StarReports Help & Support

The help and support pages should provide you with everything you need to know about StarReports

Got a question?

Take a look at our FAQ - Common Questions

Contact Us

If you can't find an answer or just want to ask a question, click Contact Us and we'll do our best to answer your questions as quickly as possible

Contact Us

  

Tutorials and User Guides

Click the links below to view the StarReports User Guides, these will take you step by step through every aspect of the website

- Quick Start Guide & Demonstration Mode

- Account Registration
- Creating Reports
- Using Templates
- Subject Setup
- Copying Subject Text
- Moving and Copying Pupils

These documents require Adobe Acrobat reader, download it here

  

Getting About

In this grey part of the page you'll find all the controls that help to build your reports

In the purple parts of the page you will find helpful information on the page and the controls in the grey parts adjacent to them

You can get even more information on each page by clicking the Help  link at the bottom of each page or clicking the link whenever you see the words Find Out More...

 

The Home Page

The home page provides access to all areas of StarReports. 

If you want to get back to the home page, just click the StarReports logo at the top or the Home link at the bottom of each page. 

 

Registration and Signing in

In order to create and print your own reports you'll need to register with us. 

From the home page click Register Here and select Single User Registration.

You'll need to enter your name and email address and we'll then email your password to you.  Your email address will act as your login name. 

If you are registering as a school, we suggest using the school's email address as all the staff will be using the same login details. 

Once you've registered, you can sign into StarReports from the Home Page by entering your email address and password.  You can then start creating reports.

 

Changing your Password

Once you've registered, you can change your password at any time by clicking the MyAccount button on the home page.

 

Data security

Your information is only available to you, unless you use group registration, in which case you information will be available to other users within your group. 

StarReports will not use your email address for any other purpose than sending you your password or replying to any correspondence we receive from you.

 

Credits

StarReports works on credits system and charges per report printed.  You can purchase credits at any point from the Credits button on the homepage. 

Each time you print out a report a single credit will be used up

Once printed you can reprint a report as many times as you like at no further charge

If you change the pupil's name or the class name after you have printed a report, the system will use up a credit the next time you print that report.  This is because, by changing the pupils or class name, you are effectively creating a new report

If you attempt to print a report and your credits have run out, you'll be prompted to purchase additional credits.

 

Contacting Us

If you have any questions or queries on any aspect of StarReports or if you have any suggestions on how the site could be improved, please feel free to contact us via the link at the bottom of each page.

 

Creating Reports

Creating reports is a simple 5 step process.  From the home page click the Reports button.

1. Class Setup 2. Pupils 3. Templates 4. Building Reports 5. Printing Reports

 

1. Class Setup

The Class Setup page enables you to name and define as many classes as you need reports for.

Adding a Class
To begin click the Add button to create a new class.  Name the class and select the required Report Scheme.

The Report Scheme option determines the statement set on which all reports within the class will be based.

You can also enter the School Name and Teacher Name as required.  If left blank these will not appear on the printed report.

The School Days option sets the number of days in the academic year, this will be used to calculate individual pupil attendance information.

When complete click Save.  The Class will then appear in the list.

Editing a Class
You can modify the information relating to a Class at any time by selecting it in the list and clicking the Edit button.

Deleting a Class
To remove a class from the list, select the class then click the Delete button.  Please be aware that in deleting a class, any pupil and report information relating to the class will be lost!

Next Step
Select a Class then click the Pupils button.

 

2. Pupils

The Pupils page allows you to enter the names and details of pupils on which you wish to report.

Adding a Pupil
Click the Add button and enter the Pupil's Name.  You can also enter the name by which the pupil is commonly known, this will default to the first name if left blank.

For StarReports to create meaningful reports, you must select the Pupil's correct Gender.

You may also enter the pupil's Date of Birth and attendance details.

When complete, click the Save button. The pupil's name will be added to the list.

Editing Pupil Details
To change any details relating to a pupil, select the pupil in the list and click the Edit button.

Deleting a Pupil's Details
To remove a pupil's details, select the pupil's name then click the Delete button.  Be aware that doing so will also remove any associated reports.

Importing Pupil Details
You may use the Import Names button to quickly write or paste in a list of pupil names. 

See Importing Pupil Names

Next Step
Select a pupils name and click the Create Report button.

If a report has been started, the pupils name will change colour.  In this case you can click either the Modify Report button to amend or the Print Report button to print.

 

3. Templates

There are 3 Template options. 

A Blank Report lets you begin with an empty report form.  

An Existing Report enables you to begin a new report with the same statements from a previous pupil's report. 

StarReports also provides 6 Template Reports, these are specially designed to give you an ideal starting point when creating a new report. They are based around 6 fictitious characters with preset statements based on their personalities. These templates can then be modified to specific pupils.

