The Plan Definition page is then displayed. A plan can be deleted by clicking the Delete Plan button below the relevant plan.

The folder colours are determined by the status of the plan (please see Changing the Plan Status on page 25).

Creating a Copy of a PlanIt is possible to create a copy of a plan, if required, to improve efficiency if you want to create plans that are similar to others.



NOTE: A plan can be copied only if its status is Design, Locked or Closed.

1. Click the Copy Plan button below the required plan to display the Copy Plan dialog.

2. A Plan Name is generated automatically but can be overtyped.3. Select how much of the plan you want to copy from the Data to Copy drop-

down list. A plan can be copied in its entirety, without student choices, or without students or their choices.

4. Click the OK button to return to the Home Page, where the copied plan is now displayed.

Importing and Exporting a PlanIt is possible to import and export an Options plan. This functionality enables the local backup of plans and the sharing of example plans for training purposes.To export a plan:

1. Click the Export Plan button below the plan that you want to export.The file is downloaded automatically to the default download location, as determined by your web browser.A confirmation dialog is displayed.

2. Click the OK button.The plan is stored locally and can be sent via email, if required.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Due to the sensitive nature of some of the data stored in SIMS, careful consideration should be given when specifying the location of any folder into which you save sensitive data, census returns, imported and exported CTFs, etc.

You should be mindful of your school’s responsibilities with respect to information security. Consider which users have access to the chosen folder, especially if the folder is shared on a server. Please refer to the DfE website https://www.gov.uk/service-manual/technology/securing-your-information for securing information guidance. If you are in any doubt, consult with your IT Security Officer before proceeding.

To import an existing plan:1. Click the Import Plan button below the Get Started button to display the

Open Windows dialog.2. Locate and Open the relevant file on your PC to import the plan.


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A confirmation dialog is displayed. 3. Click the OK button.

The imported plan is displayed on the Home Page.

NOTE: If the imported file contains records for any students who do not belong to your school, these will be removed from the data during the import process.

Using the Plan Definition PageThe Plan Definition page enables you to set the parameters of the Options plan.

1. Select a minimum of Name, Target year taught in and a Target membership start date. These are mandatory fields.

2. The class sizes default to 20 (Minimum), 25 (Preferred) and 30 (Maximum), but can be edited.

NOTE: These numbers should be considered as guidelines because they are not enforced by the software. It is possible to create classes that are below the minimum or above the maximum sizes.

3. Select the School should approve student choices check box, if required.

4. Create pathways by clicking the Add pathway button. Pathways are used for offering students a different selection, e.g. based on ability, such as the Academic Pathway and Progress Pathway in the following graphic. Students can be assigned to a pathway on the Pathways and Students page.



The Name and Band Code are populated automatically but can be edited. The Band Code is a single alphanumeric character that is displayed below the student's name in the Solution Editor and is used to identify a student's pathway. It also enables pathways to be recognised by SIMS and Nova-T6.

5. Click the Notes button adjacent to the relevant Pathway to display the Notes - <Pathway name> editor.

Notes button - Notes not created

Notes button - Notes created

6. Enter text to instruct the students on how to make their choices, e.g. All students will study English and Maths.Notes are displayed on-screen in a panel for the student when they are selecting their courses, and are a direct representation of what has been entered by the Options Administrator. Many of the features in the Notes editor (e.g. bold, italics, numbered lists, etc.) will be familiar to users of Microsoft® Word.

NOTE: You are strongly advised to read the section of this handbook relating to Notes before proceeding (please see Creating and Editing Notes on page 26).

7. Click the OK button to return to the Plan Definition page.8. Click the Next button to display the Pathways and Students page.

Using the Pathways and Students PageThe Pathways and Students page enables the user to allocate students to pathways.



1. The pathways created on the Plan Definition page are displayed in tabs (e.g. Academic and Vocational in the previous graphic). Add students to a pathway by selecting the relevant tab, then clicking Add and Remove Students to display the Select Students for <Pathway Name> dialog.

2. Use the Search filters to refine the range of students. The Available Students table updates as the filters are applied. Select the students you want to include in the pathway by selecting the check box adjacent to their names.

NOTE: To filter by Year Group, the Year Taught In must be set to [Any].

