SIMS Agora Getting Started Guide

Transcription

SIMS Agora online payments
Administrator
Getting Started Guide
Version 2.0
Private & Confidential
© Capita plc
Disclaimer
Whilst every effort is made to ensure the technical accuracy of the information contained within this training package
Capita Children’s Services is not responsible for, and does not accept any liability in respect of, any claims, losses or
damages (howsoever they arise) made or incurred by any persons or bodies as a result of using the information contained
within this package.
 2013 Capital plc.
No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form (including photocopying or storing it in any medium
including by electronic means and whether or not transiently or incidentally) without the written permission of Capita
Children’s Services except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
Capita Children’s Services
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Stannard Way
Priory Business Park
Cardington
BEDFORD
MK44 3JZ
T: 01234 838080
F: 01234 838091
http://www.capita-sims.co.uk
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of the Microsoft Corporation.
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of the Adobe Corporation.
Contents
1.
2.
Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 4
1.1
About this document .............................................................................................................. 4
1.2
About the SIMS Agora online payment system ...................................................................... 4
1.3
About the SIMS Agora Administration Area ........................................................................... 5
1.4
Updating your parents about the new service ....................................................................... 5
1.4.1
Ideas for promoting your new Agora online payment service: ...................................... 5
1.4.2
Example newsletter/update text: ................................................................................... 5
1.4.3
Key points to help explain the new online payment service: ......................................... 6
Getting started with SIMS Agora – school administrator ........................................................ 7
2.1
3.
Administrator account activation ........................................................................................... 7
Logging in to SIMS Agora .................................................................................................... 11
3.1
Additional secure access for your SIMS Agora system ......................................................... 11
4.
General system familiarisation ............................................................................................ 12
5.
Getting started with your SIMS Agora system ...................................................................... 13
5.1
Creating an additional administrator account ...................................................................... 13
5.2
School settings ...................................................................................................................... 14
5.3
Adding Bank Accounts .......................................................................................................... 14
5.4
Adding product items or services ......................................................................................... 16
Product Edit Screen........................................................................................................................... 19
5.4.1
6.
SIMS Agora & SIMS Dinner Money/School Meals ................................................................ 21
6.1
SIMS Dinner Money .............................................................................................................. 21
6.1.1
6.2
8.
Where do payments made from SIMS Agora appear in SIMS Dinner Money? ............ 21
Manually Adjusting School Meal Balances (Non-SIMS Dinner Money) ................................ 22
6.2.1
7.
Adding Product Options ................................................................................................ 20
How to Adjust Balances Manually for Student’s Meals ................................................ 23
Manual Transactions/Payments with SIMS Agora ................................................................ 24
7.1
Recording a cash or cheque payment ................................................................................... 24
7.2
Recording a discretionary school payment........................................................................... 27
7.3
Reporting on manual transactions........................................................................................ 29
7.4
Adjusting manual transactions (returns and reversals) ........................................................ 30
7.5
What does the parent see? ................................................................................................... 31
SIMS Agora Reporting ......................................................................................................... 32
8.1
SIMS Agora Reporting ........................................................................................................... 32
8.2
Payments Received Report ................................................................................................... 32
© Capita plc. Private & Confidential
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9.
8.3
School Meal Balances Report................................................................................................ 33
8.4
Product Sales Report............................................................................................................. 33
8.5
BACS Transfers - Summary and Detailed Reports................................................................. 34
8.6
BACS payments reports - search by date range and account(s) ........................................... 36
8.7
Parental Consent Report ....................................................................................................... 36
SIMS Agora payments ......................................................................................................... 37
9.1
Payment Processing through SIMS Agora............................................................................. 37
9.2
SIMS Agora Transaction Charges .......................................................................................... 37
9.3
Payments frequently asked questions .................................................................................. 37
10. Parent Activation and Engagement ..................................................................................... 39
10.1
Overview of the Parent Activation Process .......................................................................... 39
10.2
Generating Activation References for Parent Accounts ....................................................... 40
10.3
Creating the Mail-Merge Activation Letters to Provide to Parents ...................................... 40
10.4
Creating a Mail-Merge with Microsoft Word ....................................................................... 40
10.5
Parent Activation Reference Expiry: 28 days ........................................................................ 41
10.6
Generating Activation for an individual Parent account ...................................................... 41
10.7
Parent activation – useful information: ................................................................................ 42
10.7.1
How to EXTEND a parent’s activation reference .......................................................... 43
10.7.2
How to RE-SET a parent’s SIMS Agora account ............................................................ 44
10.7.3
How to CREATE A NEW activation reference for an individual parent contact ............ 45
10.8
Preventing (blocking) access for a parent’s SIMS Agora account ......................................... 45
11. Additional supporting information for SIMS Agora .............................................................. 47
SIMS Agora Frequently Asked Questions.......................................................................................... 47
SIMS Agora help centre..................................................................................................................... 47
Appendix A: Commonly asked questions/queries from parents ................................................... 48
Appendix B: Parents view of SIMS Agora .................................................................................... 52
Appendix C: Minimum technical requirements for the SIMS Agora Service ................................. 53
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1. Introduction
1.1 About this document
This document is intended to provide a useful reference and help you understand how to get started
with the SIMS Agora online payment system from Capita Children’s Services (CCS).
The document has been designed to provide an overview of the key functionality available within
SIMS Agora system, and to help support the early adopter scheme schools get started with the
system.
1.2 About the SIMS Agora online payment system
SIMS Agora online payments provides a safe, secure and easy way for parents and guardians to pay
for school items such as school meals, trips, events, music lessons, transport and other school
activities.
SIMS Agora supports schools in the drive to improve efficiency by reducing costs and streamlining
payment collection administration. Parents and guardians are able to manage their school payments
with the peace of mind that all transactions are processed safely directly to the school using the
highest level of security.
Key points:

The SIMS Agora online payments service is the provision of a web-based payment portal that
integrates with a school SIMS system, providing the ability to collect payments for school meals,
the sale of and payment for school items and services.

SIMS Agora is a securely hosted web delivered service via the web using standard HTTPS TCP/IP
protocols.

Agora is hosted on a secure and highly scalable managed service, with the main system hosting
provided by Microsoft Azure UK (Microsoft Azure Security information).

All data is securely stored and processed within the EU and complies with UK data protection
standards and requirements.

Technical management for the Agora hosting is undertaken fully by Capita on behalf of the
school /academy/support team, including the provision of all hardware, software, operating
systems, host network infrastructure, maintenance operations, upgrades and background
supporting processes.

Security certification (Trustwave) & data-synchronisation configuration is undertaken fully by
Capita.

System requirements – school administrators and end-users (parents/guardians):
o
Browser - Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Safari
o
Broadband Internet connection

System Availability – 24/7 x 365 (except for scheduled maintenance)
The SIMS Agora service provision is detailed within the SIMS Agora Support Charter, including
availability of the service and helpdesk support arrangements.

