Search Tab

Use the Search tab in the Registration module to generate a list of registration records and send a mail merge to parents. Either use an existing template for your letter or write your own. This function is useful to send a letter to parents of students with persistent lateness or with 100% attendance.

Registration records cannot be changed in the Search tab.

1. Open the Registration module and select the Search tab:
   

   The Search tab can be set up to suit your school and it may appear different to the example shown.

2. Use the filters available to select the group of students that you want to work with:
   
   Fewer records on display reduces the time it takes to update any changes made to them.

   Click here for more help on using filters.

   Filter	Use to filter student registration records by...
   School Structure	Your school structure, such as year group and boarding house. To make multiple selections press and hold the Ctrl key while making your selections.
   Pastoral	Student tutors. All of the selected tutor's students are displayed. To make multiple selections press and hold the Ctrl key while making your selections.
   Academic	The academic setup of your school, for example subject and teaching set. To make multiple selections press and hold the Ctrl key while making your selections.
   Group	Groups of students. These are custom groups, such as a school trip group, which are set up in the Pupil Manager module. Choose from shared groups or your own custom groups. To make multiple selections press and hold the Ctrl key while making your selections. This is useful if you want to check the registration for a preselected group of students, such as a school trip group.
   Search	Specific search terms, such as name or gender. You can also choose to only display students who have a SEN or medical flag on their pupil record.
   	Click to save the filters that you have selected. Your selections remain in place even when you close the module.

3. Select the Registration Conditions to search for students by attendance status:
   

   Click here for more help using Registration Conditions.

   Section	Explanation
   Registration Conditions	Conditions. Use the drop down list to select the conditions applied to registration period figures. Amount. Enter the number or percentage of registration periods that you want to apply in the registration conditions. By. Use the drop down list to select whether to search for a percentage or total number of registration periods. Use hide in Statistics. Check the box to hide the registration periods which have been marked with an absence code that is not included in statistics.
   Attendance Status	Click on the relevant button for the Attendance Status you want to apply in your selection.
   Registration Codes	Click on an absence/presence reason code to filter the registration conditions further, this is optional. Hold down the Ctrl key to add multiple selections. This section is not available when you have selected 'Un-registered' in the Attendance Status section.

4. Select the Registration Times that you want to search:
   

   Click here for more help using Registration Times.

   Field	Explanation
   Times	Hold the Ctrl key and select the registration periods you want to display.
   Show	Check the boxes available to select the Type of registration period you want to display. The checkboxes available depend on the configuration of the registration periods.

5. Select the dates that you want to work with:
   

6. Use the navigation tools to control the number of records displayed on each page and find the record that you want to work with:
   

   • Registration records are listed in alphabetical order with icons identifying student nationality, medical conditions and SEN requirements.
   • The Periods column shows the total number of registration periods a student has been included in for the dates and times selected. This number is used to calculate the Total and Percentage column figures.
   • The Total column shows the total number of registration periods within the dates and times selected that match the Registration Conditions you have set.
   • The Percentage column shows the percentage of registration periods within the dates and times selected that match the Registration Conditions you have set.
   • Periods, Totals and Percentage columns are highlighted a colour to reflect registration status. The colours used are set up in the Configuration tab, in this example:
     
     • Absent = pink.
     • Present = green.
     • Late = yellow.
     • Unregistered = white.

7. Choose to:

   Send a letter by mail merge.

   1. Use the checkboxes on the left to select registration records:
      
   2. Use the drop down list on the right to select 'Send a Letter'. This is an example of the Mail Merge Preview window displayed:

   3. Choose to send either an:

      Existing letter or edit an existing letter.

      1. Select a tab to work with  and click on the letter that you want to use. 
      2. To edit the letter, click Edit Letter to open the Letter Preview window:
         
      3. Edit the Letter Name, if required. The nature of the letter must be clear as this is listed when you select a letter to send.
      4. Edit the Letter Category:
         
         • 'Shared Letter Templates' can be selected by any user with access to pupil records.
         • 'My Letter Templates' are solely for your own use. This is useful for communication which you want to control, such as absence penalty letters.
      5. Select who to Send Letter To:
         