3. Click the Add Selected button to add students to the pathway. To remove a student, select the check box adjacent to the relevant student name(s) and click Remove Selected. Click the Add All and Remove All buttons to facilitate multiple selections, if required.

4. Click the OK button to return to the Pathways and Students page.5. Click the Next button to display the Pathways and Lists page.

Using the Pathways and Lists PageThe Pathways and Lists page enables you to create lists of courses, from which a student will make selections. These lists can also be assigned to the relevant pathways so that the students receive the choices relevant to them.

The Available Lists panel displays all lists, so it does not matter which pathway is selected. Once a list is created, its check box can be deselected to be removed from the selected pathway, if necessary.



1. From the Available Lists sidebar, click the Add List button to display the Select Courses for <Pathway Name> dialog.

2. Enter a List Name and the Maximum Number of Choices that the students are required to make from the List.

3. Use the filters on the left-hand side of the dialog to narrow the range displayed in the Available Courses table. The table updates when a filter is modified.If you want to change the Name or Width of a course, this must be done before adding the course to the list (please see Dealing with Multiple-Width Courses in Lists on page 11).

4. To add courses to the list, select the check box adjacent to the relevant course(s) in the Available Courses table, then click the Add Selected button. Courses can be removed using the Remove Selected and Remove All buttons.

5. Once you have selected the relevant courses, click the OK button to return to the Pathways and Lists page.

6. Repeat steps 1 to 5 until all lists have been created.7. Select a pathway tab then select the lists that you want to include in the

pathway from the Available Lists sidebar. Tabs for the lists then display in the relevant pathway.

8. Select a list tab (e.g. Sciences in the previous graphic) and edit the Number of Choices and Number of Reserves, if required.



9. Click the Edit list notes button and enter text in the Notes editor if you want to instruct the student on how to select from the list, e.g. Please select two choices and one reserve from the following list. Students wishing to study Computer Science are required to have a Maths target grade of B or above at GCSE.

10. Click the OK button to return to the Pathways and Lists page.11. If you want to exclude any courses in the list for a particular pathway,

deselect the check box in the Included column adjacent to the relevant course.

12. Click the Next button to display the Blocks page.

Dealing with Multiple-Width Courses in ListsThere may be occasions where a more intensive course counts as more than one course, e.g. Double Science being worth the same as Art and Business Studies combined. For this to be implemented in the Options plan, the Width of a course must be amended.

Editing the Width of a CourseA course's Width defaults to 1, but this can be edited.

1. From the Available Lists sidebar, click the Edit button for the relevant list to display the Select Courses for <Pathway Name> dialog.

NOTE: You must edit the course width before adding a course to a list.

2. From the Available Courses table, click the Edit Course button adjacent to the relevant course to display the Edit Course dialog.

Edit Course button



3. Enter the required Width (e.g. 2 for Double Science or a Level 3 Extended Diploma), then click the Confirm button to return to the Select Courses for dialog.

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for any other courses that require a width of more than 1.Once completed, there are two methods of managing courses with a width greater than 1:

List a multiple-width subject in conjunction with a number of single subjects. The student is then required to take this into account when making their choices, e.g. Select two subjects from the following list. Double Science counts as two subjects.orAdd the subject to the required number of lists. The student must pick the subject from each list in which it appears, e.g. If you select Double Science from List A, you must also select it from List B. This method is called Spanning (please see Applying Spanning to a Multiple-Width Course on page 12).

NOTE: It is important to provide clear instructions to the student on how they should select multiple-width courses. This can be done using the Notes feature (please see Creating and Editing Notes on page 26).

Applying Spanning to a Multiple-Width Course

IMPORTANT NOTE: Before applying Spanning, all lists must already be set up but not include the courses you want to span. You cannot apply Spanning until more than one list is created.

1. From the Available Lists sidebar, click the Edit button below the relevant list to display the Select Courses for dialog.

2. Select the courses that you would like to span and add them to the Courses in List.The Spanning button is displayed for courses with a Width of 2 or more.

Spanning button



3. Click the Spanning button to display the Span Courses across Lists dialog.

4. Enter a value in the Span Width column for each List. For example, entering 1 in the Span Width of Open Choice and Humanities means that the course will appear in both lists with a width of 1.