Secure integration and automatic synchronisation with SIMS.net is provided by CCS as part of
the SIMS Agora service.
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1.3 About the SIMS Agora Administration Area
The SIMS Agora system has been designed to be easy to use by parents and guardians, and also by
school administrators to help support a range of payment collection processes.
For school administrators, SIMS Agora provides a web-based administration area that can be
accessed 24/7 from any location with internet access once the required account activation and
verification process has been completed.
The SIMS Agora administration area provides the ability for school administrators to manage the
products and services the school wishes to collect payments for through the Agora payment system.
1.4 Updating your parents about the new service
Good communication with parents is key to successfully launching your new online payment service
for your school. Providing a new online payment service for your school is usually seen as a welcome
new initiative by many parents. In order to help promote your new online payment service with
parents and to maximise the take-up, it is often helpful to communicate with parents and to advise
what the new service will be and when it will be happening.
1.4.1 Ideas for promoting your new Agora online payment service:
The following points may be of use to help in the promotion of your new Agora service:

Before the end of term - provide an update in school newsletters about the new online
payments service – when it will happen (e.g. the start of the new term), the benefits to parents
and to the school.

Updates at any events where parents may be attending

Update school staff on the new service – please use the Agora frequently asked questions

Displaying the SIMS Agora posters within the school where parents visit, e.g. reception

Updates to your regular communications – for example adding the link to the SIMS Agora
website address (www.payyourschool.co.uk) to school letters or newsletters
1.4.2 Example newsletter/update text:
The following text may be of use in communicating with parents about the new SIMS Agora online
payment service – you may wish to use this information within a school newsletter or other update
for parents. Please edit the text as needed to suit the school’s approach to launching the service:
‘Online Payments coming soon’
We are pleased to let you know that <School name> will be very shortly introducing a new secure
online payment service that allows parents to make payments to school using their debit or credit
cards. Payments can include school meals, music lessons, trips, activities, uniforms and other school
items.
We hope that you will find paying in this way is much more convenient, and for the school it will help
us to reduce the amount of administration time spent on payment collection and banking procedures
plus it will help us to ensure our children are safer without having to carry cash to school.
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We will be using a system known as ‘SIMS Agora’ which is very easy-to-use and will offer you the
flexibility to make online payments whenever and wherever you like, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week safe in the knowledge that payments are secure and use the highest level of card security and that
funds will reach the school safely.
A letter giving further information and your individual secure access details will be provided to you
and the system will be available to access from the school website from <date>.
1.4.3 Key points to help explain the new online payment service:
The following points may be of use in communications with parents and staff about your new Agora
online payment service:
Benefits for parents:

SIMS Agora allows you make online payments to the school whenever and wherever you like, 24
hours a day, 7 days a week





Makes it easy and convenient to make payments for school items by debit or credit card
Reduces the need for children to carry cash to school
Peace of mind that payments are made safely and securely to the school
Payment for larger items such as school trips can be made by instalment up to the due date
You can merge your child’s accounts into one single view if you have more than one child at the
school, or from other schools that also use SIMS Agora
Benefits for the school:




Safeguarding - helps to ensure children are safer without having to carry cash to school
Safety - reduces the amount of money held at school
Frees up staff to focus on other important school activities
Helps reduce the time and cost spent by the school on payment collection and administration
Further useful information about rolling your SIMS Agora service out to parents is included in
Appendix A
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2. Getting started with SIMS Agora – school administrator
2.1 Administrator account activation
The first step in the setup of SIMS Agora for the school is the activation of the main school
administrator account.
NOTE: The school administrator will need to have created their own Microsoft account
before activating their SIMS Agora account. The Microsoft account will always be used
as the administrator’s username and password for their SIMS Agora system
When the SIMS Agora system is installed and configured for the school (before the training session),
Capita will have sent an email from [email protected] to the school administrator. This
email contains the administrator’s registration (activation) token and a link to the SIMS Agora
administrator activation screen.
Example school administrator account activation email – you will need to use the registration token:
Dear Chris Smith,
[email protected]
https://www.simsagora.co.uk/Account/Login?returnTo=AdministratorRegistration
Activating the administrator account
Click on the administration registration login link:
https://www.simsagora.co.uk/Account/Login?returnTo=AdministratorRegistration
NOTE: It is important to use this exact link as included in the administrator activation email. If
you have to type the link into a browser as the administrator has printed the email, please be
very careful with the link details entered – the link is case sensitive
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Clicking on the administration registration login link will take you to the SIMS Agora login screen:
Click on the sign in with your
Microsoft Account button
Enter your Microsoft account
username and password:
Once successfully logged with your Microsoft account, you will see the first screen for the Agora
administrator activation process.
Click on the Register Account
button to get started with
your Administrator Account
activation
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Enter the registration token exactly as provided in the activation email and click Continue to go to
Step 2. Please be careful to use the exact details as provided.
On the Step 2 screen, please enter the answer to the Secret Question that you provided as part of
the Agora setup and installation process. Click Continue
Note: the Capita trainer/consultant does not have a copy of the secret question answer as this is
secure information proved by the school administrator as part of the original setup.
On the Step 3 screen, please confirm your details and enter your email address carefully -this is the
email address that your administrator activation confirmation email will be sent to.
Click Continue to complete this part of the activation process.
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The registration process is nearly complete – an email from [email protected] will be sent
straight away to the school administrator’s email account.
Completing the account activation - clicking on the link in the email completes the administrator
activation process.
Dear A N Other
We have received a request to create a new SIMS Agora online payments account using the email address:
[email protected]
Please click on the link below to verify this request and enable your SIMS Agora online payments account:
https://www.simsagora.co.uk/AccountActivation/Activate/40543b1dc39b4d57ab177569e375bde92ddc89c7024c
If clicking on the link does not work, please copy and paste the link address into a browser window.
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3. Logging in to SIMS Agora
Once your administrator account has successfully been activated, please access SIMS Agora at either
of the following links to access the system:
www.simsagora.co.uk
or
www.payyourschool.co.uk
Click on the sign in with your Microsoft Account button and enter your Microsoft account
username and password:
SIMS Agora will automatically detect your Microsoft Account details and log you in to your SIMS
Agora system.
3.1 Additional secure access for your SIMS Agora system
SIMS Agora is integrated with two-step (multi-factor) authentication where
school administrators accessing SIMS Agora wish to use this and have it
enabled.
Where two-step authentication is enabled, each time the school administrator accessed their SIMS
Agora account, they will be asked for two pieces of information in addition to their username. They
will be requested for a password plus a security code and will only gain access to the system with
these details.
When accessing the SIMS Agora account, Microsoft will send the school administrator a unique
access code to their designated mobile phone via SMS or to a Microsoft App, or via an alternative
email address, which will then be entered and provide secure access to the Agora system.
More information on how to enable two-step (multi-factor) authentication in a Microsoft account is
available from the Microsoft website.
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4. General system familiarisation
The SIMS Agora administration area provides the ability for school administrators to manage the products and services the school wishes to collect payments for through
the Agora payment system. The following screen-view highlights the key areas of the system for an Agora administrator
School logo and
school name
Administrator account details
– name and email address
At-a-glance view of
payments received
(in real-time)
Main site navigation – links to
key system areas and
functions
Links to further useful
reports – such as payments
received, BACS payments
and the parental
consent report
Product messages – created
for individual products/
services – as shown to parents
using the Agora system
Links to useful Agora help
and support information
for school administrators
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5. Getting started with your SIMS Agora system
5.1 Creating an additional administrator account
The main SIMS Agora administrator will be already setup as an administrator when first accessing the system.
To setup additional administrators within the SIMS Agora system, please follow these steps:
Click on the Users option from the main navigation bar.
On the Users screen, click on the + Administrator Account button
In the ‘Create a new Administrator’ panel, please enter the required information for the new administrator.
You will be asked to select a shared secret question and corresponding answer – this is required as part of the
administrator activation process. SIMS Agora uses an extra level of security in order to help verify the identity
of any new administrators.
Click on Create
The new administrator will receive an activation email from ‘[email protected]’
The new administrator will also require their own Microsoft Account to access the system and will need to go
through the activation process, which contains 3 steps and then click on a link within a confirmation email.
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5.2 School settings
Click on the Settings option from the main navigation bar
Please check the School Name is correct
To add a School logo, which will appear on the SIMS Agora pages, click on the Upload button and browse to
the location of the required school logo image.
Images that can be uploaded for use in SIMS Agora must be either a png, jpg or jpeg file format.
Click on Update
5.3 Adding Bank Accounts
Bank account details are required within the system to associate with products and services. When a
parent/guardian makes a payment, the money will automatically be paid into the bank account that has been
associated with the relevant product item or service.
Click on the Bank accounts option from the main navigation bar
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To add a new account, click on the + Bank Account button
To add a new account into the system, please follow these steps

