School Improvement Service The School Improvement service has a special web application that can be used for providing content and information to staff, as well as allowing the facility for booking places on courses. This manual covers how to use this application.

Getting access

To get access to the application, you need to open up Internet Explorer on your computer and type the following URL in the Address Bar.

You will then be presented with an introduction screen with two choices as can be seen below.

If you do not have a VLE user account, you can simply click the button . This option will still allow you access to all of the content and still allow you to book a place on a course. If you do have a VLE user account, you can click the button and you will be prompted for a username and password like the image below. It may look slightly different depending on your computer, but it should still have a username and password box for you to type in.

The application should then load. It may take a few moments as it loads and prepares all of the extra functionality you get with a system like this.

The main screen should then appear and it should look something like the image below.

The application is split up into a few different areas, denoted by the buttons across the top of the page. By clicking on these buttons, you can view the different areas that the School Improvement Service deals with.

Each section works in roughly the same way, they just relate to the different areas of the School Improvement Service. Depending on which you click, you will be presented with a screen like the ones below.

Each section is split into its own resource groups, for example, they all have a courses section, a guidance section and a links section. By clicking on the buttons down the left, you can gain access to the various resources and materials. In this guide, the focus will be on the CPD section, but the other two sections work exactly the same way.

Courses

The courses tab displays a list of the training courses that are currently available. These courses are split into various groups or folders. You can navigate the groups simply by clicking on them.

When you click on one of the folders, its contents are then displayed.

Left click on ICT

At any point, you simply click to go back up one level. The courses are listed along with any available dates. You simply click one of the courses to view more information about it.

The course information screen looks something like this.

The available sessions are listed in the bottom part of the window (A session is simply a unique time, date and location where that course is being held), and the course information is displayed in the upper part. To book a place on a session simply select the session you are interested in and click the “Apply for place” button. You can also just double click the session. If you are logged in as yourself, but you wish to apply for a place for someone else, click on the Edit menu and select Apply on Behalf or click the Apply on Behalf button.

After you have entered your details, clicking the Apply button will send off a request to attend the course. If you are logged in to the system as GUEST, you will have to fill out your name and email address manually. If you are logged in with your own VLE account, it will have filled in some of the details for you.

If you are logged on as GUEST you will be prompted to confirm that you have typed in the correct email address as it is used to contact you. Once your place has been approved you will receive an email confirming the place on the course.

If you are logged in using your own account, when you try to apply for a course you have previously applied for, it will inform you that you have applied for a place on the course. You will then be given an option to request to be removed from the course.

All applications for a course will have to be approved by the person who maintains the course.

Resources

By clicking the other buttons on the left hand side, you can gain access to the various resources that have been published, such as useful web links, newsletters and guidance documents. When you click on each part, you will generally be presented with a list of items, in much the same way as you were presented with the courses.

Simply click on the name of the document or link you wish to open.