Turing House students use ICT applications in many lessons, and often for homework. Core school systems are managed internally, and used by everyone. Other applications are used by specific departments. Scroll down for information about each system, managing passwords and where to get help. We do our best to keep this page up to date, but if you notice any issues, please email the school office with as much detail as possible and include a link to this page.
Core School Systems:
School Microsoft Account
All students have a school Microsoft account. They use this to log in to computers on the school network with their internal username and password. Students' usernames follow a standard format. For example, Joe Bloggs who started Year 7 in September 2021 would have an internal username of 21bloggs.j and their full Microsoft ID will be 21bloggs.j@turinghouseschool.org.uk.
School Microsoft passwords are usually set in the first ICT lesson in Year 7. Students can reset them at anytime from a school PC by pressing the Ctrl-Alt-Del keys all at the same time and following the instructions that appear. If you are at home, then you will need to email the school office to request a password reset.
Single sign-on: Single sign-on is an authentication method that allows users to sign in to many independent systems using one set of credentials. If students are logged into their school Microsoft account then then they can access many of the applications listed below simply by clicking on a button, without needing to re-enter a username or password.
Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 (MS365) is a suite of office applications which includes MS Teams, MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, MS Outlook and many more.
All students can log into MS365 online via a web browser using their Microsoft ID as defined above, e.g. 21bloggs.j@turinghouseschool.org.uk (the password is the same as the network password that they use to access school computers).
If having trouble logging in, check the sign-in options to make sure they are set appropriately to log you into an organisation/school account rather than defaulting to a personal account. Students can't re-set their password remotely, so they will need to speak to a member of staff if they can no longer access their account, or parents can email the school office.
Microsoft Teams
After students have logged into Microsoft 365 (as above) they will be able to use the "waffle" icon to access multiple office applications, including MS Teams. Teachers often use this to communicate with students. They will tell your child if they have set up a Team for their class.
Student
communications via MS Teams are monitored and moderated. Conversations should not be considered private and
any inappropriate usage should be reported to school staff.
Microsoft Teams may sometimes be used for remote learning, including live streaming of lessons.
Microsoft Outlook Email
Once students have logged into Microsoft 365 (as above) they will also be able to access their school email account in MS Outlook.
Students use MS
Outlook email infrequently because the preferred way for teachers and students to communicate is via MS
Teams. Communications via MS Outlook are monitored and moderated. Conversations should not be considered
private and any inappropriate usage should be reported to school staff. Emails from external addresses are
blocked unless they have been added to the allowed list.
Students should not use their school email address for anything that they may need access to after they leave the school, e.g. their university applications.
Other Microsoft 365 Applications
Students can use other MS365 applications such as MS Word (for word processing), MS Excel (for spreadsheets) and MS PowerPoint (for presentations). These applications are used extensively by employers and there are many free tutorials online. Microsoft's own tutorials can be found here.
Installing Microsoft 365 Applications On a home Computer
If students are using a home computer then, as well as logging into Microsoft 365 applications online via a web browser as described above, they can optionally install desktop versions of the Microsoft 365 applications (Teams, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc) for school use. This isn't necessary, but it can unlock additional features and facilitate continued use of the applications when there is no internet connection.
To download the software, students should log into their school Microsoft 365 account online and click the "Install and more" button which should be in the top right hand corner of the MS365 homepage. Then follow the instructions to download and install the software.
Bromcom Student Portal and 'My Child At School' (MCAS) parent portal
Bromcom is the school's core Management Information System, used to manage many aspects of school administration. Our School ID for BromCom is 12447.
Students use the Bromcom Student Portal to see what homework has been set and check their timetable. As long as students are already logged into their MS365 account (see above) they will be able to click the single-sign-on button at the bottom of the login screen as shown in the screenshot below.
Parents use Bromcom's parent portal, which is called MyChildAtSchool (MCAS). It includes information about students' attendance and behaviour, homework, reports, as well as most of the messages sent to parents by the school (though some messages may be sent directly to parents' email accounts instead). To log into MCAS for the first time, parents need to use the email address that they have registered with the school as their username, and follow the instructions in the school's invitation email. They will then choose their own password. Subsequent logins will only need their email address and the chosen password. For more information, see the MCAS Parent Guide.
Some homework can be submitted via the Student Portal. However, if teachers ask for it to be handed in a different way, or to be completed in a different app, then Bromcom won't record it as complete, therefore don't be concerned if it is showing as "late" in these circumstances.
MCAS app / Bromcom Student app: As well as the web versions of these portals there are handy apps that you can install on your phone or tablet - available from the usual app stores. Parents can log into the MCAS app for the first time using the same credentials they use for the web version of MCAS. Students will need to log in to their Bromcom Student app for the first time using these Magic Link instructions. In both cases, you may be prompted to set up a PIN or biometrics to use for future logins. If your app stops working at any point, try re-installing it.
OTHER Student Systems:
Dr Frost Maths
All students have Dr Frost Maths accounts to help support their study of Maths. Often teachers will set homework using this platform. There are two different methods for to logging in:
Method 1: Students can log in using their school email address and a password. The first time they log in they will use a default password given to them by their maths teacher. They will then be prompted to set up their own password, which they will need to remember.
Beware: If you mistype the email address, an error message will appear saying the account does not exist. Please do not attempt to create a new account. Try logging in again, making sure your school email address and the password are entered correctly (the instructions and video above should help). Make sure you are not using capital letters, because the credentials are case sensitive.
Method 2: Alternatively, if students are already logged into their school Microsoft 365 account, the easiest way to log into Dr Frost is by single sign-on, using the "Microsoft 365" button, ringed in red in the screenshot below.
If you have tried both methods and still cannot log in, please contact your maths teacher for further help.
