TOOLS
TOOLS (TimeTabler Options On-Line System)
Change the time consuming and labour intensive Options process by collecting the student choices online. It will be easier for both students, parents and the school! The options process can be quite time consuming as typically letters are sent home, for the student and parent to complete, the paperwork is returned and then keyed into a piece of software. T.O.O.L.S (TimeTabler Options On-Line System) can help reduce the timescales, labour and margin for error as the parents/carers can enter their preferences on-line. As a school you can host some ‘webpages’ (or they can be hosted on your behalf) and the students and subjects are simply uploaded and the TOOLS website can be configured to ‘free’ choice or ‘fixed’ blocks or a hybrid of the two.
Hosting Options
Package A – Dis-continued (as of 01/02/2023)
dis-continued
Package B – Free (for Gold-Start schools)
3 sites (setup at once)
School logo
Package C – £74.95+vat
3 sites (setup at once)
School logo
TOOLS sites are setup on a Tuesday so please plan accordingly.
Package C+ – £94.95+vat
3 sites (setup at once)
School logo
Sites setup on a date of your choosing
Order online by selecting the package to the right.
Self hosting (Free)
You can download and install TOOLS for free by filling out the form here. You must register with a valid school email address.
** Note: TOOLS works alongside Options, so before completing this form please ensure that you have a valid licence for Options or have ordered this year’s upgrade; if you are not sure or have any questions, please email orders@timetabler.com and they will be pleased to help you.
Hosted option (various options)
For schools who are not in a position to easily host and/or install T.O.O.L.S Options, you can let MIST Services do it all for you. Let us worry about all the geeky stuff while you get on with more important matters. We will host T.O.O.L.S for you, and all you need to do is provide students and parents with the link to your dedicated webspace, where they can complete their option choices quickly and simply. Once all the students have completed their selections, your staff will be able to simply download the finished file. Absolutely no manual data-entry is needed, therefore the scope for error is much reduced.
More information and order form can be found here (hosting is from your order date until the September)
Package A - Dis-continued (as of 01/02/2023)
n/a
Package C (£74.95+vat)
3 sites, school logo included
Sites setup on a Tuesday
Additional sites are £20+vat
Order here
Package C+ (£94.95+vat)
3 sites, school logo included
Sites setup on a date of your choosing
Additional sites are £20+vat
Order here
Training
Courses
If you are new to the role or just not sure how Options works, then why not consider some software training. We host training in Market Harborough and for those who are unable to attend in-person training, there is an on-line course.
Student Options Training - Online
The course ensures you know how the software operates as well as the work flow required in capturing, analysing and processing the data. So if you operate fixed blocks or preference-led blocking you’ll soon be up and running!
Student Options Training - Market Harborough
The course ensures you know how the software operates as well as the work flow required in capturing, analysing and processing the data. So if you operate fixed blocks or preference-led blocking you’ll soon be up and running!
What is TOOLS?
For information about TOOLS written by October ReSolutions then this can be found at:
http://www.timetabler.com/TOOLS
http://www.timetabler.com/PDFs/TOOLS-Manual.pdf
http://www.timetabler.com/PDFs/TOOLS-Install.pdf
The TOOLS (TimeTabler Options On-Line System from October Resolutions Ltd) solution is designed to allow parents and students to access an account using a username and password that has been provided to them in letter format directly from the school, whether that is posted or delivered via the student. When the parent has successfully logged in they can select the subjects they would like their son or daughter to study within the new academic year. It has been designed in such a way that very little personal information about a student is actually required, and all the data that is stored is mentioned later.
What is required to install TOOLS?
To set up the TOOLS system, it requires access to a server with a MySQL database, and permission to install PHP files and be accessible to parents. It may be that it is not possible or not convenient for your IT Manager to do this. So, MIST Services are offering an alternative.
MIST Services is offering the service to create an empty database that is capable of storing the student name and subject choices along with hosting the TOOLS web pages. The information is completely under the control of your School as the student and subject data has to be uploaded by the school, and we take seriously our role in storing that data on your behalf. MIST Services changes the default password on installation to ensure security. The following details the data content, how it is created and stored. This document relates specifically to Student Data uploaded to the host server by the school or by MIST Services under the direction of your school.
What Student Data is used?
The following data is stored within the TOOLS database for each student that is uploaded:
- First Name
- Last Name
- Registration Group
Additionally, a record of the subject choices that a student selects is stored.
Why is Student Data needed?
Student Data is required to allow a unique log-in to be created for the parents, as well as to personalise certain information on the webpages.
SSL Certificate
The web address provided will be an https address meaning it is using SSL encryption, the certificate is issued by RapidSSL CA.
How is Student Data created?
Initially, Student Data is exported from the Options program into a text file that can be
uploaded into TOOLS by a school user who knows the administrator password.
Who controls Student Data?
Your school controls the Student Data, as you upload the student and subject data.
MIST Services only stores the data while there is a formal agreement between us – as a subscriber to the service. The data will be deleted in September. It is the
schools responsibility to ensure the data has been exported to Options prior to this date
Domain name?
Your school TOOLS system will be accessible by knowing the direct web address e.g.
www.studentoptions.co/schoola As a school you may wish to provide a link from the school website directly to the page, or embed the page within the school website. Appropriate web expertise within the school is required to do this.
The ‘schoola’ (directory name) can be defined by the school, typically it should be short and will be unique. On application MIST Services will check availability (as there are many Queen Elizabeth School’s whose typical request is for QES-GCSE, QES-ALevel etc), should it have been reserved by another school you will be informed. If your school runs different year group option procedures at the same time, each site will need a unique address (not available on the free Package A). Up to three addresses are included in the single fee on Package B and C.
Pathways
Many schools operate ‘pathways’. Let’s say Blue, Green and Purple. You will need a separate site (web address) for each pathway so a school may have something like QEGS-Blue, QEGS-Green etc
Change to sites/order
The domains are case sensitive, so please be clear when typing them in.
All sites need to be setup at the same time so if you only request 1 but subsequently require extra sites, then this will be seen as a new order (applies to Package B and C)
School Logo
Should your school wish their logo to be placed on the home page then please provide the artwork to mist@mistservices.co.uk
- Image format is .png
- Image name is logo.png
- If you require a transparent background, use alpha channel transparency
- Width of logo no more than 400 pixels
My school is part of a MAT
If you are part of a MAT then a new ‘order’ should be made per Academy. Don’t ‘pool’ sites as an order is for a particular school and it’s a single school logo per order.
Where is the data hosted?
The database and web pages are stored with Fast2Hosts:
FAST2HOST LIMITED
Silvaco Technology Centre
Compass Point
St. Ives
Cambridgeshire
PE27 5JL
Company No. 05348700
Who controls usernames and passwords?
The school will be provided with an empty TOOLS system initially. The Admin password will be communicated to the school either in an email or if preferred over the phone. MIST Services recommends this password is changed immediately to a school defined password.
The school generates the student username and passwords within Options and uploads them into TOOLS. Any issues regarding parents not being able to log-in are to be dealt with by the school. A contact name, telephone or email address can be added to the home page if specified.
Testing the TOOLS system?
The school must test the TOOLS system as per the TOOLS documentation to ensure they are happy with the functionality it is providing (in your chosen browser) and that the data is being stored and ultimately exported. Any issues please report to MIST Services who will either resolve them or liaise with October Resolutions (creators of TOOLS). If a solution is not found whilst the school is in its testing phase (5 days after the site is released to the school by MIST Services) then MIST services will communicate with the school and where appropriate not invoice for the service.
Have a question
Lots to take on board?
We understand that there is a lot of information, so if you still have a question please just ask.