FAQ Number : P1d                                    Latest Update: 15/06/09

At the start of using PFM, you will need to import students. DO NOT attempt this until the first week of the new academic year at the earliest. You must check that students have been promoted to their new years on SIMS.net before starting this process.

Before starting this procedure please do the following:

a. Check you have the correct version of PFM - 6.05.00.  The version is shown in the blue bar across the top of the screen when running PFM. If you do not the correct version, please request an upgrade from the web site www.istekuk.com

b. Before starting, take an archive, using Period End - Archives - Backup Current Data. Click in the white box and enter the name BEFORE IMPORT. Click on CREATE BACKUP.

Summary of steps - see below for detail -

1. Check for students with no admission number

2. If there are none, go to SIMS.net and run PFM Pupil report - save file.

3. Go to PFM - Setup tab - choose to Upload Student Names - select file saved in step 2 - Click on Save Details into Database

4. Delete leavers in Setup Tab by using the CLEAN UP button at bottom of screen.

1. CHECK FOR STUDENTS WITH NO ADMISSION NUMBER

It is important that all students  have an admission number as this is the unique item for each one. Without an admission number, students imported from SIMS  will be duplicated if any item has changed, such as their class.  To check for any students without an admission number, click on ‘Students Without an Admission Number’.

If you have NO students without admission numbers, or if they are all expected (eg parent names, pupils from other schools etc) then bypass the following section and go to section 2.RUN STUDENT REPORT IN SIMS.

If any students are showing without admission numbers, you have 4 choices of how to deal with them :

1. If they are not duplicated anywhere else on the system and have no transactions, you can safely DELETE them as they will be added correctly when you run the SIMS upload.
2. If they are a duplicate of another student name with an admission number, you need to MERGE
3. If they are not duplicated, and do have transactions posted to them, you must ADD the admission number.
4. If they are not current students, simply DELETE them.

To check for duplications go to Period End – CLASS CHANGER – select the class required.

Then return to SETUP – and use the Students without Admission Number Clean Up.

 1. Delete students with no transactions - if they have no transactions at all, then it is best to simply delete them, as they will be imported from SIMS once we link, if they are still in the school -

- Tick  the students to delete
- Click Delete those without Transactions

 2. Merge Students who are duplicated - if a student is duplicated, then merge the two records to combine the transactions.

- Tick students to merge. Click on  Merge Ticked Students.

- Enter some search text to identify student to merge with, click name and click on MERGE.

- Next student to merge will appear – continue.

 3. Add admission numbers - If there are current students without an admission number, who are not duplicated anywhere on the system, you will need to provide an admission number, as follows.

Setup - Students - Click on View/Amend/Add.  Select student using pull down arrow. Type in SIMS admission number into STAR REF box. Click on SAVE.

4. Delete used but unwanted students

 - Tick students to remove and click on Delete Ticked Students.

2. RUN STUDENT REPORT IN SIMS

Now we know there are no students without an Admission Number, we are ready for the new list of students. Go to SIMS.net – REPORTS – RUN. Then select FOCUS – STUDENT. Scroll down to the report called PFM Pupil Report - Legal or Familiar. DO NOT USE PFM Pupil Report Sues version if you require parents names imported.  (If you do not have this on the list, go to the website www.istekuk.com - Support - Downloads.

Click ‘Run’ - Make Sure The Date Showing Is Today.

The report will be generated for the whole school. This may take a moment.

Choose to save the report to a folder of your choice, as a XML file, with a different name every time you do it, for example PUPILSMAR06.XML

Close SIMS.net

3. IMPORT STUDENT LIST INTO PFM

In PFM go to the SETUP tab – UPLOAD STUDENT NAMES.

All the students should appear on screen. Scroll down the list and make sure that the right information is in the right column all the way to the end. If they are not, see Error guide.

Click on Save Details into Database button.  Rather than confirming every student in turn, click on the Accept All without showing this screen tick box at bottom left.

4. DELETE LEAVERS – NEW PROCESS

When you run the import from SIMS.net, the system now checks for any students that are on PFM but not on the new SIMS list, and also students that are on the new SIMS list but set as Deleted in PFM.

Students showing as deleted on PFM, but clearly current students on SIMS.net, are reset as undeleted

All students that are on PFM but that don’t appear on the latest SIMS list, are considered leavers and made available for deletion if required.

To view these students, click on STUDENTS NOT UPDATED.   A list appears, which should be students who have left the school.  If this is correct generally, you can then click on CLEAN OUT.  If there are certain students you wish to merge with others you can tick/untick these and MERGE as detailed above.    Any leavers can simply be DELETED by clicking on DELETE TICKED.