C|Contents
01| Overview of Early Years Foundation Stage Profile Assessments
Introduction......
What’s New?......
Permissions Required to Run the Wizard Manager......
02| Installing AMPARK and Importing the Wizards......
Installing AMPARK......
Hardware Requirements......
Downloading AMPARK from the AMPARK Website......
Importing the EYFS Profile Wizards into SIMS Assessment......
03| Entering EYFS Profile Results and Producing Individual Reports
Introduction......
Selecting an EYFS Profile Wizard......
Selecting a Pupil/Student Group......
Editing the Marksheets......
Saving and Validating Marksheets......
Previewing and Printing the EYFS Profile NDC Summary Report
Exporting Results Using the Wizard Manager......
Exporting Results Using the CTF Routine......
Transferring Key Stage Results to the LA......
Index......
01|Overview of Early Years Foundation Stage Profile Assessments01|Overview of Early Years Foundation Stage Profile Assessments
In This ChapterIntroduction...... 1
What’s New?...... 2
Permissions Required to Run the Wizard Manager...... 2
Introduction
The Wizard Manager, which is available in SIMS through the Assessment routines, provides an easy method of managing the statutory End of Key Stage procedures. The Wizard Manager guides you through the process of recording Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFS Profile) assessments, from selecting the relevant wizard and pupil group, adding and editing the results, through to producing the individual report and, if required, exporting the results.
The EYFS Profile Wizards contain aspects and templates that SIMS uses to create the necessary marksheets and individual reports. They are provided in the Assessment Manager and Performance Analysis Resource Kit (AMPARK).
There are two wizards available for import into Assessment, the EYFS Profile Detail Results and the EYFS Profile Summary Results wizards. TheEYFS Profile Detail Results wizard contains marksheets that enable you to record individual points for each Scale, while the EYFS Profile Summary Results wizard contains summary marksheets that enable you to enter the Scale score.
NOTE: Only one of these wizards needs to be completed. Therefore, you do not need to import both wizards.
AMPARK is installed on each SIMS workstation as part of each release (via SOLUS). Any additional versions will be made available from the AMPARK website ( and included in future SIMS upgrades.
When AMPARK has been installed, the various resources (i.e. aspects, templates and wizards) can be imported into SIMS Assessment (please see Importing the EYFS Profile Wizards into SIMS Assessment on page6).
Once the Wizard Manager has been run and the results have been entered, they can be exported from the Wizard Manager, or through SIMS.
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, e.g. 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. The DFE recommends ISO27001 as the standard for information security (). If you are in any doubt, you should consult with your IT Security Officer before proceeding.
The EYFS Profile Wizards enable you to input and validate Early Years Foundation Stage results in preparation for the National Data Collection.
Each wizard contains all the aspects and templates needed to complete the EYFS Profile process, fulfilling the mandatory minimum requirements as defined by the DfE.
When imported into SIMS Assessment, the wizards can be accessed via Tools | Performance | Assessment | Wizard Manager, where you are guided through the process of creating and validating marksheets prior to exporting to a CTF file.
Wizard names are amended each year to ensure that, on import, wizards from previous years are not overwritten.
What’s New?
Updates for EYFS Profile Wizards
The following EYFS Profile wizards have been provided for 2012:
- EYFS Profile Detail Wizard 2012.xml
- EYFS Profile Summary Wizard 2012.xml
The wizards must be imported into Assessment before being run.
More Information:Importing the EYFS Profile Wizards into SIMS Assessment on page 6
Entering EYFS Profile Results and Producing Individual Reports on page 9
Permissions Required to Run the Wizard Manager
Only members of the Assessment Co-ordinator and Assessment Operatoruser groups have the required Permissions to use the Wizard Manager. Where a user has been granted the appropriate Permissions, they can access the marksheets and individual reports through Focus | Assessment | Marksheet Entry and Focus | Assessment | Individual Report.
Completing EYFS Profiles in Assessment / 102|Installing AMPARK and Importing the Wizards
02|Installing AMPARK and Importing the Wizards
In This ChapterInstalling AMPARK...... 3
Importing the EYFS Profile Wizards into SIMS Assessment...... 6
Installing AMPARK
The Assessment Manager and Performance Analysis Resource Kit (AMPARK) provides the required Key Stage Wizards for the End of Key Stage process in Assessment Manager. AMPARK is installed as part of the SIMS release (either by downloading from the AMPARK website or by installing via SOLUS).
After AMPARK has been installed, you need to import the resources into SIMS Assessment.
Further versions of AMPARK are made available for download from the AMPARK website ( and as part of future SIMS upgrades.