 

4. Building Reports

The Reports Page is the heart of StarReports, it enables you to quickly build simple to  highly comprehensive reports with little or no typing.

Note: StarReports saves reports by Class, Pupil and Academic Year. So every new year, even if a pupil is in the same class, they will begin a new report. You can still access their reports made in previous years, either via the Search Reports page or from the Copy Text tool on the reports page which allows you to access the text from previous reports to use in this year's report.

Writing a Report
The Report form consists of a preset statement list and a preview window.  Each statement has a number of choices and by clicking the choice you require the statement builds into a meaningful sentence in the preview window.

Each statement is made up of a leading text, e.g James {*}, and a number of associated 'choices'.  The choices you select replace the {*} symbol to form a complete sentence, e.g. "James has done very well this year."

You are free to select more than one choice from a single statement.  StarReports links the choices together with appropriate changes to grammar. e.g. "James has done very well this year and should continue his efforts."

Some statements link with the preceding statement to form longer sentences.  Again these statements will be linked together to produce gramatically correct wording, however you don't have to choose a choice from each statement, StarReports will add in the correct punctuation.

In fact you don't have to use all the statements.  If none of the choices are applicable, simply leave it blank. It is up to you how detailed you want the report to be.  The statement sets have around 130 statements, if you select one choice from each you'll produce a report that won't fit on less than 4 sides of A4 paper.

To achieve all this StarReports utilises highly complex Grammar software that modifies the report text as you select choices.  Pupil gender, puctuation and capitols are all dealt with seemlessly.  In addition, great care has been taken in building the statement sets to ensure that the statements work in harmony.  Together this ensures that the reports not only have the right punctuation but maintain their human feel.

Writing your own Statements
If you don't find the ideal statement required or want to word one slightly differently, you can type in your own.  Beneath every statement there is a box in which you can enter your own phrase. 

Be aware that your statement still links with the main statement text and any other choices you've selected, so you'll have to write the text accordingly.  For example if the header statement is Jane has {*}, you'll need to word your statement to suit, e.g.  "worked much harder this term"

Alternatively, Clicking the ov (Override) checkbox will ignore the statement and choices and write only the phrase you entered.  In this way you can type exactly what you want and don't have to fit your text with the statement.

When you save a report all your own phases are saved and are available to use again on any report.  When saved statements are available, a dropdown box will appear next to the "Type your own statement here..." box.  simply click on it and select a previous phrase.

Statement Pole
When linking statements together StarReports has to take into account whether each choice is positive or negative, this is termed the statement pole. 

Selecting 2 choices of the same pole will be linked with and, but if the poles differ they will be linked with but.

When entering your own statement in addition to selecting a choice from the same statement, you may find that have to change the pole of the statement you've added.  To do this simply click the + or - symbol that appears before your statement, this will invert the pole and change the report text accordingly.

Saving Reports
You may save the report at any time by clicking the Save button.  It is good practice to save the report every few minutes so that you don't lose your work in the event of a power cut or loss of connection.

Once saved, you can return to a report at any point and this principle applies to all the reports you have created.

Navigation
Moving through the statements is as simple as scrolling down the statement list, but you can quickly jump to a specific subject by selecting it from the drop down list above the statements window.

Show Help
The Show Help button displays useful information on the report building process.

Next Step
Once the report is complete you can either go back to start another report by clicking the Pupils button or print the report by clicking the Print Report button.

 

5. Printing Reports

The print page allows you to define how the report will appear, preview and print a copy of the report.

Report Options
You can set the Report Title to appear on the report.  The Report Style provides a number of different layout formats for you to choose from. 

Selecting the Signature Box, Head Teacher Comment Box and Attendance Information options hide or show these additional features on the report. 

The Attendance is calculated from the pupils attendance information, however you can override this text if necessary.

Preview
Click the Preview button to view the report on screen.  This allows you to proof read the report before printing.  The preview image contains a watermark which will not appear on the printed report.  

It is recommended that you preview all reports before printing.  If you need to make any changes, close the preview window and click the Modify Report button.

Printing
When you are happy that the report is complete, click the Print button to generate the report.

Printing a report will use up a credit.  However, a credit will only be used up the first time you print.  You may go back and modify a report as many times as you like and you will not be charged twice.

If you change the pupil's name or the class name after you have printed a report, the system will use up a credit the next time you print that report.  This is because, by changing the pupils or class name, you are effectively creating a new report.

Next Step
Once printed you may go back to the Home Page by clicking the Exit Reports button or select another pupil by clicking the Pupils button

 

Remember if you have any queries at all you can ask us directly by clicking...

Contact Us