Office 365

MICROSOFT 365

All staff and students are provided with a school Microsoft 365 account.  Microsoft 365 provides email, online storage and productivity software. 

You can login to Microsoft 365 via your web browser at https://portal.office.com

Your account provides you with access to download and use the Microsoft Office software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc) and the mobile apps on up to five of your own devices.  Just select the ‘Install apps’ button from the Microsoft 365 home page via the link above, once the apps are installed you can activate them by logging in with your Charters Microsoft 365 account details.

Which web browsers does Microsoft 365 support?

For the best security and functionality, keep your web browser up to date.  Modern browsers should update automatically but check your settings to make sure that you have the latest updates installed.

The following browsers are tested and supported; other browsers may work but some functions may not be available:

Windows: Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, or Google Chrome

Mac OS: Microsoft Edge, Apple Safari 10+ or Chrome

Linux: Microsoft Edge, Firefox or Chrome on Linux, but some features may not be available.

Which computer operating systems are supported?

The Office applications can be installed on both Windows and Mac OS computers.  For other operating systems such as Chrome OS or GNU/Linux based systems only the browser-based apps are available.

For help with setting up the Office software on a Windows or Apple Mac computer please see Microsoft’s guide here

Which mobile operating systems are supported?

The Microsoft 365 apps for Android can be downloaded from the Google Play store and Apple iPhone OS or iPad OS apps can be downloaded from Apple’s app store.

For help with setting up the apps on a mobile device please see Microsoft’s guide here

Who to contact for further support?

The IT Helpdesk at Charters School can be contacted (during term time) on:

01344298736

 

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I set up my smartphone to receive emails?

Android, Apple and Windows smartphones are supported by the system. For information on how to set them up please select the appropriate Help Sheet from the Office365 web page.

How can I access the School Global Address List?

There are two options:

The quickest is to click New Mail and click the + symbol at the far right hand side, then type in the search People at the top of the list and enter their details then press enter (or select from the list if multiple options). You will be able to see their email address and office location and phone number if available.

The second option is to look someone up whilst sending an email. Click New Mail > To… > type the persons surname then their initials if you know them and press enter. Select the requested name from the list and click To -> to add them to the Message recipients.

I’m unable to compose emails or open some folders, is something wrong with my account?

You may have installed on your computer some security software that prevents Charters365 from working properly, e.g., Norton Internet Security. To ensure your account works fine, try using an alternative web browser and then seek assistance to configure your security software. The ICT Help Desk, in the Sixth Form building, may be able to assist. Alternatively, seek help from the vendor of the security software.

I’ve been told some email sent to me has been bounced back to sender?

Please contact the ICT Help Desk who will investigate any issues with your account.

How do I turn off conversations and/or the reading pane?

In the Inbox screen click on the Conversations by date dropdown button. Click Conversations > Off to un-tick this option and turn it off.

Note: Conversations is a feature which groups email replies together into a single conversation thread so it is easy to see which emails are replying to each other. This overrides the usual ordering of email messages by time and date.

How can I apply rules to automatically forward emails?

From the Inbox screen click Settings cog in the top right hand corner and select Options > Organize E-Mail > Inbox Rules

On the Inbox Rules page click New…. Under Create a new rule for arriving messages: select Apply to all messages if you want your rule to apply to emails you have already received. Under Do the following: select Redirect the message to… and enter your preferred email address in the To-> field which pops up before clicking OK. Finally click Save and answer the dialog box with Yes.

How can I set up Automatic Replies?

From the Inbox screen click Settings cog in the top right hand corner and select Options > Organize E-Mail > Automatic Replies

Select the Send automatic replies radio button and fill in the required time period and message details. Finally click Save.

Can I add other email accounts to Microsoft Office365?

Yes, but this is not supported by Charters ICT Support.

If you would like to connect your other email accounts, i.e. hotmail, yahoo, so that you don’t need to keep checking several accounts:

Click Options > See All Options… > Account > Connected Accounts.

Warning: You will need to input your email address and password of any other email accounts you have if you wish to connect them. These details will then be stored by Microsoft. If you have any concerns about doing this then do not use this service.

Warning: By enabling this feature any emails coming from connected accounts will be subject to our Acceptable Use Policy.

Note: Any emails received from connected accounts will count as part of your email size quota.

What is the quickest way to free up space on my mailbox?

You can delete old and unneeded emails. You can either delete them individually by clicking the Delete button in the Message Window or by selecting multiple emails in your Mailbox (by clicking the little icon on the left of each message). Then you can click Delete to delete all selected messages.