NOTES: All lists that a course spans must be included in all the same pathways, e.g. if a course spans two lists, those two lists must be included in the same pathways. If this is not the case, the Status is displayed as Incompatible Pathways.The sum of the Span Width column cannot exceed the Width of the course.

5. Click the Confirm button to return to the Select Courses for dialog. The Other Lists column is then generated and populated adjacent to the relevant course in the Courses in List table.

6. Click the OK button to confirm the changes.The course is now displayed in the lists to which the course was spanned across.

Using the Blocks PageThis page enables you to allocate blocks for each pathway. Initially, they are automatically allocated but can be edited. The minimum number of blocks that is required for the plan is displayed below the Allocate Blocks to Pathways title, and is based on the total number of choices for the lists in the pathways.

Selecting Add Block adds a new block, while clicking the delete icon removes one.

Delete icon



You can change the Block code by selecting an alternative letter from the relevant drop-down menu.

1. Select the relevant check boxes to include the pathways in the required Blocks.

2. Click the Save button.3. Click the Student Choices link at the top of the page to display the

Student Choices page.

Using the Student Choices PageOnce the Active status has been selected from the Plan Status drop-down list, students can select and submit courses available to them. The Options Administrator may also select a student's choices on their behalf.If a student wants to select their choices online, once they have logged on with their relevant school account, the Student Choices page is displayed without the navigation bar and Search and Personal Details panels.A permission may be applied to a Tutor, for example, to enter and edit student choices. This may be required when helping a student to make a decision, make a reserve choice or act as a proxy for the student. For information on assigning permissions, please refer to the relevant Options Online Installation Guide.

1. Use the Search functionality to find the choices of a specific student, if required.The Personal Details are read-only and therefore cannot be edited.

2. Select the student's Choices and Reserves (if applicable) from the relevant lists.

3. Prioritise the choices by clicking the choices and selecting the relevant position in the My Choices in Order of Preference list.

4. Enter any comments in the School Comments field, if required.5. Click the Save button.

Once all student selections have been made, select the Review status from the Plan Status drop-down list. Students can no longer make changes, but can view their choices.



Using the Classes PageIMPORTANT NOTE: Ensure that all students have made their choices before proceeding.

On the Classes page, it is possible to set class sizes, split genders and apply a setting range.

1. In the Courses available in all pathways panel, edit the Min(imum), Pref(erred) and Max(imum) sizes for classes, if required.

2. Select the Split Gender check box if you wish to create male- or female-only classes.This creates a Gender column in the Create classes for selected course table. Select Mixed, Male or Female for each class from the relevant drop-down lists.

3. Select a Setting Range from the drop-down list, if required (please see Applying a Setting Range on page 15).

4. Click the Generate Classes button to create the number of recommended classes for each course.

5. Click a course in the Courses available in all pathways table to display its classes in the Create classes for selected course panel. Here, you can add or remove classes as required using the Add Class and Delete buttons.

Applying a Setting RangeA Setting Range is a way of separating students into sets, e.g. to split students based on ability.

1. Select a Setting Range from the drop-down list (e.g. 1-5) to display an additional column (Setting) in the Courses available in all pathways panel.



2. Click the newly created link in the Setting column (e.g. 0 of 46 in the previous graphic) to display the Edit Course Setting for students who have chosen <course name> dialog.

3. Select a Setting for each student in the course.On completion, click the OK button to return to the Classes for Each Course page.

4. In the Create classes for selected course panel, select a Setting (Low) and Setting (High) from the relevant drop-down lists.

Based on the previous graphic:a student with a Setting of 1 will be allocated to Ac1.a student with a Setting of 3 will be allocated to either Ac1 or Ac2.a student with a Setting of 4 will be allocated to either Ac2 or Ac3.

5. Click the Save button.6. Click the Next button to display the Solution Editor page.

Using the Solution EditorThe Solution Editor provides several functions that assist in fulfilling student choices.It comprises three tabs: Automated Routines, Manually Allocate Classes to Blocks and Manually Assign Students to Classes. For efficiency, it is recommended that the Options Administrator uses these automated routines, then makes any necessary amendments manually.It is also possible to manually allocate classes to blocks and students to classes first, then run Automated Routines to generate the remainder of the solution.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Ensure that you save your work in the Solution Editor before navigating to any other pages.