Step 1 – enter a friendly name for the bank account – this could be ‘General School Fund’, or more
specific, such as ‘School Trips’ for example.

Step 2 – enter the BACS reference for the account – this should appear on your bank statement when
payments are made into this account. This can be an alpha-numeric reference.

Step 3 – enter the correct sort code for the account – this should not have hyphens in and should be
entered just as numbers, e.g. 000000 (not 00-00-00)

Step 4 – enter the correct bank account number

Step 5 – click on the Verify button – this will automatically check that the sort code and account number
match correctly – this can usually take up to a minute to complete

Step 6 – once the Verify process has completed and the account has a Verified status, click on the Save
button
1
2
3
4
5
6
Multiple bank accounts can be added to the system as needed – we recommend a maximum of up to 6-8
accounts to help with efficient account management.
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To edit an account, click on the
icon against each account
XXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXX
5.4 Adding product items or services
SIMS Agora allows multiple types of product items or services to be added and made available for payment by
the school as needed. This could just be school meals, but can also be for school trips, activities, uniform,
events, concerts and other school activities and services.
To add a product item or service click on the Products option on the main navigation bar.
From the menu on the left select the area that you are adding a product to e.g. Uniform
SIMS Agora has a range of categories that products and services will fit into.
To add a product, click on the relevant category from the list available.
Click the +Product button (in this example we are on the Trips category – to add a new trip).
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(To edit an existing product item or service, click on the
icon against each item)
To add a new product – complete the Create a new Product form with the relevant details for the product
item or service
Mandatory fields that must be completed are marked with a *
The details of the product include the product code, title, description, price, date enabled from and message
that will appear on the parent/guardian’s homepage. Product images can be uploaded for the product as
needed - Images that can be uploaded for use in SIMS Agora must be either a png, jpg or jpeg file format.
A key requirement is to select the relevant bank account from the
drop-down list – this is the account that money will be automatically
paid into when a parent/guardian makes a payment. Only verified bank
accounts setup within SIMS Agora can be used for product items or
services.
A key feature of SIMS Agora is the ability to select which groups of pupils you want the product or service to be
available to. The groups available to select from in Agora are taken from your SIMS groups, which include Year
groups, Registration groups, any user defined groups and also SIMS Discover Groups if you use these.
From the Groups section, select the group type from the drop-down menu and tick the relevant groups
available – only the parents/guardians of the pupil’s in the selected groups will be able to see and make
payments for the product item or service.
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Once the new product form has been completed click the Publish button. If the product has been enabled
from the current date, it will appear immediately for the parents/guardians of the selected pupil/student
groups.
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Product Edit Screen
Product image
can be
uploaded
Enter a unique
Product Code –
this can be
alpha-numeric
Enter a
Product
Name
Enter a
Product
Description
Select a Bank Account
from the drop-down list
– this is where
payments for the
product will be
automatically paid into
Product Quantity – allows a
fixed number to items to buy
Choose the
Payment option
type for the
product
Fixed Amount – a fixed price
for the item
Variable Amount – allows a
variable amount to be paid
Enable
Parental
Consent if
required
Select the Groups
from the drop-down
menu you wish this
product to be
available to
Enable the
product –
between a
dates if
needed
Select Product
options if already
setup in the system
– for example
sizes, colours, days
or other options
Add a message if required
– this will appear on the
parent’s Agora homepage
Preview how the product or
item will appear for the parent
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Once the product
edit screen has
been completed –
click on the
Publish button
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5.4.1 Adding Product Options
Different Options for products can be added e.g. Sizes. Select the Product Options and click on +Product
Options. Enter the Name of the Product Option e.g. Sizes and then click on the + to add each of the different
sizes. Once all sizes have been added click on the Create button.
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6. SIMS Agora & SIMS Dinner Money/School Meals
This section only applies to schools who wish to use SIMS Agora to collect payments
for school meals either with SIMS Dinner Money or manual updates.
Integration with cashless catering and SIMS Agora will be available soon
6.1 SIMS Dinner Money
SIMS Agora is securely and seamlessly integrated with SIMS Dinner Money. Each pupil school meal balance is
automatically synchronised between Agora and Dinner Money – so parents logging into Agora can see their
child’s balance, payment history and also the meal options taken by the child at school.
Key points:

Balances & payments are automatically synchronised and show within SIMS Dinner Money on-screen and
also in Dinner Money reports.

If a payment is made to the school by cash/cheque or standing order – these payments are automatically
updated and shown within SIMS Agora for the parent, along with any payments made by the
parent/guardian through SIMS Agora directly.

When a parent makes a payment for school meals, the full payment amount is updated with the schools
Dinner Money system. For example, if a parent pays £10.00 through SIMS Agora, the pupil’s balance is
updated by the £10.00 payment. The school will receive the payment minus the transaction charge into
their bank account.

The child’s school meal balance is displayed on the parent/guardian’s Homepage colour-coded so that they
can see at a glance if a top-up payment is required.

