|
Frequently asked questions
If you cannot find an answer to your question on this page
please email your query to the address below:
faqs@school-solutions.co.uk
Are the modellers compatible with the latest version
of Excel?
Yes. The modellers are provided in Excel 97 format,
but are designed to be compatible with all later versions of Excel. A guide to
using and saving the modellers in different versions of Excel is included in the
package.
How do I include the increase in employers’
superannuation contribution for teachers from September 2015?
Changes in employers’ superannuation contribution
rates are usually introduced in April across the public sector pension schemes.
On this occasion the Government has chosen to introduce a change in September.
The recommended approach to incorporating this change into your salary modeller
(in the modeller maintenance page) is to use a pro rata composite value, made up
of 5/12s the old rate and 7/12s the new rate. Example 14.1% (old rate) x 5/12 =
5.875% 16.4% (expected new rate) x 7/12 = 9.567%
5.875% + 9.567% = 15.44% (composite rate)
Use 15.44% as the value for employers’
superannuation contribution for teachers for the year April 2015 to March 2016
Use the new rate (16.4%) for subsequent years. See the example below.
What values should I be using for
the Employer's NICs tables?
The values shown above should be
used for April 2014 - March 2015 and subsequent years. The values for future
years can be altered as those figures become available. A government guide to
2014-15 NICs can be found
here.
How do I reflect the ending of
contracting out on employer's NICs from April 2016?
The example below shows how to
amend your NICs tables to reflect the change.
From April 2016 onwards the
values in the "NI in super" column will be the same as those for the "NI not in
super" column. You should update the figures in the monthly salary bands as they
become available
How can I make best use of a 3 year modeller
if I don't know future rates of pay, NI rates etc.?
There are two basic approaches to making use of
the 3 year modellers:- using updated pay rates etc. to model actual changes in
your costs or using unchanged pay rates etc. across all three years to show
"real terms" changes. If future pay rates etc. are not available you could
estimate percentage increases in years 2 and 3 to produce an estimate of how
much your staff costs will actually change, or you could use year 1 data across
all three years to see how changes in contracts and staffing levels will change
your staff costs in relation to year 1, thus giving a "real terms" change in
your staffing costs.
I'm worried about running macros on my
machine. Is it safe to do so?
The macros built into the
modellers are intended save you time by taking some of the repetitive work out
of using them and, particularly for inexperienced users of Excel, to provide
some advanced
features literally "at the touch of a button". The macros are safe to run on
your machine, but if you have any doubts, or if your antivirus software prevents
you from doing so, use the macro free versions supplied on the disc. You will
not have the benefits of the additional functionality, but all the core features
remain and calculations are not affected.
A small square toolbar
appears on the screen when “full screen” facility is activated
The toolbar is an automatic
function of Excel and not part of the modeller. It appears the first time a
spreadsheet is displayed in full screen mode. To remove it just click on the x
in its top right corner, or drag it to a more convenient location.
I cannot see the
horizontal scroll bar when “full screen” facility is activated
When a spreadsheet is displayed
full screen, whether or not the horizontal scroll bar is visible is determined
by the task bar settings on your computer. The easiest way to see the scroll bar
is to drag the task bar (the one with the clock on) down to the very bottom of
the screen and then up again when you’ve finished. This is achieved by pointing
your cursor at the top of the task bar until it becomes a two-headed arrow, then
left clicking and dragging down. The permanent solution is to right click on
the task bar, select “properties”, “task bar options” and clear the “always on
top” box. Alternatively the modeller can be navigated using the arrow keys on
the keyboard.
There is no “zero” value in
the drop-down lists with which I can clear mistakes
Use the “delete” button on your
keyboard to delete any unwanted information.
The appearance of my data
changes when I select a different year
If a contract is not current
during any part of the selected year it will appear greyed-out and struck
through on the modeller. In addition there will be no salary information
displayed. This is to bring to prominence those contracts which are actually
valid in the selected year. Using the sort options will change the order in
which contracts appear on your screen, giving priority to current contracts.
|