Using Automated RoutinesThe Automated Routines sidebar contains a number of functions that attempt to satisfy a student's choices. It aims for a best-case scenario, taking into consideration preferred class sizes, setting ranges and mixed, male only or female only classes.

1. Click Allocate Classes to Blocks to display the Auto-allocate Classes into Blocks dialog.

2. The Time Limit (i.e. the time allocated to Options to calculate the most ideal solution) defaults to 1 minute but this can be edited.Click the Start button to start the allocation process. Once the time limit has elapsed, or Options has found the best possible solution (whichever comes first), a message is displayed and you can click the Close button to return to the Solution Editor page.



The Classes are now allocated to Blocks and listed in alphabetical order by the generated class code (e.g. Ch1, Ch2, Ph1, etc.). It is possible to re-number the classes on completion of the solution prior to transfer, if required.

If required, Classes can be clicked and dragged to another Block.Select Remove Classes from Blocks to remove all classes. If you wish to remove individual classes, this must be done using the Manually Allocate Classes to Blocks tab (please see Manually Allocating Classes to Blocks on page 19).

3. Click the Assign Students to Classes or Assign Choices (with Reserves) button. The figure in the colour-coded counter represents the number of students currently allocated to that class.

The following colours indicate the capacity: Purple - the current class size is lower than the minimum capacityBlue - the current class size is between the minimum and maximum capacityOrange - the class is at maximum capacityRed - the class is above maximum capacity.As such, the ideal colours are blue or orange. Classes that are over or under capacity can be dealt with using the Manually Assign Students to Classes tab (please see Manually Assigning Students to Classes on page 19).

This page also contains a section to help the Options Administrator track their solution progress and the student satisfaction rate, which is based on the first choices requested against what has been allocated. This can be referred back to while making manual adjustments to the solution.



Manually Allocating Classes to Blocks1. Select the radio button of a filter at the bottom of the sidebar to refine the

list of classes, if required.

The selected list of classes is displayed in the Classes to Allocate sidebar. Any unallocated classes are displayed in white, while allocated classes are grey.

2. Click and drag a class into the relevant Block column. The classes are sorted in alphabetical order by class code (e.g. Ar2, Ar3, Ph1, etc.).

3. Classes can move blocks by clicking and dragging them to the required column, or removed altogether by dragging them to the Classes to Allocate sidebar.

Manually Assigning Students to Classes1. Select the radio button of a filter at the bottom of the sidebar to refine the

list of students, if required.

2. Select a student to display their choices in preference order.



Allocated courses are displayed in green and unallocated courses are displayed in red. A student's overall satisfaction is displayed adjacent to the student's name. In the following graphic, the student has been assigned to 4 of the 5 courses that he chose.

The student's name is also followed by their gender and pathway Band Code.3. Click and drag any unallocated (Not Set) choices to classes in the Block

grid. You can also move an allocated choice to another class, if required.Available classes are displayed with a green background once a choice is clicked.

The course student counter updates immediately.You can also click the student counter to list all students in that class.

Transferring the Plan to SIMSOnce the plan and solution have been completed, it can be transferred to SIMS. If you have issues logging in to Options Online from within SIMS, an alternative method is available (please see Submitting the Options Plan into SIMS (Alternative Method) on page 21).

WARNING: Before carrying out this process, ensure that the Options plan is correct. Any changes that are required after submitting the plan will have to be made in SIMS or Nova-T6 and not in Options Online.

1. Ensure that your plan is saved and that the status is set to Locked.2. In SIMS, select Focus | Options Online to display the Options Online Home

Page.3. Click the Plan that you want to transfer. The Retrieve button is enabled

below the Options Online heading.4. Click the Retrieve button to import the plan from Options Online.5. Click the Blocks and Students tabs and check that the data has been

imported correctly.



6. When you are happy that the data has been transferred correctly, click the Submit button. This saves the plan to the SIMS SQL database and sets the Plan Status to Closed.The plan can now be loaded in Nova-T6.For more information, please refer to the Creating the Curriculum Model chapter in the Getting Started with Nova handbook. This handbook is available from the SIMS Documentation Centre, which is accessed by clicking the Documentation button on the SIMS Home Page. It is also available from the My Account website (https://myaccount.capita-cs.co.uk).