To find out which messages are taking up the most space you can click Conversations By under the search box and then select the Size option.

Is there an easy way to email everyone?

No, it is prohibited for students to email everyone. This is considered abuse of the email system and is against School rules. You can, however, create smaller mailing lists for your own use.

Delivery of a message I have sent has been delayed. What should I do?

Try to resend it. If you get the same message wait for a few hours, it’s likely that the problem is with the receiver’s email system not Microsoft Office365.

Delivery of a message I have sent has failed. What should I do?

It is likely that the email address you are trying to send to doesn’t exist. This can be due to typing mistakes or being given an invalid email address. Check the email address for any errors for example non-letter characters and confirm with the person who gave you the email address (if possible) that it is correct.

Is there a limit on the size of a mail message?

Yes. Sent or received emails must be 25MB or less. This includes any attached files such as images or documents.

Is there a limit / maximum size for my mailbox?

Yes. Please refer to the details under the Mailbox Quotas section by clicking here…

What is the difference between mailboxes and folders?

Your mailbox contains all your folders and email items. You will only have 1 mailbox.

Folders can be used to organise your emails into categories. You can create new folders for new categories and place related emails in them.

Where are the servers physically located?

The mail servers are all located in the EEA – Microsoft uses data centres in Dublin and Amsterdam. Therefore, it comes under the auspices of the Data Protection Act.

What does a ‘hosted service’ mean?

This means that email messages will be securely stored and backed up at two, geographically dispersed, Microsoft European data centres. Email accounts will still be created and managed by ICT Support Services.

Will Microsoft be able to access my email?

No, all email accounts for current students will be owned and managed by the School.

What devices can I use to access my email?

You can access and get automatically updated email, calendar and contacts from a range of devices including PCs, Macintosh computers, iPhone, Android phones, smartphones, Windows mobile and Windows phones.

Will incoming emails still be checked for viruses and spam?

Yes, they will continue to be checked in exactly the same way as they are now.

Will I be able to access my email account after I leave Charters School?

No, your account will be available until at least the date you leave the school roll and will be disabled and removed shortly afterwards.

Can I recover emails that I have deleted?

Yes, you can recover deleted email messages within a certain period of time, this depends on whether you have ‘soft deleted’ or ‘hard deleted’ your email messages.You ‘soft delete’ an email message when you:

  • Press the ‘Delete key’
  • Right click on the message and select the ‘Delete’ option
  • Click on the ‘Delete button’ on the toolbar
  • Press Ctlr & D

You ‘hard delete’ an email message by holding down the ‘Shift’ key and press the ‘Delete’ key.If you ‘soft delete’ a message, it will be sent to the ‘Deleted Items’ folder and it will still count against your email quota. You will be able to recover the message from the ‘Deleted Items’ folder within 14 days by dragging the message out of the ‘Deleted Items’ folder and dropping it in your ‘Inbox’ folder.

If you decide to empty your ‘Deleted Items’ folder or 14 days have passed since the message was ‘soft deleted’, the message will be moved to the ‘Recovered Deleted Items’ folder and you will be able to recover the message from there for 30 days. If within those 30 days you decide to empty your ‘Recovered Deleted Items’ folder, then only ICT Support Services will be able to recover the message as long as no more than 30 days have passed since the message was moved to the ‘Recovered Deleted Items’. After 30 days have passed, the message will be permanently deleted.

If you ‘hard delete’ a message, it will go to the ‘Purges’ folder for 30 days only and will only be recoverable by ICT Support Services. After 30 days have passed, the message will be permanently deleted.

Is there a limit to the number of email recipients?

To discourage users from sending unsolicited bulk messages, there are restrictions that prevent users and applications from sending large volumes of email. You can send messages to a maximum of 1,500 recipients per day. An email message can be addressed to a maximum of 500 recipients. A distribution group that is stored in the Global Address List counts as one recipient. In a personal distribution group, each recipient is counted seperately.

What other Office 365 applications and services will be made available to me through my Microsoft365 account?

Sharepoint Online – provides access to subject resource as well as teacher pick up and drop off areas. Office Web Apps – enables you to view, share and edit your Microsoft Office documents on the web.  Student Advantage – enables you to download and install Microsoft Office Pro Plus on up to 5 devices free of charge.

Can the Microsoft365 general look and feel be changed?

Unfortunately the School cannot change the general look & feel as it is a Microsoft solution. However, you can use Outlook 2010 and onwards on a PC or laptop to access Charters365. See help sheet opposite for instructions on how to set your email client up.