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Configuring Pupil Preferences

The preference functionality allows you to store a typical weekly pattern of either meal codes (for the Dinners module) or session codes (for the Extended Day module) against any number of pupils.

Preferences can be configured on a pupil by pupil basis and do not have to be configured against all pupils.

Temporary changes to an individual pupil’s typical pattern can be accommodated directly through the register or through Classroom Edition (if licenced) and for pupils who have no preferences set then meal/session codes continue to be entered directly as required.

1. Defining preferences for a pupil

• Select the Configuration tab and Account configuration 
• Select Pupils 
• Expand any of the lists (Class list, Pupil list...) and select the appropriate pupil 
• Click Preferences
• Select the appropriate Dinner Money or Extended Day heading against which you wish to set preferences. If necessary use the small arrows to the right of the headings to view more
• Enter the appropriate meal code or session code heading against each weekday (or session). 
• If appropriate, select a further pupil from the list and continue to set their preferences
• Click Done to save and exit the window

Populating Pupil Preferences

1. Auto-populating preferences daily 

Pupil preferences automatically update registers on a rolling day by day basis for all pupils, subject to the following rules:

• Where the register is currently blank, a pupil's preference will be brought through for the day.
  Note: A blank may be the result of no code ever having been set, or may be the result of a code having been deleted from the register
• Where the register already contains a code (e.g. as a result of a manual amendment), a pupil's preference will not overwrite the existing code.

The overnight population of preferences can be turned off, please visit the page here to view the step-by-step video tutorial. 

By turning off overnight preferences, you gain more control over when preferences are populated. Please see steps 2-5 below for further information. 

2. Populating preferences 'on demand'

It is possible to pull preferences through to registers manually should you wish to. This can be useful if you wish to pull preferences through for a date or date range in the future.

• Click Set meal preferences (for Dinners) or Set session preferences (for Extended Day). 
• If required select a specific class, or all classes, or select a specific Account name
• If you wish the configured preferences codes to overwrite any existing codes already in the register then tick the appropriate option. 
  NOTE: A code will not be changed in the register if the pupil's preference for that day is configured blank. 
  
• If you wish to populate preferences only if the pupil has sufficient credit available then tick the appropriate option.
• Select the required date range
• Click Done to finish

The below steps 3-5 explain a number of shortcuts that can be used should you wish to select specific options when populating preferences on demand.

3. Populating preferences for a single specific day

• From the main register screen, click the column header you wish to populate.
• The date selection will default to the single date selected.
• Further selections (Class Account, Options) can be set as required. 

4. Populating preferences for a whole week

• From the main register screen, click the date header of the week you wish to populate.
• The date selection will default to the full week selected.
• Further selections (Class Account, Options) can be set as required. 

5. Populating preferences for a single pupil

• From the main register screen, right click the pupil whose preferences you wish to update.
• The Account selection will default to this specific pupil.
• Further selections (Class Account, Options) can be set as required. 

Preferences and SCOPAY.com

The default setting for Dinner Money and Extended Day preferences, is for the configuration to be controlled in school. However should you wish, you have the option to allow parents to configure preferences for their child via their scopay.com account. 

1. Allowing parents to edit a pupil's preference online

To allow parents either to view and/or edit their child's preferences:

• From the Configuration tab in SCO, select Banking configuration 
• Click Prepayment accounts 
• Click to highlight the appropriate pre-payment account heading
• Tick the Online preferences View tick box to allow parents to have view-only access to preferences online. 
• Additionally, select the Online preferences Edit tick box to allow parents to make changes to their child's preferences configuration online. 

2. Editing the meal/session calendar online

Subject to the limits for the online meal/session ordering set by the school, parents can continue to make code selections, or amend selections within the online calendar. 

Preferences will continue to auto-populate the calendar subject to the following rules:

• Where the calendar is set to no meal/session selected, a pupil's preference will be brought through for the day. 
• Where the calendar already contains a code (e.g. as a result of a manual amendment), a pupil's preference will not overwrite the existing code. 

Automatic Overnight Preferences