Submitting the Options Plan into SIMS (Alternative Method)This method of transferring the plan to SIMS is suitable for users who have difficulty logging into Options from within SIMS, e.g. due to a federated authentication system. A federated authentication management system provides single access to multiple systems across different enterprises.

WARNING: Before carrying out this process, ensure that the Options plan is correct. Any changes that are required after submitting the plan will have to be made in SIMS or Nova-T6 and not in Options Online.

1. Ensure that your plan is saved and that the status is set to Locked. 2. Still within the Web browser, go to the Home page, find your plan and then

click the Export Plan button.This creates a .OPT file (typically in the Downloads folder) that can be transferred to SIMS.

3. In SIMS, select Focus | Options Online (do not try to log in as this does not work for you).

4. Click the Select File button to display the Select OPT file to import dialog. Browse to and then select the file created in step 2.

5. Click the Blocks and Students tabs and check that the data is correct.6. When you are happy with the data, click the Submit button. This saves the

plan to the SIMS SQL database.

NOTE: This does not change the status to Closed.

The plan can now be loaded in Nova-T6.For more information, please refer to the Creating the Curriculum Model chapter in the Getting Started with Nova handbook. This handbook is available from the SIMS Documentation Centre, which is accessed by clicking the Documentation button on the SIMS Home Page. It is also available from the My Account website (https://myaccount.capita-cs.co.uk).





Using the Reports PageReports can be generated to assist the Options Administrator in identifying students who have not yet made their choices, students who have chosen certain subjects, students in certain classes, etc.

1. Select one of the following reports from the Report Type drop-down list in the left-hand panel:

Choices - Incomplete SelectionChoices - SummaryChoices by SubjectAllocation - Students by CourseAllocation - Students by ClassAllocation - Classes by BlockAllocation - Courses by BlockClash Table.

A list of available reports is then displayed.2. Select from the Reports list to display the report.

A title is displayed above the report. The Total number of entries and a time stamp are displayed below the report.

3. Click the Copy Current List button to copy the report to the Microsoft Windows clipboard. It can then be pasted into Microsoft Excel.



If you want to copy multiple reports, select the check box of the relevant reports in the Reports list then click the Copy Selected button. Click the Select All and Clear All buttons to facilitate multiple selections, if required.

More Information:Filtering Reports in Excel on page 28Sorting Reports in Excel on page 30


03| Appendix

03|Appendix

Changing the Plan Status............................................................25Saving the Options Plan..............................................................26Creating and Editing Notes..........................................................26Filtering Reports in Excel............................................................28Sorting Reports in Excel..............................................................30Changing the Default Language in Your Web Browser..................31

Changing the Plan StatusThe Plan Status is used to help the Options Administrator keep track of progress when creating the Options plan. It can be changed from all pages, with the exception of the Home Page.

Click the Plan Status drop-down arrow to display the Change Plan Status drop-down list. The available statuses are defined in the following table.

Status Definition

Design This is the default status and indicates a work in progress.

Active Enables students to make their choices.

Review Students can no longer make choices but they can view them. Tutors still have read/write access.

Locked Only the Options Administrator has read/write access to all areas. All other users have read-only access. This is designed for when the Options Administrator is working on the plan once all choices have been made.When the status is set to Locked, the ability to transfer the plan to SIMS 7 is enabled.

Closed The Options plan has been transferred to your school's main SIMS 7 system.

The folder colour on the Home Page changes according to the Plan Status. For example, changing the status to Locked changes the folder colour to purple.

NOTES:The status can be set to Locked only when student choices have been made.The status cannot be changed to Closed manually; the status changes to Closed automatically when the plan is transferred to SIMS 7.


03| Appendix

Saving the Options PlanThe Options plan can be saved at any point in the process by clicking the Save button, which is displayed on every page.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please save your work before attempting to change the Plan Status.

Creating and Editing NotesThe Options Administrator is strongly advised to create Notes to instruct the students on how to make their choices. Notes are displayed on-screen for the student when they are selecting their courses, and are a direct representation of what has been entered by the Options Administrator.

