This article covers common questions regarding the migration to Arbor. If you cannot find an answer in this article, check our dedicated section of the Help Centre here.
Please note the following can vary for a GroupCall API migrator, we are working on adding the GroupCall Migrator specifications to this guide. If you need to raise any data discrepancies post migration please contact Arbor support or your dedicated partner and we will be advised of the next steps.
How do we migrate profile photos?
- We migrate profile pictures of students from SIMS and Integris.
- We migrate profile pictures of staff from SIMS.
- We do not migrate guardian profile pictures.
If any photos are missing, it's likely they were too large for us to migrate or the wrong file type. They must be jpeg and less than 1MB.
If you need to add photos after migration you can add them individually by clicking on the profile picture on the person's profile, or in bulk.
How far back do we migrate past records for?
In general, we migrate all past records contained in your previous MIS (such as SIMS) to Arbor. The limit is the data in your previous MIS - we can only migrate what's stored there.
This means that, for example, we would migrate student and staff records even if they have since left your school. You'll still be able to find these records using the Global Search, and remove them as needed using the Data Retention process.
Please note that:
- This only applies to data we do migrate.
- The data we migrate will ensure you are census-ready, but there may be more areas you want to check or add. Please see our guidance here: Getting your new Arbor site School Census ready
Please see our list of FAQs on whether each item migrates. It will detail whether there are time limits to the data that is migrated (such as logs of Detention sessions only migrating for the current academic year: Common Migration FAQs.
Do we migrate Doctors and Medical practises?
- We migrate Medical institution names and students linked to these institutions from SIMS, Bromcom, CMIS and Integris.
- We also migrate contact details (email address and phone number), and staff for these institutions from Bromcom.
If you need to add any details in that have not migrated, please follow our guidance:
- See how to manage your GPs and medical practices: Manage my school's Medical Institutions
- See how to link a student to a Medical Institution: Linking Doctor's Medical Practice information to a student.
Do we migrate Linked Agencies and Agents?
We migrate external agency names, email addresses, phone numbers and links to students from SIMS only.
For other institutions that are not Medical institutions, we do not migrate Linked Agencies or Linked Agents into Arbor.
For example, we do not migrate Medical Institutions from ScholarPack, as these are stored as student contacts instead. This means doctors would be linked to student profiles.
If you need to record if a student has a Social Worker for example, you can see how to do this here: Recording details of external agency involvement.
Do we migrate reports and report templates?
We don't transfer reports from SIMS, but you can still create the reports you need!
With Arbor, you can report directly from the relevant system area instead of making a report like in SIMS.
For instance, our attendance reports (e.g., Persistent Absentees) are already set up.
1. Go to Students > Attendance > Absentees to find pre-built tables
2. Filter by demographics like Pupil Premium vs Not.
If you need a custom report, use our Custom Report Writer. You can use pre-built reports or create your own:
- Check out some existing reports: Creating common Custom Report Writer reports
- Ask other schools to share their report templates with you: Importing a Custom Report Writer template or exporting a template to send to another school
While Arbor doesn't have the same And and Or buttons as SIMS, you can still filter your data. Learn how here: Using AND and OR filters in the Custom Report Writer. You can also schedule the report to share with staff, or use custom calculations and conditional formatting.
How do we migrate past Censuses?
We do not migrate previously generated Census returns, so you'll only see censuses you've done in Arbor from School > Data > Export > Data Returns.
On this page, you can use the academic year drop-down menu to select any past census you did in Arbor.
To access previous information as it was submitted, you can use your previous MIS if you still have access, or access the Census return for your school from the DfE or COLLECT.
How do we migrate User Defined Fields?
- We migrate UDF types and student UDFs from SIMS, ScholarPack, Integris and Progresso.
- We also migrate Staff UDFs from SIMS and ScholarPack.
You can see how to add or edit UDFs here: Setting up and managing User Defined Fields (UDFs).
How do we migrate profile photos?
- We migrate profile pictures of students from SIMS and Integris.
- We migrate profile pictures of staff from SIMS.
- We do not migrate guardian profile pictures.
If any photos are missing, it's likely they were too large for us to migrate or the wrong file type. They must be jpeg and less than 1MB.
If you need to add photos after migration you can add them individually by clicking on the profile picture on the person's profile, or in bulk.
How do we migrate Method of Transportation or Mode of Travel?
- We migrate transportation methods for students from SIMS, Bromcom, Integris, ScholarPack and CMIS.
- We migrate transportation methods for staff from SIMS and CMIS.
This information is not collected in the census by the DfE. However, some Local Authorities request this information, e.g. Hampshire County Council.
You can see how to add, edit or report on transportation methods in Arbor using these instructions.
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