Frequently asked questions

In this FAQ page we have collected together some of the questions asked most frequently by our members and by visitors to the website:

 

What is my membership number?

We have recently started using membership numbers at the Out of School Alliance as an additional way of identifying members. You can find your membership number by clicking on the My Account link at the very top of the page.

Where is my order?

With the exception of the CD version of the Start-Up Pack, all of our information packs are delivered immediately via email. Please ensure that you enter the correct email address when placing your order. The email with the information pack is sent automatically as soon as you complete your order so it should reach you within minutes. If your emails usually arrive promptly, and you haven't received your information pack within half an hour, something has Gone Wrong.

First, check your spam folder to see if the email has been inadvertantly intercepted by your spam filter. If there is no sign of the email in your spam folder, please contact us on info@oosa.co.uk to let us know and we will investigate.

If you have ordered the CD version of the Start-Up Pack we aim to despatch these via Royal Mail First Class within 48 hours of you placing your order. If it has been more than one week since you ordered the CD and it still hasn't arrived, please contact us on info@oosa.co.uk.

Can I have printed copies of your policies?

No. We only provide electronic versions of our template paperwork. This is so that you can receive it instantly, and more importantly so that you can edit the files to ensure that they accurately reflect the practice within your own setting.

Why don't the download links in the confirmation email work?

When you purchase one of our downloadable template packs, our confirmation email contains links from where you can download the packs that you purchased. To prevent unauthorized downloads, the links are only 'live' for 48 hours, so please download the packs promptly. If you were unable to download the packs within 48 hours of purchase, just contact us on info@oosa.co.uk and we will re-send the files to you.

Note that in most cases the packs that you purchased are emailed to you as attachments to the confirmation email so usually there is no need to use the download links anyway. However some email systems block, or strip out, .zip file attachments, which is why we also include the download links in the confirmation email.

My membership pack still hasn't arrived. What's going on?

All of our communication with our members is sent out electronically. We do not have membership packs which we send out through the post. Shortly after you purchase your annual membership you will receive a 'Welcome' email with details about how to use your membership account, information about member discounts and other features. The 'Welcome' email is sent out by a human, rather than automatically, so there may be a delay of a few hours (or longer if you join us overnight or at the weekend). If it is a weekday and has been more than 24 hours since you joined, please let us know if your 'Welcome' email has not arrived.

How do I change my email address?

We only store one email address for each member account. The address that we send any email correspondence to, including the newsletter, is the same as the one you use to log in to the website with.

To update your email address (or any other contact details) you just need to:

  1. Log in to the website (by clicking on the Log in link at the top-right of the page).
  2. Then click on the My account link that will appear, also at the top-right of the page.
  3. On the next page, click on the Edit button.
  4. Your full account details page appears. You can now change any of the contact details for your account.
  5. Don't forget to click the Save button at the foot of the page when you have finished.

How do I change my username?

Although you can update your email address from within the My account section (as described above), it is not possible to change your username yourself. If you need to change your username, just send us an email to info@oosa.co.uk with your existing username and the new one, and we can do it for you.

I've forgotten my password

If you've forgotten your password, you can re-set it so long as you have access to the email account that you have registered with us and you are a current member.

To re-set your password:

  1. Click on the Log in link at the top-right of the page.
  2. Click the Forgotten password? link underneath the password box.
  3. The Lost Password page appears. Enter your email address or username in the box and then click the send link button.
  4. Go to your email client and find the new password email message from us. It will be called 'Replacement login information'. Click on the link contained in that email message (or paste it into your browser). You can use this link only once.
  5. The reset password page appears. Click on the Log in button.
  6. Your account details page appears. Enter your new password in the Password box and re-type your new password in the Confirm password box. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the Save button.
  7. A message will appear above your account details saying 'The changes have been saved'. You are now logged into the Out of School Alliance website, and you have a new password.

If you follow all the steps above but are still having problems logging in, or if you can't remember your username or log-in email, please contact us via email for help.

If you are not a current member (for example if your membership has expired, or if you are setting up a new membership but have not yet paid), then you won't be able to re-set your password. This function is only available to members. If you are not a current member but need to re-set your password, please contact us via email for help.

Why hasn't my Replacement login email arrived?

If you forget your password and request a new one online, the 'replacement login information' email is automatically sent out by our system, so it should arrive within minutes of you requesting it.

If you have checked your inbox and there is no email from us, please check your spam folder. Nine times out of ten the 'missing' email has in fact been trapped by the spam filter.

If you have checked your spam and/or junk mail folders and there is definitely no replacement login email, please contact us at info@oosa.co.uk.

I don't have a credit or debit card, how can I make a purchase?

Although it is quicker if you can pay by payment card, you can also pay by cheque or by BACS if you prefer.

If you wish to order one of our template packs, download the order form and send a copy of it to us together with your cheque. To pay by BACS, contact us at info@oosa.co.uk for our bank details.

If you are joining the Out of School Alliance as a new member, first complete the online registration form and click the Join OOSA today button, but ignore the payment page which then appears. Print out the first page of the form (which contains your contact details) and post it to us together with your cheque. Alternatively email us to request our bank details and then make a transfer via BACS.
Further details on paying for membership by cheque or BACS

Eeek! I didn’t download the template files within 48 hours. What can I do now?

To prevent unauthorized downloads, the links to the template files are only 'live' for 48 hours, so please download the packs promptly. If you have ordered recently but were unable to download the packs within 48 hours of purchase don’t panic, just contact us on info@oosa.co.uk and we will re-send the files to you.

Can I open the template files on my iPad?

Although our template packs are designed to be used on a computer, for those of you who have downloaded the pack to your iPad it is possible to open and view the files.

To open one of our template packs on your iPad you will need to download two apps. First of all a document reader, and also a decompression app.

There are loads of document reader or file manager apps to choose from.  I use Google Docs because I have Google Mail. But Documents Pro 7 has excellent reviews. Both of these are free.

Secondly you will need a decompression app. Again there are plenty to choose from. We tried out Zip Rar Tool Free and WinZip Free. Both of them are free and quick to install.

Send the file(s) to the decompression app. It  will unzip your zipped files and export them to your document reader/file manager app . Easy as that!