This guide contains the following:
As well as some Additional Information on Virtual School such as:
Access: The Permissions required to access Virtual School can be found in the Setup Module from within Config > Setup > Virtual School Configuration.
See Also: How To Setup A Partner School In Virtual School Configuration & How To Setup A Virtual School In Virtual School Configuration
What Is Virtual School?
The Bromcom Virtual School is a unique option allowing Students to be registered for lessons at schools other than their own and for the associated data to be stored in the Virtual School.
The following data will be created dynamically on the Virtual School
- Student and Staff Details
- Room Details
- Tutor Groups
- Classes
- Timetables
- Attendance
- Behaviour (as long as the Behaviour structure matches between Partner School and the Virtual School)
- Assessment (as long as the Assessment structure matches between Partner School and the Virtual School)
The data returned will consist of Attendance, Assessment and Behaviour information.
How does it work?
- A Virtual School is created and becomes the main school for transferring roaming data
- Partner Schools create the Virtual School Configurations within the Setup module
- Partner Schools send the relevant information from this Setup to the Virtual School
- Virtual School adds this information to the system
- Students go to other schools for lessons and are registered
- Registered marks are returned to the Virtual School
A Virtual School is the main school that will hold and transfer the data between the school taking the classes and the school where the Student is enrolled, in effect it becomes the MASTER for the shared Year Groups between the schools and it will hold all key data for the running of the classes.
Note: All pages below are subject to having the relevant Roles and Permissions.
Additional Information
Adding New Students
If a Student joins in year, and you already know which School has responsibility for the Student, then simply add them to that School as you would any other Student using this process – How to Add a New Student
See also: How to Add/Update Student’s Via CTF Import
Once complete, you can then offer them to Virtual as you would other Students using part of this process – How To Setup A Partner School For Virtual School
However, if you’re unsure as to which School they will belong to but still need their data on Virtual, then add them to the Virtual School directly as you would any other Student (Using the Add New Student guide above) then once you know which School they’re a part of then do the following:
- Turn off the automatic sync > click save
- On the partner school they’re part of, amend their enrolment from Guest to their correct enrolment (How To Change A Student Enrolment)
- Add the Students to Outplaced (How To Setup A Partner School For Virtual School)
Once a Student has been added, if their Base School has not yet been determined, the next transfer will distribute their details to all partner schools.
Following the successful transfer, one (and only one) of the Partner Schools should take responsibility for the Student and edit their information in order to become the Base School for that Student.
On the responsible Partner School from the left Menu go to Students > Select the Student > View, this will open the Student Details Page, select the Enrolment option and change the Students Enrolment status to Current (Single Registration) by clicking on the top right + button and Save.
The Student now has to be added to the Outplaced Students List, to do this from the left Menu go to Config > Setup > Virtual School Configuration and click on the Add button.
This will display the Student Selector box, either enter the Student name or click on the Find button to multi select the Students.
Once the Students have been selected, click the Done button to add them to the Outplaced Students list.
They will now be displayed in the Outplaced Students section.
When completed click on the Save button.
The next transfer will update the Virtual School with the information of the Student’s new Base School.
Data Source and Direction of Data Flow
The image below shows, for each of the usual data items, which side of the Partner/Virtual pairing is responsible for the master copy of the data in each instance. This is indicated by an X beneath the appropriate item.
For example the definition and timetable of Classes flows from the Master Record at the Partner School. However the memberships are managed from the Virtual School.
The Arrow indicates in which direction the data will flow. This is usually from master to slave but any exceptions or additional requirements are summarised beneath direction of data.
Each item is described in greater detail below.
- Class Definition – Classes are defined at the Partner school. When they transfer to the Virtual school they will have their names appended with a unique value. This ensures that use of the same code at multiple partner schools will not cause issue.
- Class timetable – All timetable for classes set as Offered will transfer based on the period mapping completed for the partner school
- Class membership – All Virtual school delivered class membership is to be managed at the Virtual school
- Learning Aims – The Virtual school record is the master record for all learning aims, including those that are historically recorded on the student record. So please ensure that all learning aims information is correctly recorded on the Virtual school student record. BEFORE YOU RUN THE SYNC DOWN.
Please note that as the Virtual school is the master record, if you were to add a learning aim to a student in the Virtual school that matches an existing learning aim record in the Partner school, this will be overwritten with what is in the Virtual school.
- Learning Hours – Learning hours are configured on the course information recorded on the Virtual school courses
- Class Attendance – Lesson registers are completed on the Partner school. Attendance for these classes are transferred back to the student record at the Virtual school which acts as the single complete record of attendance for the student
- Student Details (partner school enrolled) – Student information is updated on the Virtual school with the school to which the student is enrolled acting as the master record
- Student Details (virtual school enrolled) – If a student is entered directly to the Virtual school then their information will transmit to each Partner school. One Partner school should adopt the student and enrol them to their system and place them on the outplaced students list. The student record at the enrolled school will then become the master record
- Assessment Results – Assessment data will transfer from Partner to Virtual for those assessment components that exist on both Partner and Virtual systems. No templates or components will be transferred so the Assessment import tools should be used in order to ensure that the components exist in both systems
- Behaviour definitions – Shared Behaviour components are defined within the Virtual school system. The events involved in this construction are transferred to each Partner school
- Behaviour data – The occurrence of each shared event is transferred from each Partner school to the Virtual school
- Student Photos – Student photos are transferred as part of the base student transfer. So ensure that the photos are added on the student record on the enrolling partner school
- Exam Entries – No transfer of exams information is undertaken as part of the Virtual school configuration
- Academic Calendar – While no transfer of Academic Calendar information is undertaken it should be noted that it is important to ensure that the Partner and Virtual schools calendars match wherever possible
- Period Structure – While no transfer of Period Structure information is undertaken it should be noted that it is important to ensure that the Period Structure matches between partner and Virtual schools and that the mapping process has been completed
Bulk Student Class Membership
Students can also be Bulk added to a Specific Class, to do this from the left Menu go to Curriculum > Routines > Bulk Group Assignment
This will display the parameters page, from the Bulk Update Type dropdown list select Class Memberships [or Tutor Group Memberships if updating Tutor Groups]. Either type in the name or use the Magnifying Glass search option to add both the Group Name and the Student Name, these will display to the right in separate moveable boxes.
When complete click the Go button.
The Bulk Class Assignment pop-up will now be displayed, showing the Student Names, their current Status and the Class they are being moved to. If more than one Class has been selected there will be an additional column for each one.
Tick the boxes under the new Class column and click either the Save button to continue working on the page or the Save & Close button to finish, a Confirmation Message will be given click the Cancel or Proceed button.
Note: As with all of the pages what you will be able to see and edit will be subject to having the relevant Roles and Permissions.