Many of the features in the Notes editor (e.g. bold, italics, numbered lists, etc.) will be familiar to users of Microsoft Word.The following graphic is an example of Pathway Notes, which describe the overall process to the student:

The following graphic is an example of List Notes, which inform the student how to select from a particular list:

1. To create or edit pathway notes, click the Notes icon adjacent to the relevant Pathway on the Plan Definition page.


03| Appendix

Notes icon - note not created

Notes icon - note created

To create or edit List Notes, select the relevant List then click the Edit list notes button on the Pathways and Lists page.

2. Click and drag the expand/contract button in the bottom right-hand corner of the dialog to change the dialog size, if required.

Expand/contract button

Inserting and Formatting TextIn Notes, text formatting is limited to the preset formats displayed in the Format drop-down menu.To insert more highly-formatted text (e.g. with different fonts, font sizes, colours, etc.), copy and paste the required text into the Notes box from another application, e.g. Microsoft Word.

NOTES: When pasting text, the format may not display as originally intended.Pasting text into a note alone does not count as a change to Notes. To save Notes, you must also add at least one character.

Creating a HeadingThere are six levels of headings that can be applied in Notes (i.e. Heading 1 is the main heading, Heading 2 a sub-heading of Heading 1, etc.).

1. In the Notes editor, enter the text that you want to convert into a heading.2. Select the text entered in Step 1.3. Select Format | Formats | Headings and select the relevant heading.

The heading style is applied to the selected text.

Inserting and Editing Images1. A web-based image can be inserted at the cursor location in Notes by

selecting Insert | Insert/edit image. This menu route can also be used to change or edit an image once you click the required image.


03| Appendix

2. Enter the location of the image in the Source field. This must be a valid web address.

3. Enter an Image description.4. The Dimensions are populated automatically based on the source image.

Overtype the dimensions, if required.If the Constrain proportions check box is selected, changing one of the dimension values changes the other automatically to match its proportions. This works in a similar way to the Scale function in Microsoft Word. For example, if the image is 200x100, and the 200 is changed to 150, the 100 automatically changes to 75.

5. Click the Ok button to save the changes. Alternatively, click Cancel to undo any changes made.

Adding/Editing HyperlinksHyperlinks can be inserted if, for example, you would like to provide a link to a page on the school website.

1. Select the word(s) to which you want to apply the hyperlink.2. Select Insert | Insert/edit link or click the Insert/edit link shortcut button

to display the Insert link dialog.

Insert/edit link button

3. Enter a valid web address in the Url field.4. The Text to display field is populated automatically with the highlighted

text but this can be overwritten.5. Enter a Title, if required.6. Select New window from the Target drop-down list if you would like the

link to open a new browser window.

Additional InformationFor further information on using Notes, please refer to the TinyMCE website (https://www.tinymce.com/docs/).

Filtering Reports in ExcelOnce a report has been pasted into Microsoft Excel, it can be filtered to display a required selection of students, e.g. students who selected Computing as their first choice.

NOTE: The following instructions are applicable to Microsoft Excel 2013. Processes in other versions may vary.In addition to the functionality described in this section, it is also possible to include pivot table functionality. For more information, please refer to Microsoft's Excel help page (https://support.office.com/en-gb/excel).

To filter the data, you are required to create a Criteria Range. This is an area of the spreadsheet where you can specify the requirements of the filter.

1. To create a Criteria Range, copy and paste the heading cells (e.g. Surname, Forename, Reg, House, etc.) directly above or below the set of data. Insert one blank row for each required criterion.


https://support.office.com/en-gb/excel

https://www.tinymce.com/docs/

03| Appendix

NOTE: At least one blank row is required between the Criteria Range and the data set.

2. Enter the relevant criterion in the required cell of the Criteria Range. For example, to display all students who have selected Technology as their first choice, enter Technology in the Choice 1 column (cell I2 in the previous graphic).It is also possible to filter by 'and' or 'or' criteria:'And' criteria enables the user to filter students by satisfying multiple criteria. For example, the following Criteria Range filters the students who have selected Technology as their first choice and Physics as their second choice.

'Or' criteria enables the user to filter students by satisfying any of the required criteria. For example, the following Criteria Range filters students who have selected Technology as their first or second choice.