Educake
The Science department sometimes uses the Educake platform for setting homework for Y7-11.The school has created the accounts and students are given the log-in credentials by their science teacher.
To log in, they need to click the 'student log in' button in the top right corner, and then type in their unique username and password.
If students lose or forget their log-in details, they will need to speak to their science teacher.
Carousel
Carousel is a tool that some teachers use to create quizzes or online question banks and students use it for revision. Students don't need to create an account for this, they just follow links given to them by their teacher when they set their homework.
Pearson Active Learn
The Spanish department uses Active Learn for homework. The school creates the accounts. The username format is 21bloggs.j. Teachers will give students the password.
Seneca
Students have free access to Seneca - a revision and homework platform. The website covers exam-board specific courses, condensing what students need to know and helping to identify gaps in learning. For instance, when you get a question wrong, the platform will repeat the topic in different formats.
Students can log into Seneca using their school email address and the password that they created when they first set up the Seneca account in class. If the password has been forgotten, please speak to your teacher.
Individual teachers may give students a class code, to attach to their Seneca accounts, so they can monitor learning e.g. for History, the Key Stage 3 code (for year 7-9) is mNdZ-o9kp and the Key Stage 4 code (for year 10-11) is jqn_NVNTV.
Seneca Parent Accounts: If a teacher invites parents/carers of students in their class to monitor Seneca homework, then you will receive an email that includes a link to set up the account. It already knows your email address, so you only need to set a password. If you have multiple children, you can use the same account for all of them. If you have trouble linking your parent account to your child's account then see this guidance.
After the parent account has been opened, the 'forgotten password' link on the log in page can be used to reset the password whenever necessary. Note that Seneca may display marketing material to parents, including adverts for premium services and tutoring, so you may wish to review your account's notification and marketing settings.
Focus on Sound
The Music department uses an application called Focus on Sound. Students will be told by their music teacher if their class has been set up to use it. To log in, students type the school name, then enter the credentials for their school Microsoft account (see above).
Sparx Reader
The English department may set reading homework on Sparx Reader. On the login page shown in the screenshot below, students should click 'Log in to Sparx using Microsoft' then enter the credentials for their school Microsoft account (see above).
Doddle
Doddle is used by the Science department, particularly in Sixth Form. Teachers can set flipped learning, homework or revision tasks using this platform.
Student usernames for this are of the form JoeBloggs21 (with the number representing the year the student's cohort joined Year 7 - in this case 2021). All accounts log in using the same password, which is 'turing'.
UNIFROG
Unifrog is a careers guidance app, which gives tailored support to students choosing their next steps after school. All students will be invited to set up an account, usually in Year 7, unless they join the school later. The student's Welcome email will go to the student's school email account and they will need to click on the link, then follow the instructions to set their own unique password.
At the same time, parents will receive a letter providing information about Unifrog. It will contain a code that will allow parents to set up their own Unifrog account, so they can explore it from the perspective of a student.
PARALLEL
Parallel is a website created by the popular science author Simon Singh. It offers students a chance to explore some extra maths each week, as an optional extension activity, building on the work done in the classroom. It is completely free, and includes:
- a weekly maths problem sheet, known as a Parallelogram;
- live online
maths circles, where students can learn from some of the best maths educators in the world;
- programmes
tailored to each age group, from 10 to 16 years old;
- awards, certificates and diplomas to students who
complete Parallelograms and attend Maths Circles
There is no obligation to get involved, but we think this is a great opportunity for keen maths students to stretch themselves and explore mathematical concepts beyond the classroom. It is also ideal for students who want to go on to study science or engineering.
Accounts can be created by students or parents by following the instructions on the website. There is no need to enter a Teacher Code unless your child's maths teacher has given them one.
Parent Systems:
ParentPay
We use ParentPay for collecting payments from parents, including for school meals and trips. In order to set up an account for the first time parents will need to refer to the activation email sent to them by the school. If you have lost this, please contact the school office.
StudyBugs
We encourage parents to use StudyBugs to report a student's absence from school, as it is more efficient than emailing or telephoning. You can set up and manage your own account for this, and there is a handy app available for your phone too (just search for Study Bugs in your usual app store).
SchoolCloud (PArents Evenings)
Parents use SchoolCloud to book and attend virtual Parents' Events. There will be information about how to do this in the parents' evening invitation but, in the meantime, you can follow this link to a short video explaining how it works. In secondary school it is usual for children to attend the meetings with their parent, though this is optional. If another parent/guardian would like to join the meeting from another location, you can send them an invitation from within the system.
Managing Passwords:
You are likely to have many passwords for various applications, some of which are unique to you, and others unique to the school. Unless you have a very good memory, you will need a secure way to manage your passwords. Please do not write them down. You may want to use a password manager. If you have a personal Google account you may already use Google Password Manager, but this isn't secure if others can gain access to your Google account (for example if you leave your account logged in on a shared computer). If you store your password list in an electronic document, for example in MS Word or Excel, you should make sure the document itself is password protected or located in a secure folder. You may find these Microsoft account security tips useful.
Please choose secure passwords, never share them with each other, and do not re-use school network passwords when creating passwords for other systems. A good resource for choosing a password is Dinopass (select the strong password option).
Where to Get help:
For the core school systems, our IT network support staff can help to resolve issues. Your child can seek their help within school or else they can be contacted by email via the school office, putting "FAO IT Support" in the email subject line. It will help them to understand the problem if you describe exactly what steps you took before the issue occurred, and attach a screenshot of any error messages. For password re-sets, students will need to speak to their IT teacher or visit the IT support office in person.
For problems with other applications, please contact a relevant teacher, e.g. your child's math teacher will be able to help for Dr Frost Maths, or their form teacher for Unifrog.