IMPORTANT NOTE: After upgrading the SIMS server, the workstation upgrade is carried out the first time you open SIMS.
Hardware Requirements
Before installing SIMS and AMPARK, you are strongly advised to refer to the recommended hardware requirements.
The current hardware specification takes into account the latest advice from Microsoft® and is based on the recommended specification to run SQL based software.
Details of recommended hardware and specifications for new equipment required for running SIMS effectively can be found on the Capita Children’s Services Internet site (
Downloading AMPARK from the AMPARK Website
NOTE: We recommend downloading and reading the AMPARK release note, which describes the changes made to AMPARK. The release note is available from the AMPARK Home page ().
1.To download AMPARK, click the hyperlink for the required release beneath theDownloadsheading on the AMPARK Home page.
2.In the File Download dialog, click the Save button to save the .zip file to a location on your computer, or click the Open button to open the file.
NOTE: The file name displayed in the previous graphic is subject to change and therefore may be different on product release.
3.To extract all the files from the opened AMPARK .zip file, select them by clicking the first file in the list, holding down the Shift key and clicking the last file in the list.
4.Click the Extract button and navigate to the \Program Files\SIMS\SIMS .net folder.
5.Select the Use folder names check box and click the Extractbutton to extract the files.
You can now import the resources into Assessment (please see Importing the EYFS Profile Wizards into SIMS Assessment on page6).
Importing the EYFS Profile Wizards into SIMS Assessment
Before using the Wizard Manager, you must import the EYFS Profile Wizards into SIMS Assessment.
1.Select Routines | Data In | Assessment | Import to display the first page of the Importwizard.
2.Navigate to the AMPA folder and select the file to import by clicking the Field Browserbutton to display the Opendialog.
/ Field Browser button3.Highlight the Key Stage Wizard file to be importedand click the Openbutton to return to the wizard. The name of the selected file is displayed in the Select the file to import from field.
4.Click the Finishbutton. A message asks for confirmation to proceed with the import.
5.Click the Yesbutton to start the import process. This may take some time to complete.
An Activity Log is displayed when the import is complete.
6.Click the Close button.
The Wizard Manager can now be used to complete the EYFS Profile process.
Completing EYFS Profiles in Assessment / 103|Entering EYFS Profile Results and Producing Individual Reports
03|Entering EYFS Profile Results and Producing Individual Reports
In This ChapterIntroduction...... 9
Exporting Results Using the CTF Routine...... 29
Transferring Key Stage Results to the LA...... 30
Introduction
The Wizard Managerguides you through the end of Early Years Foundation Stage Profiles process, from selecting the relevant EYFS Profile wizard and pupil group, adding, editing and validating the results, through to producing the individual reports.
Before running the Wizard Manager, ensure that the EYFS Profile Wizards have been imported (please see Importing the EYFS Profile Wizards into SIMS Assessment on page6).
Selecting an EYFS Profile Wizard
7.Select Tools | Performance | Assessment | Wizard Manager to display the first page of the wizard.
The list can be ordered by clicking the Name or Edit Date column headings. The Edit Date refers to the date that the wizard was last edited.
If the display is empty, you should make sure that you have successfully imported the required wizard(s) (please see Installing AMPARK and Importing the Wizards on page3).
8.Filter the wizards by selecting Incomplete, Complete or All from the Filter drop-down list.
Selecting Incomplete filters out all the wizards that have already been processed through the Wizard Manager and are marked as Complete.
NOTES: Once a wizard has been completed successfully, select the related Complete check box and click the Next button. A message informs you that the Complete status has changed and asks if you would like to save the changes. Click the Yes button and then click the Cancel button to close the Wizard Manager.
Each time you open the wizard, the view defaults to Incompletewizards.
9.Highlight the EYFS Profile Detail Wizard 2010 wizard and click the Next button to display the EYFS Profile Detail Wizard 2010 page.
NOTE: Even if only one wizard is displayed, you must highlight it before you continue to the next page of the Wizard Manager.
Selecting a Pupil/Student Group
This page of the wizard enables you to select the group whose EYFS Profile assessment results you want to report on. You can select any previously created user-defined groups, if required.
Please refer to the Assessment in SIMS handbook which can be accessed from the Documentation Centre, which is launched by clicking the Documentationbutton on the Home Page in SIMS. Once open, click the Handbooksbutton, select the required category, then click the required handbook from the Handbookspage.
1.Click the Field Browser button to display the Group Selectordialog.
/ Field Browser button2.The From and To dates default to the date range of the current academic year. If you need to change these dates, e.g. if you want to include pupils who have already left the school, enter them in dd/mm/yyyy format or select a date from the related calendar. Click the Refresh button.