Each row represents a criterion. In the previous graphic, row 2 filters students who have selected Technology as a first choice and row 3 filters students who have selected Technology as a second choice.

NOTE: Each criterion must be defined on a separate row. Otherwise, in the previous example, the filter would attempt to filter students who have selected Technology for their first and second choice.

1. Click the Data tab, then click the Advanced button in the Sort & Filter panel to display the Advanced Filter dialog.


03| Appendix

2. Click in the List range field, then click and drag to select the student data (including the headings). Alternatively, enter the cell range in manually (e.g. A1:K3).

3. Click in the Criteria range field then select the Criteria Range that you have just created (including the headings).

4. Click the OK button to apply the filter. The student data is now filtered to the relevant criteria.

5. Remove the filter by clicking the Clear button in the Sort & Filter panel on the Data tab.

Sorting Reports in ExcelNOTE: The following instructions are applicable to Microsoft Excel 2013. Processes in other versions may vary.

1. Click anywhere in the relevant data set, then click the Sort button in the Data tab to display the Sort dialog. The entire data set is selected.Alternatively, select the required data, then right-click the selection and navigate to Sort | Custom Sort.


03| Appendix

2. By default, the data is sorted alphabetically by surname. Select from the Sort by drop-down menu to select an alternative sort order, e.g. Reg.

3. Click the Add Level button if you would like to add extra sort orders.

The previous graphic sorts the students by Reg then Pathway (both alphabetically).Click the Delete Level button to remove the selected sort order.Use the Up and Down arrow buttons to change the priority sort order.

4. Click the OK button to apply the sort order.

Changing the Default Language in Your Web BrowserYou may be required to change the language settings in your web browser so that Options Online displays correctly. Options Online can also be displayed in Welsh using this method.

NOTE: Setting the browser language to Welsh changes the Options Online software to Welsh. The browser itself may not display in Welsh.


03| Appendix

Chrome1. To validate the language settings, enter chrome://settings/languages

in the Chrome browser address bar and press Enter to display the Languages dialog.

2. If English (United Kingdom) or Welsh - Cymraeg is not present, click the Add button.


03| Appendix

3. Select English (United Kingdom) or Welsh - Cymraeg and click the OK button.

4. Highlight English (United Kingdom) or Welsh - Cymraeg and drag this to the top of the Languages list.

5. If you selected English (United Kingdom), click the Display Google Chrome in this language button. This button is not displayed for Welsh - Cymraeg.Further guidance on selecting languages in Google Chrome is available online (http://www.wikihow.com/Change-the-Default-Language-in-Google-Chrome).

6. Re-open your Chrome browser before logging into Options Online.


http://www.wikihow.com/Change-the-Default-Language-in-Google-Chrome

http://www.wikihow.com/Change-the-Default-Language-in-Google-Chrome

03| Appendix

Internet Explorer1. Launch a new Internet Explorer window.2. Click the cog icon in the top right-hand corner of the window and select

Internet Options to display the Internet Options dialog.

3. On the General tab, click the Languages button at the bottom of the dialog.

4. If English (United Kingdom) [en-GB] or Welsh (United Kingdom) [cy-GB] is not in the Language box, click the Add button.

5. Select English (United Kingdom) [en-GB] or Welsh (United Kingdom) [cy-GB] from the Add Language dialog and click the OK button.

6. Click OK to the remaining windows to close them.7. Further guidance on selecting languages in Internet Explorer can be found

online (http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows-vista/change-your-internet-explorer-language-settings).

8. Re-open your Internet Explorer browser before logging into Options Online.


http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows-vista/change-your-internet-explorer-language-settings

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows-vista/change-your-internet-explorer-language-settings

03| Appendix

Firefox1. Enter about:preferences in the address bar and press Enter to display

the General settings page.

2. Click the Content tab in the left-hand menu.3. Under Languages, click the Choose button adjacent to the Choose your

preferred language for displaying pages item to display the Languages dialog.

4. Select English/United Kingdom [en-gb] or Welsh [cy] from the Select a language to add drop-down list.

5. Click and drag the required language to the top of the list, or highlight it and use the Move Up button.

6. Click the OK button.7. Re-open your Firefox browser before logging into Options Online.


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