Online payments made for school meals through SIMS Agora are credited to the pupil’s account when
Agora synchronises with the school's SIMS Dinner Money system - this usually 3 or 4 times or more
frequently each day depending on the school's SIMS Agora setup.
6.1.1 Where do payments made from SIMS Agora appear in SIMS Dinner Money?
Online payments from SIMS Agora are updated in SIMS Dinner Money automatically in the following
reports/views:

Split payments List – each transaction that is split is entered in a unique row, with the children receiving
the payment listed and the Trans Type column listing the payments as ‘External’ along with the Agora
reference number in brackets, plus the payment amount and payer name

Cheque and payment detail list – payment type listed as ‘External’ -reference includes card payment
type, note for each Agora payment showing as ‘Payment made via SIMS Agora online payments’

Transaction List By Type – grouped by payment type – ‘External’ for Agora online payments – Trans No.
column contains Agora transaction number & SIMS transaction number

Transaction List By Number – Agora payments are identified as ‘External’

Student Detailed Statement of Account - Trans Type column listing the payments as ‘External’ along with
the Agora reference number in brackets, reference column includes card payment type plus the payment
amount and payer name
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
Audit Log – under the Additional Transaction audit type – there is a new sub-type called ‘External
Adjustment’. Also – under the Payment audit type, there is a new sub-type called ‘External’

Focus > Dinner Money > Student Additional Transactions screen – shows ‘External’ type and payment
reference (card type & last 4 digits)

View Payment – shows ‘External’ type and payment reference (card type & last 4 digits), payer name and
note detailing ‘Payment made by SIMS Agora online payments’
6.2 Manually Adjusting School Meal Balances (Non-SIMS Dinner Money)
NOTE: This process is only used where SIMS Dinner Money is not in use by the school.
SIMS Agora provides the ability to manually adjust a balance for a student for school meals, this will show in
real-time for the student’s parent when they login to their child’s Agora account, as shown in the graphic
displayed below.
To manually adjust a student’s school meal balance please follow these steps:
1.
Access the Products screen from the main navigation bar.
2.
The first step is to set up the meal type products that will show against the student’s account. Click the +
Student Meal Product button.
3.
Enter the meal type you wish to show against the student’s accounts. This could be a single school meal
item, or individual items. For example, ‘Meal Choice A, ‘Vegetarian Option’, or even just ‘School Meal’.
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Repeat this step if you wish to create multiple meal type options for your system.
6.2.1 How to Adjust Balances Manually for Student’s Meals
To adjust individual school meal balances for students follow these steps:
1.
Click on the Manage Balances button.
To adjust meal balances, you will need to manually update each child’s balance manually.
2.
Next to the student’s name select the relevant meal type from the Meal Type drop-down list.
3.
Enter the amount of money you wish to adjust (deduct) from the student’s balance.
4.
Click the Apply Changes button to update the details.
The amount entered in the Charge field (step 2) will be added immediately to the school meal balance and
show as the meal type selected along with the date the charge was applied.
The manual adjustment can be completed at any time and will show on the student’s account.
When a payment top-up is made by the parent, this will automatically increase the balance.
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7. Manual Transactions/Payments with SIMS Agora
The manual transactions feature within SIMS Agora provides the ability for school administrators to record
cash or cheque payments for pupils, on behalf of parents or even discretionary payments made by the school.
The manual transactions facility also provides the ability to print a receipt and can be reported on by the
school - including within the parental consent report, which provides the school with a combined view of
payments and consent for each individual pupil for trips, clubs, events and activities for all online payments
and any manual payments.
7.1 Recording a cash or cheque payment
The Agora school administrator can easily record cash or cheque payments through SIMS Agora for any
pupil/student, for any item that is available for them.
1. Log into SIMS Agora as an administrator
2. Select the Manual Transactions option from the main navigation bar
3. Search for the relevant student/pupil for which the payment is being made
4.
Select the Make Payment button
5. Step 1 - from the available list of items available for the pupil/student, under the Action column, select the
items to be paid for
6. When an item is selected, a pop-up window will show, providing the opportunity to confirm the details for
each item – for example, the number of items required, to provide parental consent, or to modify the
amount of money being paid.
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In the Amount field – the amount of money
being paid can be edited as required
7. Once the items required have been selected, click on the Continue button
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8. Step 2 of the process will show the summary details – pupil/student name, the amount being paid, the
number of items and the date. The screen will also provide the ability to select the payment type: Cash,
Cheque or Discretionary payment.
9. Select the relevant payment type – further information, such as cheque number, any notes and the payer
name into the fields provided.
10. Click on the Record Payment button
11. The payment will be automatically recorded within the school’s SIMS Agora system
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12. A receipt of the payment can also be printed automatically from the system – click on the Print button
13. The receipt can be printed out from Agora, which includes the school logo and postal address and may be
useful to provide to parents or pupils or even just as a printed record for the school on payments made
through the Agora system.
Please also see:

Adjusting manual transactions (returns and reversals)

Reporting on manual transactions

What does the parent see?
7.2 Recording a discretionary school payment
Agora provides the ability for schools to record discretionary payments made by the school on behalf of
pupils/students. This is a useful way to record payments for pupils for any discretionary reason the school
wishes to use; such as from the school fund, school bursary, PTFA payment or event to record pupil premium
payments for any item, such as school trips or school uniform.
1. The first step to record discretionary payments is to create the discretionary reasons
2. Select the Settings option from the main navigation bar
3. Click on the + Add Discretionary Reason button
4. A pop-up window will appear, providing a description field to enter the discretionary reason
5. Choose to enable the reason, the click on the Save button
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6. The discretionary reason will be saved and enabled for use
7. When making a payment for a pupil/student, the Agora school administrator simple selects the
appropriate discretionary payment reason
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7.3 Reporting on manual transactions
In addition to the real-time payment reporting already available within SIMS Agora, the system now includes
updates to allow the different payment types to be reported on individually, or combined to provide an
overall, real-time view of parent and school payments.
Manual transactions (cash, cheque or discretionary reasons) can be reported on through the Payments
Received report.
The Agora school administrator can quickly select the payment type option from the drop-down menu, and
select any of the other filter options available.
The results are provided in real-time based on the selected criteria – and can also be downloaded into a
spreadsheet application, such as Excel, as required.
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7.4 Adjusting manual transactions (returns and reversals)
In addition to Agora school administrators having the ability to record cash, cheque or discretionary payments
on behalf of parents, payments can be adjusted where needed.
Adjusting transactions covers two main areas:
 Returning a payment –for example a cheque that has been returned by a bank
 Reversing a payment – where, for example an incorrect payment has been allocated to a pupil
Adjusting manual transactions made though Agora is easy to do, and any changes are also included on
payment reports to provide consistency.
2. Select the Manual Transactions option from the main navigation bar
3. Search for the relevant student/pupil for which the payment is being made
4.
Select the Make Adjustment button
5. The manual payments made through SIMS agora for the selected pupil/student will appear in date order
6. The required adjustment type can be made on the Finalise Adjustment screen, including with the
supporting notes to provide a reason for the adjustment being made.
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7. Click on the Record Adjustment button to complete the action.
7.5 What does the parent see?
Payments recorded by the school administrator will show within the parent’s SIMS Agora account, in the same
way that any online payments made by parents using credit or debit card are displayed.
If the Agora school administrator makes an adjustment to the manual payment, this will also show in the
parent’s purchase history – for example a returned cheque payment.
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8. SIMS Agora Reporting
8.1 SIMS Agora Reporting
SIMS Agora provides a selection of useful reports that can be run by the school administrator when required.
The data contained within the reports is provided in real-time from the system. When payments are made by
parents, these will show straight away for the school administrator to view and report on.
To access reports click on the Reports option from the main navigation bar.
The reports index screen displays the report titles, along with the option to expand the title to view
the supporting information about the report.
8.2 Payments Received Report
The Payment Received report provides the facility to view and search on all payments received through SIMS
Agora for the school. The report includes the options to search by group (as per your SIMS groups), by
category and by date range.
The Payment Received report can be viewed on-screen and also downloaded in to open in a spread sheet
application such as Excel®.
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This report enables the administrator to see payments for different options:

Whole School

Particular Group

Payments received between 2 dates and a selected type of Category, for example, Uniform, meals or
trips.
8.3 School Meal Balances Report
The School Meal Balances report provides the facility to view the current school meal balance for students by
group, where SIMS Agora is used by the school to collect payments for school meals manually, or integrated
with a separate school meal system.
The School Meal Balances report can be viewed on-screen and also downloaded in to open in a spread sheet
application such as Excel®.
This report produces a list of students, either the whole school or a selected group. It also displays the school
meal balance for the date that the report is run.
8.4 Product Sales Report
The Product Sales report provides the facility to view and search on all product items or services that have
been purchased or paid for through SIMS Agora for the school. The report includes the options to search by
product category and by date period.
The Product Sales report can be viewed on-screen and also downloaded in to open in a spread sheet
application such as Excel®
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.
This report lists sales of products. All categories or selected categories can be chosen between any two given
dates.
8.5 BACS Transfers - Summary and Detailed Reports
Transfers to the school of funds processed through SIMS Agora are made via BACS by Capita Payment Services
weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Details of each BACS transfer are available within SIMS Agora by 12pm
every Tuesday and Thursday.
The BACS Transfers Summary report lists the summary totals per bank account receiving funds. This includes
the overall amount collected in the preceding period, the overall transaction charges applied to the transfers
and the total amount transferred to the nominated bank account within each BACS transfer.
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The BACS Transfers Detailed report lists the individual transactions per bank account that are included in the
specific BACS transfer. The report includes the individual transaction payment (line items), money paid,
transaction fees and settlement. It also displays the student’s name and who paid the money (the cardholder).
The BACS Transfers reports can be viewed on-screen and also downloaded to open in a spreadsheet
application.
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8.6 BACS payments reports - search by date range and account(s)
SIMS Agora reporting has been further updated to provide the ability to view payments made to the school’s
bank accounts by date range and also by individual or combined bank accounts.
These new reports are useful for schools where there is a requirement to show how much money has been
paid into the school’s bank account(s) over a period of time, e.g. a week, a month, a term, a year or other date
period.
The reports allow one or more bank accounts to be selected and reported on at a summary level, or by
individual bank account at a detailed level – where the individual line item level transactions are displayed.
The new reports can be viewed on-screen in real-time, plus also downloaded and viewed in a spread sheet
application, such as Excel®.
These BACS payment reports are useful for schools to view and report on how much money the school has
received and how much in transaction fees have been charged for school meals, trips or other account over a
defined date period (week, month, term, year or other date period).
The new BACS payment reports can be accessed from the Reports index screen:

BACS Transfers by Bank Account and Date (Summary Report)

BACS Transfers by Bank Account and Date (Detailed Report)
8.7 Parental Consent Report
The Parental Consent Report provides a view of which students have been given parental consent (and which
have not) for a selected product. Only products which have the parental consent option are selectable to
report on and students who belong to the product’s associated student groups are displayed, indicating the
status of parental consent.
This report can be viewed in real-time on-screen and also downloaded in to open in a spread sheet application
such as Excel®.
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9. SIMS Agora payments
9.1 Payment Processing through SIMS Agora
Payments made by parents for school items are securely processed by Capita Payment Services. Funds are
automatically deducted from the parent’s debit or credit card and processed through to Capita by Visa or
MasterCard.
When payments are cleared from the parent’s debit or credit card, payments to the school are made through
BACS by Capita Payment Services weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Details of each BACS transfer are
available within SIMS Agora by 12pm every Tuesday and Thursday.
The twice weekly BACS payments include payments only that have been cleared from the parents debit or
credit card. Typically, payments from debit and credit cards can take 1 to 3 days for the funds to clear and be
passed to Capita Payment Services for settlement into the school’s bank account.
The cut off period preceding each BACS payment run is 20:00 hours (8.00pm). Any cleared payments received
after the 8pm cut-off are automatically included in the next BACS payment run. For example, if a cleared
payment is received at 9pm on a Monday evening, the payment will be included in the Thursday BACS
payment run.
9.2 SIMS Agora Transaction Charges



Debit card payments made through SIMS Agora: a fixed fee of 30p per transaction
Credit card payments made through SIMS Agora: 1.6% of the individual transaction value
No gateway charges, merchant fees or VAT apply to debit or credit card fees
9.3 Payments frequently asked questions
Do Parents Have to Pay the Transaction Charges?
Parents do not have to pay the transaction charges, the school pays the charges, which compared to manually
processing cash and cheques is much more time and cost-effective. Many schools also now have to pay
cheque processing fees, which can be more expensive than online payment transaction charges.
Are the Transaction Charges Deducted by Capita Straight Away or is the School Invoiced per
Month/Quarter?
Capita deducts the transaction charges cardholder revenues payable to the school on a twice-weekly basis,
when funds are transferred to the school.
For example, if a parent pays £10.00 to the school for an item by credit card, the school will receive £9.84
directly to their nominated bank account, the 16p transaction charge will be deducted net by Capita. A report
in Agora allows the school to see the transaction charges deducted per purchase and amount paid into the
school’s nominated bank account.
If a parent pays for multiple items at the same time – is there a transaction charge per item?
The transaction charge is only applied per combined checkout purchase – so if a parent selects multiple items
and pays for these at the same time, only one transaction charge will apply.
Where multiple items are purchased, and the money is distributed to separate bank accounts, the transaction
charge will be divided equally across the accounts.
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For example, if a parent pays for 3 items by debit card and the money is split into 3 bank accounts, the
transaction charge of 30p will be split equally across the three accounts – with each account being charged
10p (10p x 3 = 30p debit card transaction charge).
Transaction charges for credit cards are applied to each bank account where a product is paid for. An example
of this is if a parent pays for a school trip and school meals in the same purchase and the money is paid into
two separate accounts, each account will have a1.6% transaction charge applied. This is indicated in the
example below:
o
o
School trip payment £100.00 - transaction charge of 1.6% = £1.60
School Meal payment of £10.00 - transaction charge of 1.6% = 16p.
How can I see a detailed daily/weekly/monthly report of individual transactions?
SIMS Agora allows you to see a detailed report of transactions received into the school for any date period –
each day, week, month, year of other user defined date period through the Payments Received report. The
report also allows you to filter on groups and also by product category (individually or combination) – for
example school meal payments for the whole school or by SIMS group for a month.
The Payments Received report is available from the Reports section and the information in this report is
provided in real-time, which means the school can view payments made by parents Agora straight away.
The BACS Transfers reports can be viewed on-screen and also downloaded in a spreadsheet format.
How can I see which payments have been made to the school’s bank account(s)?
SIMS Agora provides two useful self-service reports from the reports section, which detail the payments made
to the school’s nominated bank accounts and also the transaction charges deducted overall, per bank account
and also for each individual line item.
The BACS Transfers Summary report lists the summary totals per bank account receiving funds, including the
overall amount collected in the preceding period, the overall transaction charges applied to the transfers and
the total amount transferred to the nominated bank account within each BACS transfer.
The BACS Transfers Detailed report lists the individual transactions per bank account that are included in the
specific BACS transfer. The report includes the individual transaction payment (line items), transaction charge
and amount transferred to the nominated bank account.
The BACS Transfers reports can be viewed on-screen and also downloaded in a spreadsheet format.
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10. Parent Activation and Engagement
10.1 Overview of the Parent Activation Process
All information on Agora is secure and only accessible to parents for their child’s account by completing
several security steps and automated checks. Parents are given a unique reference by the school or their child
and access to SIMS Agora can only be activated by using this reference.
The key steps for the first time parent activation process comprises of:

The school administrator generates an activation reference export sheet for each group of students within
the school. This is by normally by year group.

The activation reference export sheet will by default include the student’s priority 1 parent contact details
as designated within SIMS. Agora can create activation references for all student contacts with parental
responsibility if required either as a group or individually.

The unique activation reference created for each parental contact is valid for a period of 28 days. After this
time, the code will no longer be valid and can either be extended by the school administrator for a further
28 days, or a new activation reference created.

Each activation reference export sheet is saved and then used to create a Microsoft Word mail-merge
document using the activation letter provided. The activation letter can be customised and should include
the school’s standard letterhead and associated details.

The mail-merge process will create activation letters for each child’s priority 1 parent contact.

The school can then choose to provide the activation letters to parents either by email, handing out to
students directly to take home or asking parents to call into school to collect.

Parents are able to log on to SIMS Agora and complete their activation process. The activation process can
only be completed by the parent entering a valid activation reference, a valid email address and their
child’s date of birth.
Once the parent activation process has successfully been completed, the parent is able to log into Agora and
make payments for their children.
ALSO SEE – AGORA QUICK GUIDE:
Quick guide to activating parent accounts
Quick guide for Agora school administrators to help with parent activation – including how to activate
parents, how to extend an activation reference and how to create a new one – also includes common
questions and answers.
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10.2 Generating Activation References for Parent Accounts
1.
Select Users from the main menu.
2.
Click on the +Group Member Accounts button to display the Student Management panel.
3.
From the drop-down list, select the required Group Type, for example, House, Year or Registration.
4.
By default, All is selected. This displays all available SIMS Groups from the school’s SIMS system.
5.
Use the radio buttons to select a specific group, for example, Year 1. Only one group can be selected at a
time.
6.
The ‘Restrict to Priority 1’ Contacts Only check box is selected by default to restrict the issuing of
activation references to priority 1 contacts only.
7.
Deselecting the check box will generate activation references for ALL CONTACTS with parental
responsibility as set in SIMS.
8.
Click the Generate button to create a CSV file. This file will contain the relevant information, including the
unique activation references for each account for the selected group. Each CSV file will contain the
student name, group information, priority contact details as well as the unique child reference for this
student and the expiry date.
9.
A pop up box may appear, as shown in the graphic displayed below.
10. Choose to Save the CSV file generated by SIMS Agora to a location on your PC. This could be an Agora
folder that has been set up to keep all of the CSV files together. This file will be used as part of the mail
merge process with the SIMS Agora Activation Letter template.
NOTE: If the activation process is being re-run to generate new security references, the
CSV file will only contain details for parents or carers who have not yet activated their
account. In Windows, Save As must be selected to save the file in the desired folder.
Clicking the Save button will save the file to the general Downloads folder only.
10.3 Creating the Mail-Merge Activation Letters to Provide to Parents
Using Microsoft Word or a similar word processor program, perform a mail-merge using the CSV file and the
supplied SIMS Agora activation letter template to produce SIMS Agora letters, which can be provided to
parents.
The parent name and contact details will be automatically included in the mail-merge letters for each group
selected.
The student name, year and group information will also be automatically included in the mail-merge letters
along with a unique activation reference for each child.
10.4 Creating a Mail-Merge with Microsoft Word
If unsure of how to create a mail merge, select Help, press F1, or consult the relevant Microsoft Word for
Windows pages online:
Microsoft (Office) Word 2002, 2003:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/word-help/word-mail-merge-a-walk-throughthe-processHA001034920.aspx
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Microsoft Office Word 2007:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/word-help/use-mail-merge-to-create-andprint-letters-and-otherdocuments-HA010081976.aspx
Microsoft Office Word 2010:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/word-help/use-mail-merge-to-create-andprint-letters-and-otherdocuments-HA101857701.aspx
10.5 Parent Activation Reference Expiry: 28 days
NOTE: For security reasons, each parent activation reference is time limited to 28 days from
the date the reference is created from SIMS Agora.
If the activation period has expired and the parent has not activated their account, for
example, the parent has not registered and activated their child’s account, then either:
1. Extend the expiry of the parent’s activation reference for a further 28 days, OR
2. Re-set (unlink) a parent’s Agora account and create a new activation reference
10.6 Generating Activation for an individual Parent account
SIMS Agora accounts can only be created for a student’s contact that has the status of Parental Responsibility
within SIMS. SIMS Agora always uses the current contact data and status from SIMS.
To create an individual activation reference for a child contact (who has parental responsibility) follow these
steps:
1.
Select the Users option from the main navigation bar.
2.
Select the STUDENTS option from the left side of the screen.
3.
Find the student. Under the Action option click the pen edit icon to view the student details.
4.
On the Student Management screen, under the Associated Contacts, section each contact with parental
responsibility will be listed.
Example Student Management screen
showing student contacts with and
without parental responsibility.
Click on the Download CSV button to
generate a new individual activation
reference.
Use the Agora activation letter if
required to mail-merge the new
activation reference and associated
contact information for the parent.
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10.7 Parent activation – useful information:
When activating parent accounts for use with SIMS Agora, it is usual that not every parent will activate their
account straight away. Some parents may choose to activate their Agora account at a later point and will need
to ask the school administrator about the activation reference.
The following information is intended to provide useful guidance for the Agora school administrator to
supporting parent’s with their account activation.
Typically, once the first wave of parent’s have activated their account, the school will receive requests from
individual parents to help with the account activation, either because their activation reference has expired,
they have lost their activation letter or they are having trouble accessing SIMS Agora with their account
details.
Help! My activation reference has expired – what do I do?
Where a parent’s activation reference has expired, but they still have the activation letter/details, the Agora
school administrator can EXTEND the activation reference for a further 28 day period. The parent can then
use the details they have to activate their Agora account.
Help! I don’t have my Agora activation letter/details – what do I do?
Where a parent does not have their Agora activation letter/details, the Agora school administrator can
CREATE A NEW activation reference, which can be provided to the parent using the parent activation letter.
The parent can then use the details they have to activate their Agora account.
Help! I am having difficulty accessing my SIMS Agora Account – what do I do?
Where a parent is having difficulty accessing their SIMS Agora account, this may be due to several reasons:

The parent may be entering the activation details incorrectly:
please confirm with the parent the actual details being entered into SIMS Agora

The parent may be entering a date of birth for the child that does not match the details in SIMS:
please confirm with the parent the date of birth of the pupil/student

Where a parent has already activated their account, but is having difficulties accessing SIMS Agora:
the Agora school administrator can RE-SET a parent’s SIMS Agora account – then CREATE A NEW
activation reference. The parent can then use the new activation reference to activate their account again.
(Note: the parent will still need to use a Microsoft Account to access their account).
NOTE: The Agora school administrator is not able to access the parent’s Microsoft Account details.
Due to security, parents are responsible for their own Microsoft Account details – usernames and passwords
are not accessible by the school and cannot be re-set, changed or modified.
The Agora school administrator can only re-set the Agora account for the parent – not their Microsoft
Account details
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10.7.1 How to EXTEND a parent’s activation reference
2. Select the Users option from the main navigation bar
3. Select the STUDENTS option from the left side of the screen
4. Find the relevant pupil/student – then under the Action option – click the pen edit icon to view the
student details
5. On the Student management screen, under the Associated Contacts section each contact with parental
responsibility will be listed
6. Click on the Extend Expiry button (as indicated in the screen shot below)
7. The Agora system will automatically extend the expiry time limit by a further 28 days for the parent and
will show both a confirmation message, plus also the new date the activation reference will expire on.
8. The parent can use their existing activation reference to activate their SIMS Agora account within the new
28 day period.
NOTE: Activation reference expiry times can be extended repeatedly as required – there is no limit to the
number of times a reference can be extended.
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10.7.2 How to RE-SET a parent’s SIMS Agora account
11. Find the relevant pupil/student – then under the Action option – click the pen edit icon to view the
student details
12. On the Student management screen, under the Associated Users section each contact with parental
13. Click on the Unlink User button (as indicated in the screen shot below)
14. The system will show a Confirmation Required window – this provides a check before unlinking/re-setting
the parent’s account. Click Yes if you wish to continue with the action.
15. The Agora system will automatically unlink the parent from the selected pupil/student.
16. The parent can have a NEW activation reference created, which can be used to activate their Agora
account
17. The parent can use their existing activation reference to activate their SIMS Agora account within the new
28 day period.
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10.7.3 How to CREATE A NEW activation reference for an individual parent contact
4. Find the pupil/student – under the Action option – click the pen edit icon to view the student details
6. Click on the Download CSV / Generate button to generate a new individual activation reference
7. Please use the Agora activation letter if required to provide the new activation reference and associated
contact information for the parent.
10.8 Preventing (blocking) access for a parent’s SIMS Agora account
Where access to a pupil/student by a parent needs to be blocked, for example where a court order has been
put into place limiting an individual's exercise of parental responsibility, this can be enabled within SIMS Agora
in real-time.
We understand that schools have a legal responsibility where court orders, (often called section 8 orders from
the section 8 of the Children Act 1989), have been invoked – SIMS Agora has been specially designed to allow
school administrators to update the Agora system to reflect this status – where access for the school
administrator is available 24/7.
To stop/block parent access to a pupil/student in SIMS Agora:
4. Find the relevant pupil/student – under the Action option – click the pen edit icon
responsibility with an active SIMS Agora account will be listed
6. To stop/block access for the parent contact to the pupil/student, click the checkbox under ‘Is This User
Blocked From Seeing This Student?’. You will need to provide a reason for the block status.
7. Click the Update button
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The parent will no longer be able to see the pupil/student within their SIMS Agora account.
Any previous transaction history will still be visible in the parent’s account; however, the parent will no longer
have access or be able to pay for items for the selected pupil/student.
To allow access for the parent, simply un-check the block-status checkbox and click on the Update button.
NOTE: Where the court order flag has been enabled within the school’s SIMS system, this will automatically
override the access status for each pupil/student.
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11. Additional supporting information for SIMS Agora
We have provided a range of useful support resources and guides to help you through the setup and activation
steps for your SIMS Agora system:

SIMS Agora Welcome & getting started guide
Useful guide to welcome you to your SIMS Agora system, including useful links and information.

Quick guide to activating parent accounts
Quick guide for Agora school administrators to help with parent activation – including how to activate
parents, how to extend an activation reference and how to create a new one – also includes common
questions and answers.

Parent’s quick guide to activating their SIMS Agora account
This simple quick guide for parents can be provided to help with their account activation.

Parent activation letter template
Please use this activation letter for the mail-merge as part of the parent activation process. Provided in
Microsoft Word format – please edit the text within the letter as needed.

School introduction leaflet for online payments
Useful leaflet for parents that should be provided along with the parent activation letter please add your school logo to the leaflet before printing.

Quick guide to creating a Microsoft account
This quick guide provides supporting information on how to create a free Microsoft account with any email
address.

SIMS Agora promotional resources (logos & posters)
Useful support resources to help promote and advertise your SIMS Agora online payment service for
parents and around the school.
SIMS Agora Frequently Asked Questions
To help with the most commonly asked questions and queries, please see the following frequently asked
questions and answers:

SIMS Agora administration FAQs

Account Activation for parents FAQs

Payments & Reporting FAQs

Managing Products FAQs

Help, support and contact information FAQs

Commonly asked questions by parents
SIMS Agora help centre
The SIMS Agora help centre has a wide range of FAQs, further quick guides, promotional resources and help
information – please visit the Agora school help centre at:
www.capita-sims.co.uk/sims-agora-schools-help
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Appendix A: Commonly asked questions/queries from parents
When starting a new online service for parents and guardians like SIMS Agora, it is expected that there will be queries, questions and feedback that the
school will receive.
It is impossible to cover all of the types of questions and queries that may be asked; however, the following list provides a useful update on the most
commonly asked questions schools may receive for their new online payment service:
Question/query
Suggested response
I have not received my activation email from
SIMS Agora
NOTE: Once a parent has completed their account activation steps through SIMS Agora they will be
sent an automatic email to complete the activation process. Occasionally the parent enters an
incorrect email address or their email providers block unrecognised emails
Suggested response:
Some email providers incorrectly identify emails from SIMS Agora as SPAM and send the emails
direct to the SPAM/JUNK folder.
If you have completed your account activation and your activation email hasn’t arrived, please check
your SPAM/JUNK folder.
If you still have not received the verification email please follow these instructions:
1.Login into SIMS Agora at www.payyourschool.co.uk
2.Please click the 'Resend activation email' button
3. Check your emails, and click the link included in the verification email to activate your account.
4. If your email has still not arrived, please contact your child's school and confirm the email you
entered into the activation screen.
(Note: a support request will have to be raised to Capita SIMS Bedford by the school if the parent
still has not received their activation email)
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Question/query
Suggested response
The details I enter into the system for my
account are not recognised
Suggested response to the query:
 Please check that you have entered the correct SIMS Agora reference supplied for your child
 Please check that you have entered the correct date of birth for your child
 Please check with the school on the activation code and date of birth to ensure they match the
school’s records
I’ve completed the activation process but can’t
access SIMS Agora – the screen is requesting my
activation code
Suggested response to the query:
 Please check cookies are enabled for the browser that is being used to access SIMS Agora
 please clear their internet cache/history
 Close the browser down and open a new browser window
 Login into to SIMS Agora again using their Microsoft Account – please access
www.payyourschool.co.uk
What details do I need to log into SIMS Agora?
Why do I need a Microsoft Account?
How do I sign up for a Microsoft Account?
To access SIMS Agora for your child's Account, you will need the following details:
 Activation letter - the school will send you an activation letter containing a unique reference for
your child - you will need this reference to access your child's account
 Your child's date of birth
 A valid Microsoft Account - you can use an existing account if you already have one, or create a
new one online - they are free, very easy to setup and you can use any email address and
password
 Please login to SIMS Agora from the school website or go to: www.payyourschool.co.uk
 Microsoft account is the combination of an email address and a password that you can use to
sign in to services like Outlook.com, Windows Phone, Xbox Live and services like SIMS Agora.
 SIMS Agora uses the Microsoft account as many parents/guardians will already have one of
these accounts, which means they don’t have to remember different usernames and passwords
– they are always in control of your own access details.
You can use an email address you already have as your Microsoft Account or create a new Microsoft
email address
To sign up for a Microsoft Account:
 Please go to the Microsoft account sign-up webpage
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Question/query
Suggested response
 To use your own email address for your Microsoft account, please enter it in the field marked
'Microsoft account name'
 Provide the rest of the information, and then please read the Microsoft service agreement and
the privacy statement. If you agree to the terms, click 'I accept'
 Once you have created a Microsoft Account you will be able to access SIMS Agora and complete
the simple account activation steps
 If you used an existing email address to sign up, you will need to verify it to prove that it's yours.
You will receive a verification email from Microsoft to the email address you are using.
Can I use my existing email address for a
Microsoft Account?
Yes, you can use any existing valid email address you have to create a Microsoft Account - you do
not need to use a Microsoft specific email address.
How do I merge accounts if I have more than
one child?
SIMS Agora allows parents to add multiple children to one single combined account, including
children attending another school or more than one school, provided their school also uses SIMS
Agora. This allows you to use just one account, with one username and password to make payments
for all your children's school items available through SIMS Agora.
The parent’s SIMS Agora account allows you to view and pay online for any school-related activities
or items for your child or for all of your children in a single place. You can easily get an overview of
your child's or children's account balances and you can settle multiple accounts with a single
payment.
 Login to SIMS Agora at www.payyourschool.co.uk
 If this is the first time accessing SIMS Agora you will need to follow the simple online
instructions to activate your account.
 You will receive an email to confirm your account has been activated; once you have clicked the
link in the email you will be able to make payments for school items straight away.
 When you are in SIMS Agora, to add further children to your account go to the Account Details
link at the top of the screen.
 Select the Child Administration option from the left-side menu.
 On the Child Administration page, please enter the new child reference and date of birth into
the 'ADD CHILD' panel for the additional child you would like to add to your account.
The relevant information for the child that has been added will appear automatically within SIMS
Agora for your account.
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Question/query
Suggested response
You can complete this step as many times as you need to for additional children - you just need a
unique Agora reference from the child's school.
Which credit/debit cards can I use to pay
through SIMS Agora?
Payments with any of these debit or credit cards (not Diners Card or American Express)
How can I find out if my payment was
successful?
Parents will receive a payment receipt by email as soon as a payment is made, plus all purchases will
be shown in the parent’s Payment History within your SIMS Agora account.
The payment will appear on the parent’s credit or debit card statement as 'School Payment-Capita'.
(Please note: payment card number or card details are not stored by the school or Capita Payment
Management Services)
How can I find out if my payment was
unsuccessful?
If a payment was unable to be processed through SIMS Agora the parent will receive an email
advising that the system has been unable to complete the transaction - the error may have occurred
for a number of reasons:
 The system may not be able to obtain payment authorisation - it may be that the card issuer has
declined payment
 The parent may have input incorrect payment details
 The website may be experiencing problems - you may want to try again at a later point
More frequently asked questions for School administrators are available online at
www.capita-sims.co.uk/sims-agora-schools-help
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Appendix B: Parents view of SIMS Agora
For parents, SIMS Agora provides a secure, easy to use and convenient way to pay for school items
online whenever they wish to.
Key features for parents include:





Ability to pay online with major debit and credit cards
Ability to pay online for school meals and see up-to-date meal history and school meal balance
for each child
Ability to buy school uniform and other school items and pay for school meals, school trips,
clubs, activities, events, concerts, subscriptions, donations – even by instalment
Ability for parents to merge their children’s payment accounts into one combined single-view whether at the same school or at different schools using SIMS Agora
View payment history and school meal balances at any time – provide great convenience and
saving time by not having to contact the school to check on payment history.
SIMS Agora has been designed specifically
for parents and schools - with a focus on
security, safety and ease-of-use.
Agora supports schools with their drive to
improve efficiency, reduce costs and
streamline payment collection
administration.
Parents can see their children’s image, plus
meal balance an meal history and items
available to pay for
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Appendix C: Minimum technical requirements for
the SIMS Agora Service
School technical pre-requisites:
A SIMS Server that meets the Capita Children’s Services recommended specification, which is
available on SupportNET or on request.




.NET Framework 4 (Full Profile) is required on the server hosting the service
A local or domain user account will be needed to run the service and the scheduled tasks.
Connectivity to the SIMS SQL Server
Internet Connectivity (https connectivity) from the SIMS server – the SIMS Agora configuration
will access the following URLs:
https://www.simsagora.co.uk (port 443)
https://transactionssimsagora.co.uk (port 443)
https://www.capitacloudplatform.co.uk (port 443)
School Administrator and Bill-payer technical pre-requisites:
Internet Connection:
Minimum bandwidth - A minimum network connection speed of 512Kbps is required to operate
SIMS Agora. (NOTE bandwidth tests performed on a ‘client PC’ should return results of at least 0.5
Mbps or 512Kbps).
Supported operating systems:





Windows 8
Windows 7
Windows Vista
Windows XP
Apple Mac OS X
Supported Browsers:
PC users:


Internet Explorer version 8 or later with the latest service packs
Firefox 15 or later with the latest service packs
MAC users:


Firefox 15 or later with the latest service packs
Safari 3 or later with the latest service packs
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SIMS Agora Getting Started Guide

Transcription

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