Purpose: Advance information

Audience: Headteachers

The DCSF target to give parents online access on their child's progress is September 2010 for Secondary Schools and September 2012 for Primary Schools. The ICT Service is evaluating SIMS Learning Gateway to enable schools to meet this target. The SIMS Learning Gateway solution is centrally hosted by the Council and works for both centrally hosted and self-hosted schools.

The Education ICT Service hope to commence implementation early in the next academic year (2009/2010). Licence costs to schools will be funded. There will be an annual charge for maintenance, costs being dependent on negotiations. We will be writing to all schools later in the term with more information about the service we will offer.

Dinner Money .net

Purpose: Schools to be contacted re training dates

Audience: Headteacher / Secretary - Primary & Special Schools

As you might have heard at our recent PUGS and SUGS briefings; Dinner Money .net is on its way! All new, and fully integrated into SIMS .net; schools will never have to Update Pupil Details and wave Magic Wands ever again!

ICT Service representatives are currently arranging dates and organising training for schools on this new product. We are looking to begin the ‘roll out’ of this product from September 09.

Initially we shall be contacting all schools currently using the Dinner Money 1.40 system. We shall be offering you a specific date and appropriate training venue. If for whatever reason you cannot make the allocated date; please let us know as soon as possible. (Please be aware that deadlines and timescales are extremely restricted; and we may not be able to give you an alternative until very much later in the 09/10 academic year).

We are aware that CAPITA has contacted all schools with a mail shot promoting this product. Please ignore this literature; and if at all unsure contact the Helpline.

Tel: 0845 0450973

Cambridgeshire Online Training Search

Cambridgeshire Online Training Search (COTS) is a database of training opportunities provided by the Local Authority. It can be accessed from any computer connected to the Internet without the need for a password; its powerful search engine will help you to find suitable courses. Eventually, all providers will be using this database, please check the Providers list for the services currently represented. You will already find the complete listing of courses offered by CAS, CREDS, SLS, Education ICT Service, ISSIS, Cambridgeshire Youth Work and Connexions. Go to: COTS to access this service now.

ICT Service Blog and Helpline Blog

The information in this briefing is also available through our blog. This means that you do not have to wait for the fortnightly distribution; news items go online immediately. Other relevant information about ICT is posted there too. It is also possible to use the blog to comment on items and to give us feedback.

There is a link to the blog from our website or you can visit it directly at http://educationictservice.blogspot.com/ If you use a newsreader such as Google Reader, you can subscribe to the blog using the link in the left-hand column; your news reader will automatically highlight new blog items for you. If you would like to learn how to do this, contact the Helpline.

For up to the minute Helpline information, please visit the ICT Service Helplines Blog by searching for Resource id: 3750 from the Education Portal or by using this link: ICT Service Helplines Blog. You can subscribe to this blog in exactly the same way.

More ICT News on the Portal...

Do you regularly check the ICT News page on the Portal? It features all the latest ICT-related news of importance to Cambridgeshire's schools.

To take a look, simply search for resource ID: 584 from the Portal front page, or click on 'News' on the ICT Service home page (www.ict.ccceducation.net).