3.Click the +or – symbols to expand or contract the groups as necessary. To clear a selection, click the Clear Selection button. Highlight the required group and click the Apply button to select the group and return to the wizard.
NOTE: Only one group can be selected at a time.
4.Click the Next button to display the Marksheets page.
5.Click the Yes button if you are prompted to save.
Editing the Marksheets
The Marksheets page displays the marksheets in the imported wizard. They can be sorted on any column (with the exception of the Complete column), by clicking the required column heading.
The marksheets can be opened directly from this page in order to add, edit and calculate the Scores and Statuses.
NOTE: Clicking the Save button calculates the Scores and Statuses as well as saving the results.
Editing the Assessment Scale Marksheets in the EYFS Profile Detail Wizard
The following instructions guide you through completing the Assessment Scale marksheets in the EYFS Profile Detailwizard.
1.In the Marksheets page, highlight the required marksheet and click the Edit Marksheet button.
/ Edit Marksheet buttonAny results that have previously been entered against the aspects are displayed.
The marksheet functionality accessed via the Wizard Manager is the same as when accessed through Focus | Assessment | Marksheet Entry. However, the display is different in that the Marksheet browser and the Focus | Assessmentmenu route are not available.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Please read the text in the Notes field of each marksheet, as this offers advice and information relating to adding, editing and calculating results in that particular marksheet.
2.The letter Y should be entered for each point of a Scale that has been achieved by the pupil.
If you enter an incorrect value, the View Invalid Result dialog is displayed, giving details of the valid grades for the specific column.
3.Click the Close button and correct the required grade.
NOTE: If the marksheet being viewed requires data to be added, and the teacher who assessed the pupils does not have Assessment Coordinator or Assessment Operator Permissions, they can access the same marksheets through Focus | Assessment | Marksheet Entry.
Saving and Validating Marksheets
A validation check is carried out when entering or editing data in an EYFS Profile marksheet. This validation is carried out by clicking either the Save or Calculate buttons.
Once the validation has been carried out, a message is displayed in the Data Entry Checkcolumn only if one or more of the preceding eight columns remain empty.
A score of 0 can indicate that the pupil has either been following an alternative assessment, or was not assessed because of absence or similar. No status is calculated for a score of 0 and, therefore, the cell in the column remains blank. If the pupil has not been assessed because of absence or sickness, enter N in the column. If the pupil has been following an alternative assessment, enter Y.
NOTE: An entry should not normally be made in columns 4-8 unless columns 1-3 have been populated with 'Y's. Similarly, there should not be an entry in column 9 unless columns 1-8 have been populated with 'Y's. Where potentially invalid entries exist, the cell is coloured pink. Validation occurs on saving. However, clicking the Calculate button at any time calculates the totals and refreshes the display.
1.Right-click in the first column and click the Select Grade for cell option to display the View Select Gradedialog.
2.Highlight the ‘Y’ grade and click the Apply & Next button to assign this grade to the selected pupil/student and to move the cursor into the record of the next pupil/student. Where the criterion for the column has not been met, leave the cell empty.
3.Click the Skipbutton to miss a pupil/student’s record. You can return to this record later to assign an appropriate grade.
4.Click the Close button when you have finished assigning grades.
5.Once the values for each pupil/student have been entered, click the Save button to populate the Status and Score columns and to save the marksheet.
/ Save buttonThe Comments column can be used to record free text information relating to the pupil/student’s progress. Any comments entered are not exported and do not appear on the standard report output.
Whilst the marksheets can be saved and used without editing the data, the CTF validation routine will not export the results until they have been corrected. A message is displayed in the Exception Log,indicating where the error has occurred (please see Exporting Results Using the CTF Routine on page29).
NOTE: You must ensure that the Status column is populated before generating the report or exporting the data to an XML file to send to your Local Authority (LA).
6.When you have completed the marksheet, select the Data entry for this Marksheet is complete check box and click the Save button again.
7.Click the Closebutton to close the marksheet and return to the Wizard Manager.
/ Close button8.Repeat these steps for each Scale in an Area of Learning (AOL) (e.g. EYFS PSE DA, EYFS PSE ED, EYFS PSE SD, etc.).
Calculating the EYFS AOL Subtotals
Once all the Scales in the AOL have been completed, use the EYFS AOL Subtotal marksheet, e.g. 1d PSE Subtotal, to calculate the total AOL score.
1.On the Marksheets page, highlight the required AOL Subtotal marksheet and click the Edit Marksheet button.
/ Edit Marksheet buttonThis marksheet displays the scores from the AOL Scale marksheets and is in read-only mode.