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The SIMS Support team has extensive expertise in all areas of SIMS, including:

• SIMS Performance Suite (includes Assessment, Performance Analysis, Reporting, Profiles)
• SIMS Curriculum Management (includes Nova, Academic Management, Examination Organiser, Course Manager, Options and Cover)
• SIMS Registration Suite (includes Attendance and Lesson Monitor)
• SIMS Behaviour Management
• SIMS Core Suite (includes Home Page, pupil/student records, SEN, Personnel, Reporting, School Census and System Manager)
• Hampshire Tracking Package (The Hampshire KS1 and KS2 Tracking Packages have been developed by Hampshire IT to meet the assessment needs of the majority of Hampshire schools. The Tracking Packages are available to all primary phase schools and are provided free of charge. These templates use SIMS Assessment to record, track and report pupil progress. Hampshire IT works in conjunction with HIAS when producing the Tracking Packages and has incorporated assessment strategies laid down by both local and national government).

The SIMS Support team strives to deal with all SIMS issues in a friendly and efficient manner and we regularly exceed our published SLA targets. The IT Help Desk provides a single point of contact for each call.

Members of the SIMS Support team have extensive experience of working in a school environment, and therefore fully appreciate the pressures school users are under and the need for prompt and efficient responses.

When we ask for personal data from schools, say for testing or for further investigation, we follow guidance set by ISO 27001 for copying, handling, encrypting and disposing of that data.

In addition to providing support relating to SIMS issues, the team are responsible for providing schools with clear and concise notes of guidance on how to extract relevant information from SIMS for the various statutory returns and returns required by Hampshire County Council, for example the School Census.

The team also provides schools with clear and concise notes of guidance on other necessary functions that need to be completed in SIMS, for example the downloading of exam results. All notes provided are fully tested before being published and pass through a strict quality assurance process to ensure they are accurate and of high quality and to ensure that any returns or functions can be carried out confidently by schools.

The SIMS Support Team promotes and encourages best use of SIMS to ensure schools get the most from their data.

We provide advice on how data in SIMS can be most effectively used in schools to move forward with their strategic direction. We regularly visit and work with individual schools to provide demonstrations of modules that they are considering using in the future and answer any questions they may have.

SIMS Support visits

The Hampshire IT SIMS Support team is offering a free of charge one hour annual visit to each primary, nursery and special school (including education centres) that have subscribed to the SIMS Support element of the Hampshire IT Service Level Agreement, to ensure that the service we provide continues to meet your needs.

During the Autumn terms, a member of the SIMS Support team will contact your school to make arrangements to meet with the main SIMS user in your school and a teacher. A range of dates and times for the visit will be offered to ensure that the visit takes place at your convenience.

The purpose of the annual visit is to:

• Build and develop relationships.
• Provide you with a name and face as your SIMS representative within Hampshire IT.
• Review your schools use of SIMS, including the wider use of SIMS beyond the office.
• Update you with ongoing SIMS related projects and new developments.
• Provide you with timescales for SIMS related statutory returns.
• Update you on any current SIMS known issues.
• Provide an opportunity for us to listen to your views and feedback relating to the service we provide. This will inform our future service plans to ensure they continue to meet the needs of our customers.
• Discuss any SIMS related issues you may have.
• Discuss the range of SIMS related training courses, provided by Hampshire IT, that may be of interest to your school.
• Discuss any other services, provided by Hampshire IT, that may be of interest to your school.

Schools that have bought into the SLA are invited to attend an annual SIMS Update Seminar. This provides school users with an opportunity to meet and discuss issues with members of the SIMS Support team. It also provides an opportunity for Hampshire IT to update schools with important information relating to future developments in SIMS.

The SIMS Support team are also involved in coordinating and attend the Secondary SIMS User Forums. The Forums take place once a term and are a three-way partnership between Hampshire schools, Hampshire IT and Capita.

The User Forums provide schools with an opportunity to raise and discuss issues surrounding SIMS. Schools also benefit from finding out about future developments within the SIMS software.