Oxford Spires
Academy
Key Information
MCAS Parent/Carer support
Bromcom is the school's MIS (management information system) and is the central piece of software in the day to day running of the school. ‘MCAS’ stands for My Child at School and is the name of the parent/carer view of our published data on both desktop and the app.
The use of My Child at School (MCAS) is part of our ongoing effort to improve the information and communication the school provides.
We have not enabled all the features in MCAS yet, so there may be features mentioned in help guides that you find online that are not visible in your MCAS. We will publish help guides for all new features and visible data when we enable them.
Your child/children will access their data via a website/app called Student Portal. Help and advice is available in school from staff and on the dedicated student support page here.
Essentials
Instructions for activating your account
When we have set up your account, we will not be sending an automated email to you as this has a short time span for you to act on. Instead, you can activate your 'My Child at School' account by clicking a ‘Reset password’ link on the MCAS website and choosing a password. The five-step procedure is as follows:
1. Click here for the MCAS (MyChildatSchool) website.
2. Click the Reset Password link next to the log in box.
3. Enter your email, complete the ‘I’m not a robot’ step, and press Send reset email.
4. Check the email that arrives and click on the link within it to set your password. The email will look like this:
5. Then enter your chosen password to save it in MCAS. That’s it!
You can use the MCAS website to view information, and we would also encourage you to download the app if it's more convenient to use. The app store links are below.
If you have a problem with your account, please refer to the FAQs below for more information and advice, or contact info@oxfordspires.anthemtrust.uk
Links to websites and apps
MCAS frequently asked questions
I am not receiving my password request when I request it?
A. Firstly, check your junk/spam folders in case the email is there.
Secondly, we might not have the right email linked to you. Get in touch with info@oxfordspires.anthemtrust.uk to check which email is linked to you as a contact.
What do I do if I have forgotten my email address or I have provided the school with an email address?
A. Contact info@oxfordspires.anthemtrust.uk
What do I do if I have forgotten my password?
A. Click the Reset Password link from the MCAS login page. See How to reset MCAS Password.
Your password needs to be 8 characters long
I get the message 'incorrect email address' when I attempt to login, what do I do?
A. You should contact the school, so we can update the contact record for you with the correct email address. Contact info@oxfordspires.anthemtrust.uk
My email address associated with MCAS has changed, what should I do?
A. You should contact the school, so we can update the contact record for you with the correct email address. Contact info@oxfordspires.anthemtrust.uk
I am not receiving pop up notifications from MCAS, what can I do?
A. When you first install the app you are asked to allow notifications. We recommend that you do so that your app alerts you to new messages.
If you need to adjust your settings later on, depending on the device you are using, you will need to go Settings > Notifications, and activate or allow the MCAS App to provide you with notifications.
Here is an example from an Android phone. The user has gone to Settings for the phone > Notifications > Search for MyChildatSchool and from there, turn on notifications and fine-tune how you want them to work.
How do I know if I have a new notification on the app?
A. Like most apps, you will see a red dot appear next to the app's icon to signify that there is a new notification message to read.
In the app itself, the number of unread messages will appear next to the messages icon. On the web view, it will appear on top of the email icon.
How do I check my details and my child/children's details on the system are correct?
A. Go to the Data Collection menu on the left-hand side to see the details we hold for you and your child/children.
You can submit changes to us using the same Data Collection screen. See here for how to do this.
You cannot check the details of the other contacts linked to your child/children. Those details are only available to the other contact.
As contacts we both share the same email address is this a problem?
A. No, that's absolutely fine. When you log in with a shared email you will see a message that asks you to pick the profile/the contact name you want to use to view the data.
Once logged in, you will be able to change the profile (which contact you are logged in as) by clicking on the name in the top right, and selecting change profile.
Image file above from Bromcom
Specific Options
Homework
Bromcom is used to inform students what their homework is for each subject, and all homework is returned to the teacher either in person or via other digital platforms (e.g.via Sparx or Teams).
As such, there is no requirement for students to submit any homework back via Bromcom, so visual icons such as red crosses and messages such as ‘late’ or ‘missed’ that you might see in MCAS can be ignored.
When a piece of homework says, 'no submission required', students still need to do the homework. This phrase just means that Bromcom won't be used for submitting the homework back to the teacher.
It isn't currently possible to view past homework in MCAS. We would advise that you ask your child to show you their past homework from their Student Portal view.
When students' 'hide' a piece of homework to clear it from their view of work to complete, this does not clear it from your view. Your view lists all the homework that has been set ahead of its 'due date'. Once the 'due date' has passed, the homework will disappear from your view automatically.
There are no notifications for new homework being set. You need to access MCAS to view what has been set.
Details on how to view homework are here.
How to view and update your personal data or your child's data
You can update your personal data and the data of your child/children using the Data Collection menu in MCAS. Please refer to the following link for guidance on this. Note, we have not enabled all the features and types of data that can be viewed or edited in these screens.
How to view and update your personal data and your child’s data
Exam Timetables
When finalised, the GCSE and A Level exam timetables, as well as timetables for some mocks, will be available on Bromcom.
Click on the menu link: Exam Timetables to view the latest timetable information.
All the columns can be sorted in alphabetical or numerical order by clicking the arrows in the column heading.
Further advice and sources of information
How to view exam results and exam timetables
Parents and carers interested in how the Student Portal works can watch the following video (link below). Note, we have not enabled all the features shown.
The Student Portal – A general overview
Our dedicated page for My Child at School student support can be found here.