         • Parents/Contacts. Letters can be sent to any pupil contact has the Mail Options of All Merges or Correspondence selected in Student Contacts.
         • School. Letters can be sent to a pupil's previous, current or future school.
      6. Select Not Parent Portal Letter. Parent Portal letters are sent to parents to help them activate their portal accounts.
      7. Edit the body of your letter in the free text box:
         1. Add fields using the drop down lists available, where required. Some fields are already entered for you.
         2. Use the standard toolbar to format your letter, as required. You do no need to add header and footer information here.
      8. Either:
         
         • Click Save Letter to overwrite the existing letter. You are prompted Are you sure you want to save this letter?
           or
         • Click Save As New to save both the original and the amended letters. You are prompted Are you sure you want to save this letter as a New Letter?
      9. Click OK. A preview of your letter is displayed.
      10. Choose to either:
          
          • Print Letter to keep a hard copy on file.
            or
          •  Edit Letter to return to the Letter Preview window and amend the letter further.
            or
          • Close Window to return to the Mail Merge Preview window and use the letter.
      Send a new letter.

      1. Click Create Letter at the top of the window.
         The Letter Preview window is displayed:
         
      2. Enter a clear a concise Letter Name. The nature of the letter must be clear as this is listed when you select a letter to send.
      3. Select a Letter Category:
         
         • 'Shared Letter Templates' can be selected by any user with access to pupil records.
         • 'My Letter Templates' are solely for your own use. This is useful for communication which you want to control, such as offer letters.
      4. Select who to Send Letter To:
         
         • Parents/Contacts. Letters can be sent to any pupil contact has the Mail Options of All Merges or Correspondence selected in Student Contacts.
         • School. Letters can be sent to a pupil's previous, current or future school.
      5. Not Parent Portal Letter. Parent Portal letters are sent to parents to help them activate their portal accounts.
      6. Write the body of your letter in the free text box:
         1. Add fields using the drop down lists available, where required. Some fields are already entered for you.
         2. Use the standard toolbar to format your letter, as required. You do no need to add header and footer information here.
      7. Click Save Letter. You are prompted Are you sure you want to save this letter?
      8. Click OK.
         A preview of your letter is displayed:
         
      9. Click Close Window. The new letter is now listed in the Mail Merge Preview window, ready for use.

   4. Under Address Type Selection filter the contacts who are to receive the letter and where it is sent. For example, choose to send a letter to billing contacts who are listed as parents whose main address is listed as a work address. If no selections are made in this section, letters are addressed to all contacts (apart from Contact Only contacts).

      Use as many filters as you need:

      1. Apply Mailing Options filters to the types of contact who are to receive the letter. All contacts are setup to receive different types of correspondence. Only these contacts will receive the letter:
         • Billing. Contacts who receive invoices.
         • Correspondence. Contacts who receive all general school correspondence, such as weekly newsletters.
         • Reports. Contacts who receive academic reports.
      2. Apply Relation Type filters (highlighted green). Only the selected relation types receive the letter. For example, if you check Inc Guardians only contacts marked as guardians are sent the letter.
      3. Apply Address Type filters (highlighted blue). Only contacts with the address type you select are sent the letter. For example, if you check Inc Work Contacts only contacts with a work address listed are sent the letter.
      4. Select a Custom Contact Group from the list displayed. Hold Ctrl to make multiple selections. Only contacts linked to the selected groups are sent the letter. See Write to a Custom Contact Group if you want to ensure that your letter is sent to the whole Custom Contact Group.
      5. Select Send to Home. Your letter is only sent to contacts who have the Student Home box checked in contact records.
   5. In Family Preferences select whether to send one letter for each child listed or just send one per sibling group.
   6. Select or upload a new:
      
      • Letter Template. This determines the layout of your letter. The templates listed are unique to Letter Merging.
      • Signature. This determines the signatory on your letter. Choose to send a letter on another person's behalf, if required. The signatures listed are unique to Letter Merging.
      • Address Labels. This determines the layout of your address labels. The labels listed are unique to Letter Merging.
   7. Click Mail Merge. You are prompted when the mail merge is complete.
   8. Choose to either:
      
      • Click Download the Word Document containing the Letters. Open or Save and print the file as required.
        or
      • Click Download the Word Document containing the Labels. Open or Save and print the file as required.
        or
      • Click  Return to Previous Selection and Options Page. Use this to rerun the mail merge, if required.
   View a student's registration history.

   Click  to view a student's registration history. This provides a useful log of all the student's registrations.

   View student information.

   Click on the student's name to display the Student Information window.